Economy
Eyebrows Raised as Key Investor in UAC Nigeria Sells 40 million Stocks
By Dipo Olowookere
News of a major shareholder in UAC of Nigeria Plc selling up to 40 million units of the company’s stocks recently has caused some raised eyebrows.
Some members of the investing community who spoke with Business Post on the matter said trades like this by a key investor of a firm like UAC Nigeria call for concern.
Last Wednesday, June 17, 2020, a “substantial shareholder” in UAC Nigeria, Blakeney LLP, freed its portfolio with 40 million units of the firm’s stocks.
According to a notice from the organisation, the shareholder sold the equities at a unit of N7, amounting to N280 million.
Since the global health crisis, Coronavirus, thickened in Nigeria in March 2020, the consumer goods sector of the economy, which UAC Nigeria also has a presence in, has been greatly hit.
Though the industry boomed in April when governments, corporate bodies, politicians, individuals and others distributed food items as palliatives to Nigerians because of a five-week lockdown imposed in Abuja, Lagos and Ogun States to suppress the spread of the virus, things took a worse turn when the restriction was eased in May.
In June, most businesses were allowed to operate, while citizens were told to use face masks whenever they were in public places.
But the buying power of consumers has made it difficult for the sector to boom like it did in April despite allowing them to go about their normal business activities.
Some firms have had to cut the salaries of workers and in other cases, the staff strength has been reduced, affecting the consumer goods industry, while those in few sectors yet to allowed to operate like the aviation and education sectors have not paid salaries to their employees.
“The volume of the shares sold by Blakeney is substantial and it is expected to make investors want to ask questions,” an active participant in the nation’s stock market, Mr. Adegbite Oloyede, submitted.
For Mrs Modupe Adediran, “Selling 40 million units of your holdings in a company says a lot about some things we retail investors do not know about. So, the worry is expected.”
“This is a normal situation and it is nothing new,” a stockbroker, who asked not to be named, said, but stressed that, “I will just advice investors to keep a close tab on the stock.”
Recall that last month, Business Post reported that Blakeney offloaded 10 million units of UAC Nigeria shares in two separate transactions.
In the first trade, the company sold 6 million stocks at N6.20 each, while for the second tranche, it sold 4 million units at about N6.21 each, raking about N62.0 million from the sales.
UAC Nigeria, a leading diversified company, operates in foods and beverage, real estate, paints and logistics sectors of the economy. Yesterday, the consumer goods index, was the heaviest loser at the market, going down by 1.38 percent.
At the market on Tuesday, June 23, 2020, UAC Nigeria was one of the nine price gainers, appreciating by 5 kobo or 0.71 percent to sell at N7.05 per unit.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Crude oil plummeted on Wednesday on hopes of the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz after US President Donald Trump agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran.
Brent crude futures moderated to $94.75 a barrel, while the US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude eased to $94.41 a barrel.
President Trump said on Wednesday that the US will work closely with Iran and will be talking about tariff and sanctions relief with Iran.
However, analysts cautioned that the ceasefire is a temporary two-week reprieve rather than a permanent resolution, and the global energy system remains fragile due to structural damage to regional infrastructure.
Reuters reported that Iran could open the strait in a limited and controlled way on Thursday or Friday ahead of a meeting between U.S. and Iranian officials in Pakistan.
Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported that two ships appeared to have transited the Strait of Hormuz since the US-Iran ceasefire deal. A Greek-owned bulk carrier and a Liberia-flagged vessel both transited the waterway early on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Israel carried out its heaviest strikes on Lebanon since the conflict with Hezbollah broke out last month, even as the Iran-aligned group paused attacks on northern Israel and Israeli troops in Lebanon under the ceasefire.
Also, Saudi Arabia’s East-West Pipeline, a critical artery bypassing the Strait of Hormuz, was reportedly hit in an Iranian drone attack. Prior to the attack, the pipeline was pumping at its emergency capacity of 7 million barrels per day to bypass the shuttered strait.
The strikes occurred just hours after a US-Iran ceasefire announcement, which has so far failed to halt regional hostilities. Other facilities in the kingdom were also targeted in the wave of strikes, which the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed included oil facilities owned by American companies in Yanbu.
US crude stocks rose by 3.1 million barrels to 464.7 million barrels during the week ended April 3, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The National Insurance Commission has issued new guidelines for the collection, management, and administration of the Insurance Policyholders’ Protection Fund.
In a circular issued to all insurance institutions on Tuesday, the regulator also set May 31, 2026, as the deadline for insurers to submit their assessment returns for the 2025 financial year.
Recall that on August 5, 2025, President Bola Tinubu signed into law the Nigerian Insurance Industry Reform Act ( NIIRA 2025).
This landmark legislation repeals the Insurance Act 2003, and consolidates related provisions, ushering in a modern regulatory framework. It lays a strong foundation for sustainable growth and increased investment in the country’s insurance sector.
The commission said the guidelines were issued in exercise of its powers under the 2025 Act and other existing insurance laws and regulations to provide regulatory clarity, improve guidance, and ensure ease of compliance across the industry.
According to NAICOM, the guidelines establish a comprehensive structure for the operation of the IPPF, which serves as a statutory safety net to protect insurance policyholders in the event of distress or insolvency of a licensed insurer or reinsurer. The framework also provides direction on the reimbursement of loans by insurers and reinsurers.
NAICOM stated, “The guidelines ensure regulatory clarity, guidance and ease of compliance, as it provides a comprehensive regulatory framework for the collection, management, and administration of the Fund, which serves as a statutory safety net designed to protect insurance policyholders against distress and insolvency of a licensed insurer or reinsurer, including guidance for the reimbursement of loans by an insurer or reinsurer.
“Please be informed that the IPPF Assessment Returns in respect of the year 2025 shall be submitted to the Commission not later than 31st May 2026, while subsequent submissions shall be in line with Section 4.3 of the Guideline on Insurance Policyholders Protection Fund.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Dangote Refinery on Wednesday returned the petrol price to N1,200 per litre, less than 24 hours after it increased it by 5 per cent.
The private refinery had raised the ex-depot price by N75 on Tuesday, citing pressure from volatile global oil markets, but quickly brought it back to N1,200 per litre from N1,275 per litre.
The swift downward review is directly linked to a sharp drop in international crude prices. Brent crude has plunged to $95.05 per barrel, after a 13 per cent decline, while the US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude closed at $97.18, recording nearly a 14 per cent drop.
This development comes after US President Donald Trump announced a conditional two-week ceasefire with Iran, which eased fears of immediate supply disruptions in the global oil market.
“This will be a double-sided CEASEFIRE!” Trump said on social media, marking a sharp reversal from his earlier warning that “a whole civilisation will die tonight” if Iran failed to comply with US demands.
Iran’s Foreign Minister, Mr Abbas Araqchi, confirmed that the country would halt attacks provided strikes against Iran cease and transit through the Strait of Hormuz is coordinated by Iranian forces.
Despite the breakthrough, tensions remain elevated across the region, with several Gulf states reporting missile launches, drone activity, or issuing civil defence warnings.
While oil prices have fallen back below $100, they remain significantly elevated after surging by a record amount in March. Market analysts noted that regardless of how successful the ceasefire is, geopolitical risk related to the Strait of Hormuz is likely to remain elevated for the foreseeable future under the control of Iran.
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