Economy
Dangote Flour Holds Court-Ordered Meeting October to Approve Sale to Olam
By Dipo Olowookere
Monday, October 14, 2019 has been fixed for a court-ordered meeting for shareholders of Dangote Flour Mills Plc to approve the sale of the firm to Olam International Limited through its subsidiary, Crown Flour Mills Limited.
Olam is looking to pay N120 billion for the acquisition of the company’s five billion shares not held by Crown Flour Mills at the rate of N24 each.
A statement released by Dangote Flour Mills disclosed that the “meeting will be held at 10:00am on Monday, October 14, 2019 at Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos Island, Lagos.”
It was stated that registration of shareholders will commence two hours before the scheduled time of the meeting.
The court appointed Mr Asue Ighodalo (or failing him, Mr Arnold Ekpe, or failing them both, any other director of the company appointed in their stead by the shareholders present at the meeting) to act as Chairman of the said meeting and has directed the Chairman to report the results thereof to the court.
At the meeting, shareholders would be expected to confirm that, “The Scheme of Arrangement as contained in the Scheme Document dated Thursday, 29 August, 2019, with or subject to such modification, addition or condition agreed at the Meeting and/or approved or imposed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and/or the Court, a print of which has been submitted at the Meeting and, for purposes of identification, endorsed by the Chairman, be and is hereby approved;
“That as consideration for the transfer of the Scheme Shares, each holder of the Scheme Shares shall receive N24.00 per share;
That as a result of the Scheme, the legal and beneficial ownership of 100% of the shareholding of the Company, (not currently held by Crown Flour Mills Limited or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates), be transferred to Crown Flour Mills Limited and any other nominees of Crown Flour Mills Limited;
“That the Board of Directors of the Company be and are hereby authorised to take all actions deemed necessary to give effect to the aforementioned resolutions of the Company or as may become necessary to put the Scheme of Arrangement into effect and to consent to any modification of the Scheme that the Court or the relevant regulatory authorities shall deem fit to impose or approve.”
IN THE FEDERAL HIGH COURT OF NIGERIA
IN THE LAGOS JUDICIAL DIVISION
HOLDEN AT IKOYI LAGOS
SUIT NO: FHC/L/CS/ 1507/ 2019
IN THE MATTER OF AN APPLICATION UNDER SECTION 539 OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT CAP C20 LAWS OF THE FEDERATION OF NIGERIA, 2004 (CAMA)
IN RE:
DANGOTE FLOUR MILLS PLC. (RC. 501757)……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….APPLICANT
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that by order of the Federal High Court, sitting in Lagos (hereinafter referred to as the “Court”) dated Friday, 30th August 2019 made in the above matter, the Court has directed that a meeting (the “Meeting”) of the holders of the fully paid up ordinary shares of Dangote Flour Mills Plc. (“DFM” or the “Company”) be convened for the purpose of considering and if thought fit, approving (with or without modification) a Scheme of Arrangement between DFM and the holders of its fully paid ordinary shares of 50 kobo each (the “Scheme”). The Scheme is explained in detail in the Explanatory Statement on pages 14 to 19 of the Scheme Document.
The Meeting will be held at 10:00am on Monday, 14 October, 2019 at Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos Island, Lagos (or any such other venue as the Company’s directors may deem appropriate) at which place and time all the aforesaid shareholders are requested to attend. Registration of shareholders will commence two (2) hours before the scheduled time of the meeting. Copies of the Scheme Document and the Explanatory Statement pursuant to Sections 539 and 540 of CAMA are enclosed herewith.
At the Meeting, the following sub-joined resolutions will be proposed, and if thought fit, passed as a Special Resolution of the Company:
THAT:
- The Scheme of Arrangement as contained in the Scheme Document dated Thursday, 29 August, 2019, with or subject to such modification, addition or condition agreed at the Meeting and/or approved or imposed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and/or the Court, a print of which has been submitted at the Meeting and, for purposes of identification, endorsed by the Chairman, be and is hereby approved;
- Subject to the sanction of the Court:
- That as consideration for the transfer of the Scheme Shares, each holder of the Scheme Shares shall receive N24.OO per share;
- That as a result of the Scheme, the legal and beneficial ownership of 100% of the shareholding of the Company, (not currently held by Crown Flour Mills Limited or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates), be transferred to Crown Flour Mills Limited and any other nominees of Crown Flour Mills Limited;
- the Board of Directors of the Company be and are hereby authorised to take all actions deemed necessary to give effect to the aforementioned resolutions of the Company or as may become necessary to put the Scheme of Arrangement into effect and to consent to any modification of the Scheme that the Court or the relevant regulatory authorities shall deem fit to impose or approve.”
By the order of the Court, the Court has appointed Mr. Asue Ighodalo (or failing him, Mr. Arnold Ekpe, or failing them both, any other Director of the Company appointed in their stead by the shareholders present at the Meeting) to act as Chairman of the said meeting and has directed the Chairman to report the results thereof to the Court.
Voting at the Meeting shall be by poll. Shareholders may vote in person or they may appoint a proxy, whether a shareholder or not to attend the vote in their stead.
In compliance with the Rulebook of The Nigerian Stock Exchange (2015), Crown Flour Mills Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Olam International Limited and party to whom (together with its nominee), the Scheme Shares would be transferred, will not exercise its right to vote at the Meeting.
In addition to the questions that Shareholders can ask at the Meeting, the Shareholders may submit questions on the Scheme to the Company prior to the date of the Meeting. All such questions must be submitted to the Company Secretary on or before 10:00 am on Friday, 11 October, 2019.
A Proxy Form is being sent to each shareholder. In the case of joint shareholders, the vote of the senior holder who tenders a vote, whether in person or by proxy, will be accepted to the exclusion of the votes of the other joint holders, and for this purpose seniority will be determined by the order in which the names appear in the Register of Members of DFM.
It is requested that the duly executed and stamped Proxy Form (together with any power of attorney or other authority under which the Proxy Form is signed, or a notarised copy of such power of attorney or other authority) be lodged at the office of the Registrars, as shown on the Proxy Form, not less than 24 hours before the time appointed for the Court-Ordered Meeting.
Please note that the lodging of a Proxy Form does not prevent you from attending the meeting and voting in person should you so wish. However, in such instances, your proxy will not be entitled to attend or vote.
The Scheme will be subject to the subsequent sanction of the Court.
REGISTER OF MEMBERS UPDATE
The register of members of the Company will be closed from Monday, 30 September, 2019 to Friday, 4 October, 2019 (both dates inclusive) for the purpose of determining attendance at the meeting.
Shareholders whose names appear in the Register of Members on Friday, 27 September, 2019 will be entitled to attend and vote at the Meeting or any adjournment thereof and the number of votes which may be cast thereat will be determined by reference to the contents of the Register of Members.
Changes to entries in the Register of Members of the Company after that date and time shall be disregarded for the purposes of the Meeting.
Dated this Friday, 6th September 2019
AISHA LADI ISA Banwo & Ighodalo
COMPANY SECRETARY 48, Awolowo Road
Ikoyi, Lagos
By Adedapo Adesanya
The United Kingdom via the British High Commission in Abuja has launched two flagship economic reform programmes – the Nigeria Economic Stability & Transformation (NEST) programme and the Nigeria Public Finance Facility (NPFF) -as part of efforts to support Nigeria’s economic reform and growth agenda.
Backed by a £12.4 million UK investment, NEST and NPFF sit at the centre of the UK-Nigeria mutual growth partnership and support Nigeria’s efforts to strengthen macroeconomic stability, improve fiscal resilience, and create a more competitive environment for investment and private-sector growth.
Speaking at the launch, Cynthia Rowe, Head of Development Cooperation at the British High Commission in Abuja, said, “These two programmes sit at the heart of our economic development cooperation with Nigeria. They reflect a shared commitment to strengthening the fundamentals that matter most for our stability, confidence, and long-term growth.”
The launch followed the inaugural meeting of the Joint UK-Nigeria Steering Committee, which endorsed the approach of both programmes and confirmed strong alignment between the UK and Nigeria on priority areas for delivery.
Representing the Government of Nigeria, Special Adviser to the President of Nigeria on Finance and the Economy, Mrs Sanyade Okoli, welcomed the collaboration, touting it as crucial to current, critical reforms.
“We welcome the United Kingdom’s support through these new programmes as a strong demonstration of our shared commitment to Nigeria’s economic stability and long-term prosperity. At a time when we are implementing critical reforms to strengthen fiscal resilience, improve macroeconomic stability, and unlock inclusive growth, this partnership will provide valuable technical support. Together, we are laying the foundation for a more resilient economy that delivers sustainable development and improved livelihoods for all Nigerians.”
On his part, Mr Jonny Baxter, British Deputy High Commissioner in Lagos, highlighted the significance of the programmes within the wider UK-Nigeria mutual growth partnership.
“NEST and NPFF are central to our shared approach to strengthening the foundations that underpin long-term economic prosperity. They sit firmly within the UK-Nigeria mutual growth partnership.”
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
A strategic partnership aimed at accelerating the growth, digital capacity, and sustainability of Nigeria’s 40 million Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) has been signed by MTN Nigeria and the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN).
The collaboration will feature joint initiatives focused on digital inclusion, financial access, capacity building, and providing verified information for MSMEs.
With millions of small businesses depending on accurate guidance and easy-to-access support, MTN and SMEDAN say their shared platform will address gaps in communication, misinformation, and access to opportunities.
At the formal signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Thursday, November 27, 2025, in Lagos, the stage was set for the immediate roll-out of tools, content, and resources that will support MSMEs nationwide.
The chief operating officer of MTN Nigeria, Mr Ayham Moussa, reiterated the company’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s economic development, stating that MSMEs are the lifeline of Nigeria’s economy.
“SMEs are the backbone of the economy and the backbone of employment in Nigeria. We are delighted to power SMEDAN’s platform and provide tools that help MSMEs reach customers, obtain funding, and access wider markets. This collaboration serves both our business and social development objectives,” he stated.
Also, the Chief Enterprise Business Officer of MTN Nigeria, Ms Lynda Saint-Nwafor, described the MoU as a tool to “meet SMEs at the point of their needs,” noting that nano, micro, small, and medium businesses each require different resources to scale.
“Some SMEs need guidance, some need resources; others need opportunities or workforce support. This platform allows them to access whatever they need. We are committed to identifying opportunities across financial inclusion, digital inclusion, and capacity building that help SMEs to scale,” she noted.
Also commenting, the Director General of SMEDAN, Mr Charles Odii, emphasised the significance of the collaboration, noting that the agency cannot meet its mandate without leveraging technology and private-sector expertise.
“We have approximately 40 million MSMEs in Nigeria, and only about 400 SMEDAN staff. We cannot fulfil our mandate without technology, data, and strong partners.
“MTN already has the infrastructure and tools to support MSMEs from payments to identity, hosting, learning, and more. With this partnership, we are confident we can achieve in a short time what would have taken years,” he disclosed.
Mr Odii highlighted that the SMEDAN-MTN collaboration would support businesses across their growth needs, guided by their four-point GROW model – Guidance, Resources, Opportunities, and Workforce Development.
He added that SMEDAN has already created over 100,000 jobs within its two-year administration and expects the partnership to significantly boost job creation, business expansion, and nationwide enterprise modernisation.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited is seeking review of the controversial Capital Gains Tax increase, fearing it will chase away foreign investors from the country’s capital market.
Nigeria’s new tax regime, which takes effect from January 1, 2026, represents one of the most significant changes to Nigeria’s tax system in recent years.
Under the new rules, the flat 10 per cent Capital Gains Tax rate has been replaced by progressive income tax rates ranging from zero to 30 per cent, depending on an investor’s overall income or profit level while large corporate investors will see the top rate reduced to 25 per cent as part of a wider corporate tax reform.
The chief executive of NGX, Mr Jude Chiemeka, said in a Bloomberg interview in Kigali, Rwanda that there should be a “removal of the capital gains tax completely, or perhaps deferring it for five years.”
According to him, Nigeria, having a higher Capital Gains Tax, will make investors redirect asset allocation to frontier markets and “countries that have less tax.”
“From a capital flow perspective, we should be concerned because all these international portfolio managers that invest across frontier markets will certainly go to where the cost of investing is not so burdensome,” the CEO said, as per Bloomberg. “That is really the angle one will look at it from.”
Meanwhile, the policy has been defended by the chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, Mr Taiwo Oyedele, who noted that the new tax will make investing in the capital market more attractive by reducing risks, promoting fairness, and simplifying compliance.
He noted that the framework allows investors to deduct legitimate costs such as brokerage fees, regulatory charges, realised capital losses, margin interest, and foreign exchange losses directly tied to investments, thereby ensuring that they are not taxed when operating at a loss.
Mr Oyedele also said the reforms introduced a more inclusive approach to taxation by exempting several categories of investors and transactions.
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