Economy
Honeywell Flour Targets More Revenue Streams to Boost FY Performance
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Managing Director of Honeywell Flour Mills Plc, Mr ‘Lanre Jaiyeola, has disclosed that the leading foods manufacturer in Nigeria, would make efforts to deliver impressive results in the current financial year.
Mr Jaiyeola gave this assurance while commenting on the performance of the company in the first quarter of the year ended June 30, 2019.
According to the financial figures of the firm, the revenue moved up 7 percent to N19.0 billion, compared with N17.7 billion recorded in the corresponding quarter of 2018.
Also, the gross profit margin increased by 7 percent from N3,193 to N3,411 while the operating profit increased by 52 percent from N1.02 billion to N1.54 billion, with profit for the period under review also moving up by 6 percent from N102 million to N108 million.
In a statement issued by Honeywell Flour Mills, Mr Jaiyeola noted that, “Despite the tough operating environment, revenue for the quarter was up by 7 percent to N19 billion, when compared with revenue of N17.7 billion recorded in the corresponding quarter of the last financial year.
“This was driven by sales of our various Pasta products, which led to the continued strong performance of our B2C business line.
“With the commencement of full commercial production at our ultra-modern Foods and Agro-allied complex in Sagamu, Ogun State, we were able to grow our capacity to meet the increasing demand for our Pasta products which is evidenced by the impressive 157 percent volume increase.
“The performance in Pasta gives credence to the company’s commitment to continue to expand its footprint into growth areas that will positively impact the long-term sustainability of the business.”
Mr Jaiyeola further explained that, “Execution of well-embedded savings and efficiency initiatives aimed at improving the company’s margins led to a 14 percent drop in selling and administration expenses from N2.2 billion to N1.9 billion. This translated to the operating profit accelerating at a faster rate than revenue by 52 percent, from N1.02 billion to N1.54 billion.
The growth in operating profit, he further explained, “was however moderated by increase in finance expense which was up by 58 percent from N892 million in the corresponding quarter of the last financial year to N1.4 billion.
“The growth in finance expense was as a result of the cost of financing the Foods and Agro-allied complex which is now being recognised in the income statement following the commencement of commercial operations. As a result, profit for the period only increased by 6 percent from N102 million to N108 million.
Confident of sustaining an improved performance through the remaining period of the financial year and the future, the Managing Director held that, “We are confident about the future and our performance for the full year.
“We will continue to execute on our five core strategic pillars through three key drivers of growth, efficiency and capability.
“We will also strengthen and expand our business portfolio, generate additional revenue streams by offering new products tailored to consumers’ taste and nutritional needs and we will drive margin improvement by enhancing operational efficiency and developing capabilities to extend product offerings and serve new markets.”
Economy
OPEC Crude Output Falls to 37-Year Low Amid Iran Disruptions
By Adedapo Adesanya
Crude production under the collective Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC ) fell in May to its lowest level in at least 37 years as the blockade of Iran by the United States and disruptions in the Persian Gulf, continued to limit output.
According to a Bloomberg survey released on Friday, output from the organisation’s 11 current members, including Nigeria, dropped by 1.22 million barrels per day to 16.33 million barrels per day last month.
Iran accounted for more than half of the decline. The data excludes the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which departed the cartel last month after six decades of membership.
War between a US-Israeli alliance and Iran has reduced oil supplies from the Middle East, largely closing the Strait of Hormuz waterway. Saudi Arabia, Iraq, the UAE and Kuwait have been forced to cut crude production. Iranian shipments face additional pressure following a US blockade of its ports imposed in mid-April.
Iranian output fell by 710,000 barrels per day to a five-year low of 2.34 million barrels per day in May, the survey showed. Central Command reported that US forces have redirected 127 commercial vessels to enforce the blockade of all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports.
Kuwait recorded the second-largest decline last month, with production falling by 310,000 barrels per day to 490,000 barrels per day, less than one-fifth of pre-war levels. Saudi Arabia, the group’s leader, saw output decrease by 240,000 barrels per day to 6.57 million barrels per day.
The production reductions have not prevented OPEC and its allies from raising quotas over recent months, continuing a year-long process of restoring output halted several years ago.
This comes ahead of a meeting scheduled to be held on Sunday, June 7, where a sub-group of seven members is expected to increase targets by 188,000 barrels again in July. The session is one of four online meetings OPEC and its partners plan to hold that day.
Delegates indicated the alliance has plans for two additional monthly quota increases in August and September. UAE output rose by 300,000 barrels per day to 2.44 million barrels per day in May, according to the survey.
Economy
Debt Repayments: FG Overshoots Budget Allocation by 18%
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The 2025 third quarter Budget Implementation Report from the Budget Office of the Federation has shown that the federal government exceeded the funds allocation for repayment of debts for the first nine months of the fiscal year by about 18 per cent.
In a report by Punch, the sum of N10.74 trillion was budgeted for debt servicing between January and September 2025, but the government used N12.63 trillion for the purpose, N1.90 trillion or 17.65 per cent more than the allocation for the year.
The funds were spent on domestic debts, foreign debts and sinking fund by the central government in nine months.
Business Post reports that for the whole year, the amount approved by the National Assembly and signed by President Bola Tinubu for debt repayments was N14.31 trillion.
Looking at the nine-month figures, domestic debt service gulped N6.23 trillion, exceeding its N5.39 trillion provision, while foreign debt service was N6.30 trillion versus the budget provision of N5.06 trillion.
According to the report, the figures indicated that 67.2 per cent of the federal government’s retained revenue of N18.63 trillion was spent on debt service in the first nine months of 2025. When the sinking fund is included, debt-related payments consumed about 67.8 per cent of revenue.
It was also observed that aggregate federal government revenue underperformed the budget by N12.03 trillion or 39.24 per cent, as actual revenue of N18.63 trillion fell short of the N30.67 trillion projected for the first three quarters.
In the third quarter alone, the government generated N7.70 trillion versus the quarterly target of N10.22 trillion as a result of persistent oil revenue shortfalls, despite stronger non-oil collections.
The debt burden also crowded out capital spending, as total capital expenditure was N3.10 trillion in the first nine months compared with the N17.58 trillion budgeted for the period, indicating that actual debt-related payments were more than four times capital expenditure.
Economy
Unlisted Stock Investors’ Wealth Shrinks N30bn
By Adedapo Adesanya
The NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange recorded a loss of 1.13 per cent on Thursday, June 4, shrinking the market capitalisation by N30.03 billion to N2.630 trillion from N2.660 trillion on Wednesday.
Similarly, this brought down the NASD Unlisted Security Index (NSI) by 50.19 points to 4,396.08 points from the 4,446.27 points recorded a day earlier.
The loss was influenced by the overpowering of the bulls by the bears, after the bourse closed with two price gainers and three price losers, led by FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc, which slumped by N20.03 to sell at N190.38 per unit compared with midweek’s N210.41 per unit. Food Concepts Plc declined by 25 Kobo to trade at N2.50 per share versus the previous day’s N3.00 per share, and Acorn Petroleum Plc crumbled by 2 Kobo to end at N1.32 per unit, in contrast to the preceding session’s N1.34 per unit.
For the gainers, Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc added N2.93 to close at N78.34 per share compared with the previous price of N75.41 per share, and Afriland Properties Plc gained 80 Kobo to settle at N16.80 per unit versus N16.00 per unit.
There was a slip in the volume of transactions yesterday by 46.8 per cent to 280,714 units from 527,221 units, as the value of trades dropped 66.5 per cent to N21.8 million from the preceding session’s N64.2 million, and the number of deals fell by 8.7 per cent to 42 deals from 46 deals.
Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) Plc ended the session as the most traded stock by value on a year-to-date basis with 3.4 billion units worth N8.4 billion, followed by Infrastructure Credit Guarantee (Infracredit) Plc with 2.3 billion units sold for N6.5 billion, and CSCS Plc with 64.7 million units traded for N4.4 billion.
GNI Plc also finished the day as the most traded stock by volume on a year-to-date basis with 3.4 billion units valued at N8.4 billion, followed by Infracredit Plc with 2.3 billion units exchanged for N6.5 billion, and Resourcery Plc with 1.1 billion units transacted for N415.7 million.
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