Economy
Investors Lose N261b as Stock Market Yet to Record First Gain in 2019
By Dipo Olowookere
Trading activities on the floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) closed in the negative territory for the sixth consecutive trading session.
Business Post reports that the local bourse is yet to record its first gain in 2019 as investors, mostly foreign portfolio investors, continue to pull out of the market to observe happenings in the country from the sidelines.
This is because the anxiety created in the country by political gladiators is making some investors to jump out of the bus, while news of the exit of Teleology from 9mobile is also giving some of them something to worry about, especially concerning the repayment of the $1.2 billion syndicated loan the telco collected from the banks trading their shares on NSE few years ago, which plunged it into crisis.
At the close of market on Wednesday, the banking index reacted to this with a decline of 0.28 percent on the back of losses posted mostly by the lenders involved in the loan; GTBank, Access Bank, UBA, First Bank and Diamond Bank.
However, the huge loss of 4.35 percent recorded by the Industrial sector was mainly responsible for the bearish closure of the stock market yesterday.
Also, the Insurance index fell by 3.06 percent, while the Consumer Goods index and the Oil/Gas index appreciated by 0.74 percent and 0.15 percent respectively.
When market activities were wrapped up in the midweek session, the market depreciated by 2.33 percent, dragging the year-to-date loss to 6.66 percent.
Specifically, the All-Share Index (ASI) went down by 699.35 points to settle at 29,336.80 points, while the market capitalisation decreased in value by N261 billion to stay at N10.940 trillion from N11.201 trillion it was the previous day.
Business Post reports further that the stock market registered 19 losers against just 14 gainers at the close of business yesterday.
The heaviest price loser was Dangote Cement, which suffered a loss of N16 to finish for the day at N170 per share.
It was followed by GTBank, which crashed by 70 kobo to finish at N31.30k per share, and Eterna, which went down by 40 kobo to end at N3.95k per share.
Custodian Investment and Access Bank both lost by 35 kobo each to close at N5.60k per share and N5.50k apiece.
Conversely, it was a good day for Unilever Nigeria as its share price rose by N3.25k to settle at N37 per unit.
Julius Berger appreciated by N2.35k to close at N25.85k per share, while Flour Mills grew by 85 kobo to end at N18.85k per share.
Zenith Bank increased its share value by 70 kobo to finish at N21 per share, while Mobil Oil Nigeria garnered 40 kobo to close at N184 per share.
Despite the loss recorded on Wednesday, the market recorded a rise in the volume of shares exchanged by investors, though the value dropped.
The volume of shares traded increased by 8.62 percent from 216.3 million to 234.9 million, while the value went down by 15.88 percent from N2.7 billion to N2.3 billion.
It was observed that investors continued with the offloading of Diamond Bank shares, closing on Wednesday as the most active stock on the exchange with a turnover of 54.7 million units sold for N103.9 million.
It was followed by GTBank, which exchanged 27.7 million units worth N865.7 million, and Zenith Bank, which transacted 25.8 million units of its stock for N526.3 million. FBN Holdings sold 21.5 million shares valued at N152.1 million, while Transcorp traded 15.5 million equities worth N18 million.
Economy
Zichis Confirms Intention to Borrow from Capital Market
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
One of the newest members of the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited, Zichis Agro-Allied Industries Plc, has confirmed its intention to approach the capital market to raise funds, subject to shareholder and regulatory approval.
However, it denied reports suggesting it’s “set to undertake an Initial Public Offering (IPO) or related capital raising activity.”
In a notice on Monday, the firm affirmed proposing “to seek shareholders’ approval at its forthcoming Annual General Meeting (AGM) to raise additional capital, which may be through equity, debt, or a combination of both, subject to regulatory approvals and market conditions.”
“At this stage, the structure, timing, and details of any such capital raising have not been finalised, and no specific transaction has been concluded,” a part of the statement signed by the company secretary, Solomon Itsede, stressed.
Zichis expressed its commitment to upholding “the highest standards of corporate governance, transparency, and timely disclosure.”
“Accordingly, any material corporate actions or capital market activities will be formally communicated through the appropriate regulatory channels,” it said, advising shareholders and the investing public “to rely solely on official disclosures and filings made by the company through the NGX and other authorised regulatory platforms when making investment decisions.”
Zichis welcomed the “continued interest of investors and market participants in its operations and performance,” promising to remain focused on delivering sustainable value through disciplined strategic execution.
It also lauded the continued support of its shareholders, saying it remains committed to maintaining transparency in all its communications.
Economy
NERC Orders Transparent Reporting of Transmission Loss Factors
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has issued a directive to ensure transparency in reporting the Regional Electricity Transmission Loss Factor, as it remains above the 7 per cent threshold.
In a public notice posted on its official X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, the order, contained in No. NERC/2026/026 is aimed at improving transparency and efficiency in Nigeria’s power grid through enhanced reporting of Regional Transmission Loss Factors (TLF).
The regulator disclosed that the order is backed by the provisions of the Electricity Act 2023, which enables the commission to regulate, monitor, and ensure efficiency in the power sector.
According to the statement, the Data from the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) indicate that the national average TLF was 8.71 per cent in 2024 but was reduced to 7.24 per cent in 2025.
The statement added that the report exceeds the 7 per cent benchmark approved by NERC in the Multi-Year Tariff Order (MYTO).
The statement reads, “The Order dated 8 April 2026 establishes a formal framework for reporting transmission losses across regions operated by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).
“Taking effect from 13 April 2026, the Order is backed by provisions of the Electricity Act 2023, which empower NERC to regulate, monitor, and ensure efficiency in the electricity market.”
The directive reads, “NISO to install smart meters at all boundary regional interconnection points by December 2026 to accurately measure energy flows for each region of the transmission network.
“NISO to measure and document all energy flow of power transformers at transmission substations.
“NISO to file quarterly reports on TLF to NERC on a regional basis.”
It added, “TCN to file an action plan by July 2026 on the reduction of TLF to a value within the 7 per cent approved benchmarks in the regions.
“TCN to ensure that TLF across transmission regions shall not exceed 6.5 per cent by December 2026.”
NERC concluded that the order is designed to strengthen accountability in transmission operations and support better grid performance through structured loss reporting.
Economy
Dangote Refinery Plans Cross-border Listing of Shares
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigerian businessman, Mr Aliko Dangote, is planning to list shares of his $20 billion oil refinery on multiple African stock exchanges.
The landmark cross-border public offering on the continent was disclosed by the chief executive of the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE), Mr Frank Mwiti, following a meeting held last week in Lagos between Mr Dangote and several heads of African exchanges.
Last year, Mr Dangote unveiled plans to list a 10 per cent stake in his Lagos-based refinery on the Nigerian Exchange this year.
According to a Bloomberg report, citing an email from the chief executive of FirstCap, Mr Ukandu Ukandu, Stanbic IBTC Capital Limited, Vetiva Advisory Services Limited, and FirstCap Limited have been appointed as advisers for the initial public offering of Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE.
Mr Mwiti said the proposed listing is designed to cut across multiple markets and deepen investor participation across the continent.
“The plan is to structure a pan-African IPO,” he said.
Bloomberg also reported that a spokesman for the Dangote Group confirmed that discussions had taken place between Mr Dangote and exchange officials but declined to provide further details.
In February 2026, Mr Dangote said that the IPO could be launched within the next five months.
“But individually Nigerians too will have an opportunity in the next maximum four or five months, they will actually be able to buy their shares,” he said at the time.
He added that investors would have flexibility in how they receive returns.
“People will have a choice either to get their dividends in naira or to get their dividends in dollars because we earn in Dollars.”
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