Economy
Effective Internal Controls Vital to Investor Protection—SEC
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The Executive Commissioner for Legal and Enforcement at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Mr Reginald Karawusa, has stressed that effective internal controls over financial reporting are very vital to ensure companies provide investors with accurate financial statements, which will, in turn, boost investor protection and confidence.
Speaking at a workshop on Internal Controls over Financial Reporting, an implementation of Section -60-63 of the Investment and Securities Act 2007, organised by the SEC in collaboration with the Nigeria Capital Market Institute in Lagos on Monday, Mr Karawusa stated that with the plethora of Ponzi schemes plaguing the nation, accurate financial statements are essential for the vitality of financial markets and by extension the economy.
“Once investors no longer have confidence in the accuracy and completeness of companies’ financial statements and other disclosures, they will naturally be unwilling to invest, and the financial markets will certainly suffer as is currently experiencing in our country,” he said.
The Executive Commissioner noted that following the approval of the framework, it became apparent that its implementation would require extensive improvements in the internal processes of some reporting entities leading to additional responsibilities placed on certain key persons within the entities.
He added that it was decided that efforts would be made to engage with companies and sensitize identified role holders on their responsibilities under the framework.
“As you may recall, the outbreak of accounting scandals in the 1990s and corporate frauds of the early 2000s highlighted the need for the development of a coherent framework of systems of control and policies to identify, measure, mitigate and disclose risks,” he stated.
According to him, “Securities regulators in a number of jurisdictions acted in lockstep with the United States by introducing requirements that would strengthen controls within companies and enhance the quality of financial reports issued by such companies.
“In line with this global effort, the Federal Government provided under Section 61(1) of the Investment and Securities Act 2007 that a public company shall establish a system of internal controls over its financial reporting and security of its assets, and it shall be the responsibility of the board of directors to ensure the integrity of the company’s financial controls and reporting.
“The International Organization of Securities Regulators (IOSCO) has noted that Internal Controls are intended to ensure the fulfilment of corporate goals. They also ensure an efficient deployment of corporate resources and assets, avoiding and mitigating operational deviations that could affect business continuity and the achievement of the company’s goals.
“Some of such boards lacked effective risk and audit committees, where members ought to have challenged management’s approach to risk. These officers neither have the means to ensure that board decisions and policies were effectively put in place, let alone to scrutinize decisions collectively taken,” Mr Karawusa said.
He disclosed that in response particularly to corporate scandals of the 1990s/early 2000s, the United States passed the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, which introduced significant auditing and financial regulations for public companies as safeguards to protect shareholders, employees and other stakeholders from accounting errors and fraudulent financial practices.
In his remarks, the Managing Director of NCMI, Mr Emomotimi Agama, said that the starting point to evaluate the sufficiency of an ICFR program should be with a financial statement risk assessment.
“The risk assessment, which includes specific financial reporting objectives and identification of risks to achieving those objectives, answers these fundamental questions: Which controls are necessary to address the company’s risks? How many controls does the company need? What is just enough for the company’s ICFR program?
“A risk assessment that integrates the right people, processes, tools, and techniques serves to identify the relevant risks of material misstatement (ROMMs). The risk assessment also includes the selection of controls and the evaluation of the design of the control; it’s through the risk assessment process that a company can report with confidence the number and types of controls necessary to have an effective ICFR system,” Mr Agama stated.
He said the management’s focus on ICFR should start with determining whether the company’s risk assessment process is sufficient to identify and assess the risks to reliable financial reporting, including changes in those risks.
Mr Agama listed proactive steps management can consider, including Refreshing the risk assessment program to incorporate the right people, processes, and technologies to unlock the hidden value. Integrating data analytics and visualization to improve the quality of the data analysed to support robust risk identification and report results succinctly to key stakeholders. This, in turn, can rationalize the risks of material misstatement to a level of granularity to focus on what could truly be a material misstatement.
“In all of this, Education is essential, and the essence of this program is to provide that education to help companies comply with Sec 60-63 of the ISA 2007,” he added.
The Covid-19 pandemic brought a different work mode globally that promised freedom: remote work. This new work approach brought along technological innovations that aided the conveniences that accompanied it: the ability to work from anywhere, collaborate across time zones, and build a career without borders. But the one problem nobody warned us about was that getting paid and using that money shouldn’t require a finance degree.
Remote workers in Nigeria sought various avenues to navigate international payments, and one of the solutions that was provided was OneDosh, which has now become the bridge between earning globally and spending locally. Built by global fintech leaders, OneDosh developed solutions to solve these problems.
We will be focusing on how real people are using the platform to simplify their financial lives in this article.
The Payment Waiting Game Nobody Talks About – Chioma’s Story
Chioma works as a social media manager for two U.S. companies and a UK-based startup. Her biggest frustration isn’t the work itself or managing clients across time zones. It’s the anxiety that comes every payment cycle when she wonders if her domiciliary account will receive the wire transfer, or if this will be the month her bank flags the transaction for “verification” that takes weeks to resolve.
She’s had months where a $2,000 payment got stuck in banking limbo for three weeks while her landlord sent messages about rent. The experience taught her that having multiple international clients doesn’t guarantee financial stability when you can’t reliably access your earnings.
OneDosh changed her approach entirely. Now when clients pay her in stablecoins, the money arrives within minutes and she can decide immediately what to do with it, whether to convert to naira for immediate expenses, keep in USD for savings, or split between both. The control matters more than the speed, though the speed helps when bills are due.
When Your Card Works Until It Doesn’t – Tunde’s Story
Tunde learned the hard way that Nigerian debit cards have spending limits that make international subscriptions a constant negotiation. His Adobe Creative Cloud subscription failed three months in a row despite having money in his account. Customer support would apologize, he’d try a different card, and the cycle would repeat until he eventually had to ask a friend abroad to pay for it while he reimbursed them.
The OneDosh visa card solved this specific problem, but more importantly, it eliminated the unpredictability. He uses it for all his international subscriptions now like software tools, cloud storage, freelancing platform fees, without wondering if this will be the month his bank decides the transaction looks suspicious. The card works consistently, which sounds basic until you’ve experienced the alternative.
Naira Volatility and the Dollar Earning Advantage – Blessing’s Experience
For remote workers earning in dollars, the mathematics of currency conversion has become a monthly calculation that affects every financial decision. Blessing, a freelance writer, watches exchange rates the way other people check weather forecasts. A project that pays $500 means something very different in naira depending on when and how she converts it.
Her previous system involved converting everything to naira immediately at the offered rate, rather than exploring other options but felt safer than alternatives she didn’t fully understand. With OneDosh, she keeps her dollar earnings in the Onedosh wallet until she needs them; converting smaller amounts as needed rather than converting everything at once. This helps her manage timing and stay mindful of exchange rates and fees.
The Family Support Reality – Emeka the Tech Bro
Remote work success in Nigeria often means becoming the family member others turn to when emergencies arise. Emeka earns well working for a Canadian tech company, which means he’s frequently sending money to siblings for school fees, parents for medical bills, or extended family for various urgent needs.
Sending support shouldn’t feel complicated or time-consuming. With OneDosh, he can transfer funds seamlessly from wherever he is, with a simple and straightforward process. This flexibility is especially valuable when someone needs access to funds at a critical moment, allowing him to respond quickly and confidently.
“Although he believes this hasn’t made him richer, it certainly has made helping family significantly less stressful and time-consuming, which matters when you’re trying to balance work deadlines with family obligations.”
The Nigerian remote worker experience involves navigating payment systems that weren’t built for how we work now. Blocked transactions, unclear fees, conversion rate losses, spending limits etc are barriers that make earning internationally harder than it needs to be.
OneDosh doesn’t eliminate every challenge remote workers face, but it addresses several major ones directly. The platform works with the reality of Nigerian remote workers rather than pretending those realities don’t exist.
If you’re managing international payments, download the OneDosh app, It is designed to help you handle things more smoothly.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange further dropped 0.35 per cent on Tuesday, March 17, with the market capitalisation down by N8.80 billion to N2.471 trillion from the preceding day’s N2.480 trillion, and the NASD Unlisted Security Index (NSI) dipping by 14.71 points to 4,130.89 points from 4,145.60 points.
The loss recorded during the session was influenced by three securities, which overpowered the gains recorded by four stocks.
Okitipupa Plc lost N15.00 to sell at N215.00 per unit compared with the previous day’s N230.00 per unit, FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc depreciated by N1.23 to trade at N122.32 per share versus Monday’s closing price of N123.55 per share, and Afriland Plc declined by 90 Kobo to quote at N17.05 per unit versus N17.95 per unit.
On the flip side, Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) gained 36 Kobo to close at N75.43 per share versus the preceding session’s N75.07 per share, Geo-Fluids Plc added 6 Kobo to trade at N3.11 per unit compared with the previous day’s N3.05 per unit, Lighthouse Financial Service Plc improved by 5 Kobo to 60 Kobo per share from 55 Kobo per share, and Industrial and General Insurance (IGI) Plc rose by 1 Kobo to 55 Kobo per unit from 54 Kobo per unit.
Yesterday, the volume of securities surged by 97.5 per cent to 921,265 units from 265,610 units, the value of securities advanced by 64.6 per cent to N54.7 million from N33.2 million, and the number of deals went up by 46.2 per cent to 38 deals from 26 deals.
The most active stock by value (year-to-date) was CSCS Plc with 38.7 million units worth N2.4 billion, trailed by Okitipupa Plc with 6.4 million units valued at N1.2 billion, and FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc traded 6.8 million units for N649.1 million.
The most traded stock by volume (year-to-date) was Resourcery Plc with 1.1 billion units sold for N415.6 million, followed by Geo-Fluids Plc with 130.9 million units exchanged for N505.1 million, and CSCS Plc with 38.6 million units worth N2.4 billion.
By Dipo Olowookere
A 0.54 per cent surge was witnessed by the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited on Tuesday as a result of strong investor demand and broad-based gains in the banking and industrial goods sectors.
According to data from the bourse, the industrial goods space expanded by 4.44 per cent, and the banking index chalked up 4.30 per cent, offsetting the losses recorded by the three other indices due to profit-taking.
Business Post reports that the consumer goods sector depreciated by 1.30 per cent, the insurance counter shrank by 0.41 per cent, and the energy landscape lost 0.13 per cent.
At the close of business, the market capitalisation soared by N696 billion to N130.026 trillion from N129.330 trillion, and the All-Share Index (ASI) surged by 1,084.52 points to 202,559.41 points from 201,474.89 points.
BUA Cement ended the day as the best-performing equity after it jumped 10.00 per cent to N326.70, Premier Paints appreciated by 9.86 per cent to N23.40, Zenith Bank expanded by 7.91 per cent to N111.15, NAHCO moved up by 7.14 per cent to N175.60, and RT Briscoe grew by 6.67 per cent to N11.20.
Conversely, Presco was the worst-performing equity, with a decline of 10.00 per cent to quote at N1,875.60. Caverton dropped 8.70 per cent to N6.30, Secure Electronic Technology lost 7.69 per cent to trade at N1.20, Guinea Insurance shed 6.43 per cent to quote at N1.31, and International Breweries crashed by 6.35 per cent to N14.00.
During the session, 1.8 billion shares worth N88.1 billion exchanged hands in 62,654 deals compared with the 948.2 million shares valued at N49.2 billion traded in 72,735 deals a day earlier, implying a contraction in the number of deals by 13.72 per cent, and an expansion in the trading volume and value by 89.83 per cent and 79.07 per cent, respectively.
Dominating the activity chart was FCMB with a turnover of 516.2 million equities valued at N6.6 billion, Wema Bank transacted 213.4 million shares for N5.6 billion, Zenith Bank traded 163.1 million stocks worth N18.1 billion, Access Holdings sold 123.9 million equities valued at N3.2 billion, and GTCO exchanged 100.0 million shares worth N12.4 billion.
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