Economy

IMF Extends Arrangement for Senegal

Published

9 years ago

27/06/2017

By Dipo Olowookere

The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has completed the fourth review of Senegal’s economic performance under a program supported by the Policy Support Instrument (PSI).

The aim of the program is to implement economic policies and structural reforms needed to sustain strong growth and ongoing fiscal consolidation to meet the regional fiscal criteria.

In completing the review, the Board also approved the authorities’ request for a one-year extension of the PSI arrangement. The PSI for Senegal was approved on June 24, 2015.

The PSI is an instrument of the IMF designed for countries that may not need, or want, IMF financial assistance, but still seek IMF advice, monitoring and endorsement of their policies.

The PSI helps countries design effective economic programs that, once approved by the IMF’s Executive Board, signal to donors, multilateral development banks, and markets the Fund’s endorsement of a member’s policies.

Following the Executive Board discussion, Mr Mitsuhiro Furusawa, Deputy Managing Director and Acting Chair, stated that, “The Policy Support Instrument with Senegal has supported the authorities’ reform efforts to increase growth, while maintaining economic stability.

“Under the Plan Sénégal Emergent (PSE), growth has increased steadily to 6.7 percent in 2016, while inflation has remained low.

“The fiscal deficit fell to 4.2 percent of GDP in 2016 and Senegal is projected to meet the West African and Monetary Union convergence criteria of 3 percent of GDP in 2018, one year earlier than mandated.

“Continued implementation of sound policies reforms is important to sustain high growth and meet Senegal’s development objectives.

“To achieve the PSE goals of sustaining high growth and reducing poverty over the medium term, the authorities are committed to undertaking further reforms to facilitate private investment. This requires implementation of high quality infrastructure projects and strengthening the business environment through continued efforts to reduce energy costs, strengthen governance and implement judicial and land reforms. A Special Economic Zone (SEZ) with high standards of economic governance and low tax rates could act as a catalyst to attract high levels of private investment.

“The authorities have implemented important fiscal reforms to support ongoing consolidation while increasing public investment. This has been achieved through containment of public consumption, including the wage bill. To create further fiscal space for much needed infrastructure spending, the authorities are committed to increasing revenues through improving revenue administration and lowering tax exemptions.

“The authorities recognize the importance of strengthening debt management to support fiscal sustainability. This requires reforms to address weaknesses in Treasury operations and contain additional financing needs from the Post Office and civil service pensions, as well as improving public financial management.

“Senegal’s economic outlook is broadly positive and risks remain manageable. However, to enhance growth prospects, it is important to strengthen the implementation of reforms to improve the quality of public investment and promote private investment. Priority should also be given to addressing weakness in Treasury operations to ensure fiscal sustainability.”

Economy

Lokpobiri Hails Petroleum Reforms Amid Surge in Investments

Published

4 hours ago

15/06/2026

Adedapo Adesanya

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Mr Heineken Lokpobiri, has said ongoing reforms and strategic policy implementation in Nigeria’s petroleum sector are driving significant investments and strengthening the country’s position as a leading energy destination in Africa.

Mr Lokpobiri stated this at the Management Retreat of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, where he stressed the need for improved institutional performance and accountability to sustain growth in the sector.

According to the Minister, the federal government has deliberately pursued far-reaching reforms aimed at creating a stable and investor-friendly environment capable of attracting local and foreign capital into the oil and gas industry.

“From far-reaching institutional reforms to the effective implementation of strategic policies, we have remained committed to carrying all stakeholders along, fostering a conducive environment for investments to flourish,” Mr Lokpobiri said.

“As a result, our petroleum sector has witnessed significant investments that continue to strengthen Nigeria’s position as a leading energy destination.”

The Minister noted that the gains recorded in the sector were the product of collective efforts across the Ministry and its agencies, commending staff for their dedication and professionalism.

“The Management Retreat of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources provided an important platform to reiterate that these accomplishments would not have been possible without the collective dedication, professionalism and teamwork of every staff member across the Ministry and its agencies,” he stated.

Mr Lokpobiri said the retreat, themed Driving Institutional Performance and Accountability in the Petroleum Sector for Sustainable National Development, underscored the importance of continuous improvement in service delivery and operational efficiency.

Drawing lessons from the theme, he urged officials of the Ministry and regulatory agencies to intensify efforts toward enhancing institutional effectiveness and strengthening governance frameworks.

“I encouraged that we must redouble our efforts, continuously improve the quality of our services, and strengthen institutional performance,” he said.

The Minister further emphasised the continued relevance of fossil fuels in the global energy mix, stressing that Nigeria must leverage its hydrocarbon resources to drive economic growth while ensuring citizens benefit from ongoing reforms.

“With fossil fuel as the dominant source of energy, we must ensure that Nigerians experience the benefits of our progress and that Nigeria remains the preferred investment destination in Africa and a globally competitive hub for energy investments,” Mr Lokpobiri added.

Economy

Universal Insurance Extends N3.2bn Rights Issue to June 22

Published

4 hours ago

15/06/2026

Aduragbemi Omiyale

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

The N3.2 billion rights issue of Universal Insurance Plc has been extended by almost two weeks after securing regulatory approval.

The exercise was earlier scheduled to close on June 10, 2026, but will now close on Monday, June 22, 2026.

The extension was granted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) after a request from the underwriting organisation.

In the rights issue, Universal Insurance is offering to shareholders 2,666,666,667 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each at N1.20 per share on the basis of one new ordinary share for every existing six ordinary shares held as of the close of business on Monday, March 30, 2026.

Subscription for the acquisition of the company’s extra shares opened on Wednesday, May 13, 2026.

The extension gives investors more time to increase their stake in the insurance firm, which intends to use proceeds from the exercise to boost its capital base, as mandated by the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM).

Insurance companies operating in Nigeria have been given till July 31, 2026, to shore up their capital base or pack up. Operators can also explore a merger if they wish.

Economy

4.964 billion Shares Worth N207.5bn Exchange Hands in 235,966 deals in Four Days

Published

4 hours ago

15/06/2026

Dipo Olowookere

By Dipo Olowookere

The Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited opened its doors to market participants in four days last week as a result of a public holiday observed on Friday, June 12, for 2026 Democracy Day in the country.

In the week, investors bought and sold 4.964 billion shares worth N207.521 billion in 235,966 deals, as against the 3.966 billion shares valued at N175.659 billion that exchanged hands in 343,587 deals a week earlier.

Analysis showed that the financial services industry led the activity chart with 4.116 billion shares valued at N84.607 billion in 96,165 deals, contributing 82.92 per cent and 40.77 per cent to the total trading volume and value, respectively.

The services sector transacted 232.479 million shares worth N4.955 billion in 17,614 deals, while the industrial goods segment exchanged 144.988 million shares worth N39.077 billion in 24,775 deals.

Sterling Holdings, FCMB, and Access Holdings were the most traded stocks with 2.883 billion units sold for N36.188 billion in 15,533 deals, accounting for 58.09 per cent and 17.44 per cent of the total trading volume and value, respectively.

A total of 40 equities appreciated in the week versus 23 equities in the previous week, 53 equities depreciated versus 65 equities a week earlier, and 53 equities remained unchanged versus 58 equities in the preceding week.

ABC Transport was the best-performing equity for the week after it gained 25.60 per cent to trade at N7.80, Consolidated Hallmark appreciated by 23.13 per cent to N8.25, Abbey Mortgage Bank rose by 21.93 per cent to N11.40, Infinity Trust Mortgage Bank grew by 20.32 per cent to N11.25, and Austin Laz soared by 15.16 per cent to N4.33.

The worst-performing equity last week was Fidson Healthcare because of its 25.86 per cent loss, closing at N101.20. Neimeth declined by 19.14 per cent to N8.55, Union Homes REIT shed 17.36 per cent to close at N70.00, SUNU Assurances slipped by 11.38 per cent to N3.97, and Unilever Nigeria dropped 10.26 per cent to trade at N140.00.

As for the index movement, the All-Share Index (ASI) and the market capitalisation chalked up 0.88 per cent each to settle at 244,738.74 points and N156.970 trillion, respectively.

Similarly, all other indices finished higher apart from the pension, AFR Bank Value, MERI Growth, MERI Value, consumer goods, Lotus II, industrial goods, sovereign bond and commodity indices, which fell by 0.03 per cent, 1.20 per cent, 0.21 per cent, 1.61 per cent, 0.54 per cent, 0.51 per cent, 1.00 per cent, 2.04 per cent and 0.34 per cent, respectively.