Economy
It’ll be Difficult to Sell Proposed FG’s N22.7trn 40-year Bonds at 9%—BudgIT
By Dipo Olowookere
A Nigerian civic company, BudgIT, has said, based on findings, it would be difficult for the federal government to get buyers for the proposed securitisation of the N22.7 trillion overdrafts of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) at 9 per cent per annum coupon rate.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday appealed to the National Assembly to reconsider his request to convert the ways and means into securities.
The bonds, to be sold to interested investors in local denomination, would have a maturity of 40 years at a coupon rate of 9 per cent.
Last week, the Senate rejected the proposal, pointing out that it must know what the government spent the money on.
The government violated the CBN act as regards the overdrafts as it was supposed to get 5 per cent of the revenue it generated in the previous fiscal year as ways and means, which must be paid back before another is given.
However, these requirements were not met by the federal government but the central bank, under the leadership of Mr Godwin Emefiele, went ahead to give more loans to the government to fund the budget deficits.
While signing the 2023 budget into law on Tuesday, Mr Buhari begged the parliament to approve the conversion of the loans to bonds to avoid the payment of an extra N1.8 trillion as interest.
“I have no intention to fetter the right of the National Assembly to interrogate the composition of this balance, which can still be done even after granting the requested approval.
“Failure to grant the securitization approval will, however, cost the Nigerian government about N1.8 trillion in additional interest in 2023, given the differential between the applicable interest rates, which is currently MPR plus 3 per cent, and the negotiated interest rate of 9 per cent and a 40-year repayment period on the securitised debt of the Ways and Means,” he had pointed out.
But BudgIT said the claims by Mr Buhari that the 40-year bonds would be sold at 9 per cent may not be totally true.
Business Post reports that the FGN savings bond currently being offered for sale by the Debt Management Office (DMO) has coupon rates higher than what the government is claiming.
The debt office is offering the 2-year FGN savings bond maturing on January 11, 2025, at 9.60 per cent and the 3-year paper maturing on January 11, 2026, at 10.60 per cent.
At the last FGN bonds held in December 2022, the debt office sold a 10-year bond at 14.75 per cent and a 20-year bond at 15.80 per cent. Based on this, it would most likely be difficult to lure investors to purchase 40-year bonds at 9 per cent when a shorter-tenor paper can be bought at almost double the coupon rate.
In a series of tweets via its official Twitter page on Thursday, BudgIT said it would be a herculean task for the government to get buyers for the bonds at the “specified rate.”
“@MBuhari has asked @nassnigeria to approve the securitization of FG’s N22.7tn debt to @cenbank, is it legal for @nassnigeria to approve the request of the FG to securitize the Ways & Means, which goes against the CBN Act?
Since 2015, the FG has asked @cenbank to provide advances to fund its fiscal deficit without any requirement for cost-cutting measures/fiscal control. The law stipulates that such advances should be limited to 5% of the previous year’s revenues. This law has not been followed.
“Also, Section 38 of the CBN Act mandates the FG to repay all advances made by the CBN to it at the end of the financial year in which the advances were received. Failure to repay the advances in full implies that the FG will not be eligible for further advances by the CBN.
“While FG has continuously breached the CBN Act, it now seeks the @nassnigeria’s approval to offload N22.7tn debt for 40 years at a 9% interest rate. Findings have shown that it will be difficult to sell such debt at the specified rate.
“Currently, the FG has been on a borrowing binge as domestic debt increased from N8.3tn in June 2015 to N21.6tn as of June 2022, & foreign debt rose from $10b in 2015 to $39.66b in 2022.
“Similarly, interest paid in Ways and Means (CBN Debt to FG) grew from N9.51b in 2017 to N1.22tn in 2021. In the meantime, the CBN’s new debt adds at least N2.5tn annually to Nigeria’s debt servicing costs.
“According to a recent MTF, Nigeria’s debt servicing cost is projected to reach N10tn in 2025. If National Assembly approves this action, FG’s public debt will rise from its current state by 59% – from $89.5b to $142 billion.
“In 2021, FG used 91% of its N4.64tn revenue to service public debt. Unless something drastic happens with revenue growth, the FG will spend more on servicing debt. This has implications for inflation, economic confidence, higher interest rates & weakened exchange rates.
“Is it legal for the National Assembly to approve the request of the Federal Government to securitise the Ways and Means, which is in clear breach of the CBN Act? More importantly, what were the borrowings used for?” the company asked.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
One of the brewery companies in Nigeria, Champion Breweries, has received regulatory approval for its N42 billion public offer.
The brewer intends to use net proceeds from the public offer, together with an earlier N15.9 billion rights issue, to fund the acquisition of the Bullet brand portfolio through an asset carve out that transfers ownership of Bullet’s brands, trademarks, recipes and commercial rights across its African markets to Champion Breweries.
In addition, funds from the exercise would be used to support working capital requirements and growth initiatives in areas such as route to market, marketing, innovation and capacity expansion.
Bullet is Nigeria’s leading ready to drink alcoholic beverage and one of the top energy drink brands in its markets of presence. The brand is currently sold in 14 African countries and earns a significant portion of its revenues in foreign currency, providing Champion Breweries with a natural foreign exchange (FX) hedge and a platform for continued regional expansion.
In a statement to the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited, Champion Breweries said it now has the approval of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to raise the fresh funds.
The company is selling a total of 2,625,000,000 ordinary shares of 50 kobo each at a unit price of N16.00, payable in full on application.
Application for the public offer opened on Thursday, January 8, 2026, and will close on Wednesday, January 21, 2026.
The lead issuing house for the public offer is Rand Merchant Bank Nigeria Limited, while the joint issuing houses are FBNQuest Merchant Bank Limited, FCMB Capital Markets Limited, CardinalStone Partners Limited, Greenwich Merchant Bank Limited, Chapel Hill Denham Advisory Limited, Comercio Partners Capital Limited, and Fortress Capital Limited, with Africa Prudential as the registrar.
The exercise, according to the Champion Breweries, gives institutional and retail investors an opportunity to participate in its “next phase of growth.”
“The opening of our public offer is an invitation for investors to share in the next phase of Champion Breweries’ growth. With the Bullet acquisition, we are combining nearly 50 years of brewing heritage with a proven pan African RTD and energy drink platform,” the Managing Director of Champion Breweries, Mr Inalegwu Adoga, said.
“Champion Breweries’ story is one of disciplined execution and smart capital deployment. The asset carve out structure for Bullet will mean we can unlock FX earnings and scale quickly, without heavy upfront investment in new plants. This public offer allows a wider pool of investors to participate in that strategy,” the Managing Director of enJOYcorp, Mr David Butler, added.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has announced January 14, 2026, for the pre-bid conference of the 2025 oil and gas licensing round.
The conference comes as the federal government intensifies efforts to attract fresh upstream investments.
In an announcement notice dated January 8, 2026, and signed by the commission’s chief executive, Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, the event will take place in Lagos.
The notice, published on the official X handle of the agency, said, “The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission is proud to announce the 2025 licensing round pre-bid conference scheduled for 9 am on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, at the Grand Ballroom, Eko Hotels and Suites, Lagos.”
The pre-bid conference is a key milestone in the licensing round process and is expected to provide prospective investors with detailed guidance on the conduct of the bid exercise.
According to the organisation, discussions at the conference will focus on the implementation timetable for the licensing round, bid package preparation, eligibility requirements, as well as the assessment criteria and procedures for determining winning bidders.
The upstream regulator explained that the announcement followed an earlier notice published in both local and international newspapers, in compliance with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
“The focus areas of the upcoming pre-bid conference include the implementation timetable, bid package preparation, eligibility terms, and the assessment and winners’ determination procedure. Interested members of the public are urged to register for the pre-bid conference through the portal br2025.nuprc.gov.ng,” the notice stated.
It added that comprehensive information on the licensing round, including guidelines, block descriptions and participation instructions, is available on the commission’s website.
“Detailed information on the licensing round guidelines, block descriptions and participation instructions is also available on the website, nuprc.gov.ng. We look forward to your participation,” it concluded.
Recall that last year, the erstwhile Commission Chief Executive, Mr Gbenga Komolafe, announced that the 2025 oil block licensing bid round would commence on December 1.
The 2025 licensing round, expected to offer 50 blocks across multiple terrains, is part of a broader agenda to rebuild confidence in Africa’s largest oil producer, deepen indigenous participation, and reposition Nigeria as a competitive investment destination.
The licensing round comes at a time when Nigeria is seeking to reverse years of declining upstream investment caused by regulatory uncertainty, oil theft and project delays.
Since the enactment of the Petroleum Industry Act in 2021, the NUPRC has overseen multiple bid rounds aimed at improving transparency, competitiveness and investor confidence in the upstream sector.
Pre-bid conferences have become increasingly important under the PIA regime, as they provide clarity on fiscal terms, compliance obligations and the evaluation framework, helping to reduce disputes and post-award uncertainty.
The last licensing round conducted by the commission attracted a mix of indigenous and international players, with the regulator pledging to ensure a transparent and commercially competitive process.
The NUPRC said it looks forward to broad participation at the Lagos conference, signalling what could be another major test of investor appetite for Nigeria’s upstream assets.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Yemi Cardoso, has wooed American investors, declaring that the country will focus on disciplined reforms and transparent markets to restore investor confidence in the country.
Mr Cardoso disclosed this after leading Nigeria’s engagement with senior business leaders and global investors at the US-Nigeria Executive Business Roundtable in Washington, convened by the US Chamber of Commerce’s US–Africa Business Center.
According to him, Nigeria used the platform to send a clear message to international capital: the country is focused on macroeconomic stability, regulatory clarity, and private sector-led growth.
“With global capital cautious and highly selective, we presented Nigeria’s message clearly and practically: disciplined reform, transparent markets, and credible institutions,” the CBN Governor said.
He noted that discussions at the roundtable centred on stabilising the macroeconomic environment and strengthening the financial system to support sustainable business expansion.
“Our discussions focused on macroeconomic stabilisation, regulatory clarity, and fostering private sector-led growth, laying the groundwork for a deeper phase of US–Nigeria commercial engagement,” Mr Cardoso stated.
Looking ahead to 2026, the CBN chief outlined an ambitious reform agenda aimed at reinforcing Nigeria’s financial architecture and improving the operating environment for businesses and investors.
“We will continue to strengthen the banking system through rigorous supervision and sound governance,” he said, adding that the apex bank would also “refine our inflation-targeting framework to deliver durable price stability.”
Mr Cardoso disclosed plans to modernise Nigeria’s payments infrastructure to boost efficiency and financial inclusion, while also promoting responsible fintech innovation anchored on consumer protection and financial integrity.
He further revealed that the CBN would deploy data and artificial intelligence-enabled tools to enhance regulatory responsiveness and execution.
“We will continue to build institutional capacity within the Bank, leveraging data and AI-enabled tools to support faster, more responsive, and higher-quality execution,” he said.
The central banker stressed that sustained reform, rather than short-term measures, remains critical to unlocking long-term growth and investment.
“Reform is a process that rewards consistency and discipline. Our focus remains steady: to protect trust, sustain stability, and entrench the foundations for disciplined, lasting economic growth in Nigeria,” he added.
He noted that the engagements signalled growing international confidence in Nigeria’s reform trajectory, positioning the country for deeper commercial ties with the United States and renewed inflows of global capital in the year ahead.
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