Economy
How to Make Financial Presentations Tell a Story
Financial presentations are not the greatest friends of time. A report that spends far too long pulling numbers from various spreadsheets and sourcing them together is boring to even people in finance—and a great direction if you want to lose your audience. But in a landscape where financial presentations are decidedly ho-hum, how can you craft one that reveals necessary fiscal information while keeping everyone engaged?
Basic storytelling is a fine way to start. It allows you to explain the “why” behind the numbers and can be the difference between a bland presentation and one people remember.
Begin with a Clear Narrative Structure
Every good story has a beginning, middle, and end—Cinderella, Hansel & Gretal, and yes, even your financial presentation. Start by defining the problem or challenge, then walk your audience through the data, and finish with a conclusion that presents your solution or recommendation. This doubles as a more engaging presentation format, and a way to help audience members follow your train of thought more easily—critical when displaying slides full of digits.
Think of your financial presentation as a story arc. In the beginning, you set the stage, explaining why the numbers you’re about to share matter. In the middle, you dig into the data, revealing key insights. Finally, you tie it all together in the conclusion, leaving your audience with a clear takeaway or action plan.
Use Visuals to Bring Data to Life
Financial data can be dense and overwhelming, especially for non-financial experts who may frequent your presentations. Visuals like graphs, charts, and infographics can help make your data more digestible for visual learners. Rows of numbers can be overwhelming for your audience, so use visuals to highlight trends, comparisons, or important figures that are key to your story.
It’s not just about throwing charts onto slides. You need to carefully choose visuals that complement your narrative. For instance, if you’re presenting financial performance over time, a simple line graph might work best. If comparing departments or products, bar charts do a far better job. Case in point: avoid clutter—use visuals to make complex information clear and accessible.
Structure Your Printed Content for Clarity
While visuals on screen are essential, printed content can add another layer of clarity, particularly when dealing with detailed financial data that can’t all be digested in a single sitting. Presentation folder inserts are an excellent tool for providing supplementary information in a structured and accessible way. Instead of bombarding your audience with too much information, you can guide them through the critical takeaways while offering inserts for deeper exploration.
For example, attaching a stitched, printed brochure to your presentation folder’s spine helps you structure your printed materials in a crafted way. This and various presentation folder add-ons make it easier for clients to follow along precisely in the order you intended.
Engage with Storytelling Techniques to Highlight Key Financial Takeaways
Just as a good story has moments of climax and resolution, your financial presentation should highlight information in a way that glues everyone’s attention. Think of major financial data points—like revenue growth or cost savings—as the plot twists in your story. These are the moments where you should zoom in, emphasizing their importance and making sure your audience grasps the full significance.
You can use storytelling techniques like contrasts (before vs. after), building tension (forecasting negative consequences if action isn’t taken), or framing milestones and projections as chapters in your company’s growth journey. By weaving these insights into a larger narrative, you give your numbers context, making them not just more understandable, but more memorable.
End with a Strong Call to Action (CTA)
The difference between a story that ‘has an ending’ and a story that ‘ends’ is the difference between a soft landing and a hard landing. A soft landing is subtle, ending your presentation with a satisfying conclusion; hard landings end abruptly, appearing graceless and hardly inspiring a meaningful call to action (CTA).
In a financial presentation, ending ‘softly’ doesn’t mean going out with a whimper; rather, it’s all about including a natural-sounding call to action that translates into follow-ups. Once you’ve walked your audience through the data and told the story of your financial performance, guide them toward a decision or next step.
Important to note is that a strong CTA isn’t just about what you want—it’s about persuading your audience that taking action will lead to the outcome they desire, based on the story you’ve just told.
From Numbers to Narratives
The role of any CFO is to tell your company’s financial story, condensing data that can come from many places into cohesive and engaging plot lines. An excellent financial presentation does just that. It is by turns interesting, interactive, and simple—as these tips have hopefully shown.
Remember, your audience may not always be as comfortable with financial figures as you are. But with these techniques, you can guide them through your presentation with ease, ensuring they both understand your message and are motivated to act on it.
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.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Crude oil deliveries from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery doubled in March, boosting prospects for improved fuel availability.
This was revealed by the chief executive of Dangote Industries Limited, Mr Aliko Dangote, on Tuesday, when he received the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mrs Amina Mohammed, at the industrial complex in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos.
While speaking on feedstock supply, Mr Dangote commended the NNPC for increasing crude deliveries to the refinery in March, noting that volumes rose to 10 cargoes—six supplied in Naira and four in Dollars—to support domestic fuel availability, according to a statement by the Refinery.
“Last month, they gave us six cargoes for Naira and four cargoes for Dollars,” he said.
Despite the improvement, Mr Dangote noted that the supply remains below the 19 cargoes required for optimal operations, with the refinery continuing to bridge the gap through imports from the United States and other African producers.
He also expressed concern over the unwillingness of international oil companies operating in Nigeria to sell to the refinery, stating that their preference for selling crude to traders forces it to repurchase at higher costs, with broader implications for the economy.
Mr Dangote added that the refinery is seeking increased access to domestically priced crude under local currency arrangements as part of efforts to moderate fuel costs and enhance long-term energy and food security across the continent.
On her part, Mrs Mohammed underscored the strategic importance of Dangote Industries Limited -particularly Dangote Fertiliser Limited—in addressing Africa’s mounting food security challenges, while calling for stronger global partnerships to scale its impact.
Mrs Mohammed said the United Nations would prioritise amplifying scalable solutions capable of mitigating the continent’s food crisis, describing Dangote’s integrated industrial model as a critical pathway.
“I think the UN’s job here is to amplify and to put visibility on the possibilities of mitigating a food security crisis, and this is one of them,” she said. “I hope that when we go back, we can continue to engage partners and countries that should collaborate with Dangote Industries.”
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