Economy
Growth Stocks on NGX Rise 41.63% Amid Strong Corporate Earnings
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Last year, growth stocks listed on Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited appreciated by 41.63 per cent amid improved local investor sentiment and strong corporate earnings.
Addressing investors, analysts and other stock market stakeholders at the NGX 2022 Market Recap and 2023 Outlook last Wednesday, the chief executive of the bourse, Mr Temi Popoola, said the growth index outperformed other indices during the year under review.
According to him, energy equities appreciated in 2022 by 34.05 per cent due to sustained high oil prices and demand in the downstream oil sector, boosting corporate earnings.
He further said the NGX Main Board Index grew by 33.18 per cent on the back of the landmark listing of BUA Foods Plc and the pioneer power sector listing of Geregu Power Plc, which both added over N1 trillion in market capitalisation to the exchange.
“The total turnover of trades in 2022 improved by 27 per cent from N916 billion to N1.16 trillion year-on-year from 2021.
“Market participation was heavily skewed to the domestic investors. Along with other factors, this signalled a good year for the Exchange despite global macroeconomic headwinds,” Mr Popoola said at the event held in collaboration with EFG Hermes.
Speaking further, Mr Popoola said, “On strategic partnerships, we will be forging more with development finance institutions, banks, both local and international, to develop the market further.
“We aim to do more on trading where we improve data dissemination to attract a larger investor base, especially from the retail side.
“We will be using listings as a vehicle for meeting strategic aspirations as the new dispensation comes in through increased advocacy and engagements.”
The CEO also added that the exchange would be increasingly focused on sustainability, noting that, “NGX sees sustainability as not just important but also a profitable frontier of its business, and work is ongoing on developing a framework for certifications in carbon credits trading, pending regulatory approval.
“On the capital market’s digital transformation, the exchange is working on USSD launch in collaboration with telcos and banks, unlocking the African capital markets via payment integration with Afrexim Bank’s Pan African Payment Settlement System.”
In his remarks, the Head of Strategy at EFG Hermes, Mr Simon Kitchen, stated that a major policy shift was needed to catalyse further interest in Nigerian stocks, of which he gave a unified exchange rate and credible fiscal and monetary policies as examples, advising investors to shop for dividend yields in bluechip stocks that offered strong dividend growth.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Nigeria slightly surpassed its quota set by the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in July 2026.
In the month under review, the country produced about 1.57 million barrels of crude oil per day.
It was the third consecutive month Africa’s largest oil-producing nation was meeting its monthly quota, set to stabilise the price of the commodity on the global market by the oil cartel.
Data released by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) on Wednesday showed that the 1.5 million barrels per day ceiling for Nigeria was surpassed last month.
The agency disclosed in a statement today that the country produced 1.505mbpd of crude oil and 0.17mbpd of condensate, bringing the combined daily production to 1.67mbpd.
In the month under review, the daily peak production of crude oil and condensate was 1.78mbpd, while the lowest daily production was 1.57mbpd.
Although Nigeria met its OPEC quota in the month of July, the statistics show that on a month-on-month basis, production fell by 4 per cent.
This was attributed to the decline in production due to operational challenges experienced at the Erha and Akpo fields, which impacted crude oil output during the period under review.
These disruptions constrained production volumes and contributed significantly to the overall reduction in national crude oil output.
Despite the challenges, production operations across most other producing assets remained relatively stable, with operators implementing measures aimed at maintaining production efficiency and minimising the impact of operational constraints, NUPRC stated.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The over 9 billion shares of Lasaco Assurance Plc issued to shareholders of the company via a rights issue have been listed on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited.
The equities were brought to Customs Street on Wednesday by the organisation, increasing its total issued and fully paid-up share capital.
Lasaco Assurance, which scaled the recapitalisation hurdle of the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) in July 2026, raised fresh capital from the capital market to shore up its capital base.
The underwriting firm got about N18.5 billion from the rights issue, which involved the issuance of 9,236,321,546 ordinary shares at a unit price of N2.00.
The exercise was on the basis of five new ordinary shares for every existing six ordinary shares held as of the close of business on Friday, February 20, 2026.
Confirming the listing of the additional stocks of Lasaco Assurance today, the Head of Issuer Regulation Department of NGX RegCo, Mr Godstime Iwenekhai, announced in a circular that, “Trading licence holders are hereby notified that an additional 9,236,321,546 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each of Lasaco Assurance Plc were today, Wednesday, August 12, 2026, listed on the daily official list of Nigerian Exchange Limited.
“The additional shares arose from the company’s rights issue of 9,236,321,546 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each at N2.00 per share on the basis of five new ordinary shares for every existing six ordinary shares held as of the close of business on Friday, February 20, 2026.
“With the listing of the additional 9,236,321,546 ordinary shares, the total issued and fully paid-up share capital of Lasaco Assurance Plc has now increased from 11,083,585,855 to 20,319,907,401 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA) has said the successful recapitalisation of the insurance industry will strengthen the sector’s ability to support financial stability and economic growth.
NIA Chairman, Mrs Ebelechukwu Nwachukwu, said a well-capitalised insurance industry would be better positioned to meet its obligations promptly, underwrite complex and large-scale risks and serve as a dependable pillar of the Nigerian economy.
She made the remarks while commending the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) for its structured implementation of the new minimum capital requirements under the Nigerian Insurance Industry Reform Act (NIIRA) 2025.
Mrs Nwachukwu said NAICOM’s clear guidelines, systematic verification process, defined timelines and rigorous supervision had provided operators with a credible framework for navigating the recapitalisation exercise.
She described the outcome as a major milestone for the industry and congratulated the 43 insurance and reinsurance companies that have successfully met the prescribed minimum capital requirements.
According to her, the exercise represents “a major win not just for regulators and operators, but for policyholders, investors and the wider Nigerian economy.”
Mrs Nwachukwu said the association would continue to work with NAICOM and other stakeholders to consolidate the gains of the exercise, with emphasis on sustainable industry growth, stronger market conduct and improved consumer confidence.
The official also expressed solidarity with the eight companies still undergoing final verification and regulatory review, urging them to remain confident as NAICOM completes the process within the 14-day review period.
The NIA chairman assured policyholders and the wider business community that the insurance industry would emerge from the recapitalisation exercise stronger, more resilient and better positioned to contribute to Nigeria’s economic development.
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