Economy
Leadway Assurance Nears Full Implementation of IFRS 17
By Adedapo Adesanya
Leadway Assurance Limited has said it is on a course to implement the International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS 17), which will help standardize insurance accounting globally.
IFRS 17 (previously known as IFRS 4 Phase II) is an International Financial Reporting Standard developed by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) providing new standards for reporting profit emergence from insurance contracts, scheduled to take effect from January 1, 2023.
At a lecture series with media practitioners in Lagos, the underwriter noted that implementing the current standard will help users of accounts make sensible comparisons between companies, their past performance, their current financial position, and risk exposure.
Speaking on Navigating the New Financial Reporting Standard, Mr Raphael Akomolede, from Leadway’s Finance Department, gave insights on the position of the firm regarding the implementation of the IFRS 17.
He said the company has completed solution design which takes care of Gap Analysis, Financial, and Operational Impact Assessment; Designed Future State of Finance Process/Technology Gap Analysis; Development, Documentation, and Review of Target Operating Model; Preparation of Technical documents and Reviews, and Vendor Selection for IFRS 17.
He said presently, the relevant departments of the company are working simultaneously on System testing and Implementation (pre and post); Reviewing and Producing 2021 and 2022 financial positions, produce interim IFRS 17 compliant financial statements, including transition disclosure.
Speaking on the problem with the soon-to-be-replaced IFRS 4, he said the IFRS 17 replaces the interim standard that allows insurers to use local Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) to measure insurance contracts; no single way to account for insurance contracts; existing accounting makes it hard for investors to see which groups of contracts are profit-making and which are not.
The impact of IFRS 17, according to him, includes improved comparability for the first time; relevant and updated measurement of insurance contract liabilities; a more intuitive presentation of financial performance and position; enhanced disclosure and transparency and a clear distinguishing of insurance activities from investment activities.
While commending the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) for the Roadmap for the implementation of IFRS 17 for the insurance industry in Nigeria, he said the commission has been working seriously since 2019 towards ensuring the full adoption of IFRS 17 in the Nigerian insurance industry.
Speaking on Breaking Down the Power of Synergy, Mr Joshua Ogbeifun of the Strategy and Special Project Department, Leadway Assurance, highlighted the strategy adopted by Leadway in enhancing its ambition of remaining the dominant insurance company in Nigeria in revenue and profit market share within the corporate and retail market segment.
He said the company is focusing on becoming a customer-centric organization with an efficient sales process and structure, partnering with organisations with the reach Leadway is seeking by providing data-driving customer insights and customer-led solutions.
Mr Ogbeifun, who described Leadway as a one-stop shop business group, listed the associate companies as Leadway Assurance, Leadway Pensure, Leadway Asset Management, Leadway Health, and Leadway Capital & Trust Limited.
In his closing remarks, Chief Marketing Officer, Mr Olusakin Labeodan, emphasised the importance of the media in the growth of any business and the development of any nation.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange closed flat on Thursday, December 12 after it ended the trading session with no single price gainer or loser.
As a result, the market capitalisation remained unchanged at N1.055 trillion as the NASD Unlisted Security Index (NSI) followed the same route, remaining at 3,012.50 points like the previous trading session.
However, the activity chart witnessed changes as the volume of securities traded at the bourse went down by 92.5 per cent to 447,905 units from the 5.9 million units transacted a day earlier.
In the same vein, the value of securities bought and sold by investors declined by 86.6 per cent to N3.02 million from the N22.5 million recorded in the preceding trading day.
But the number of deals carried out during the session remained unchanged at 21 deals, according to data obtained by Business Post.
When trading activities ended for the day, Geo-Fluids Plc remained the most active stock by volume (year-to-date) with 1.7 billion units sold for N3.9 billion, Okitipupa Plc came next with 752.2 million units valued at N7.8 billion, and Afriland Properties Plc was in third place with 297.5 million units worth N5.3 million.
Also, Aradel Holdings Plc remained the most active stock by value (year-to-date) with 108.7 million units worth N89.2 billion, followed by Okitipupa Plc with 752.2 million units valued at N7.8 billion, and Afriland Properties Plc with 297.5 million units sold for N5.3 billion.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Naira appreciated against the United States Dollar at the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEM) by N14.79 or 0.9 per cent to trade at N1,534.50/$1 compared with the preceding day’s N1,549.29/$1 on Thursday, December 12.
The strengthening of the domestic currency during the trading session was influenced by the introduction of the Electronic Foreign Exchange Matching System (EFEMS) by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The implementation of the forex system comes with diverse implications for all segments of the financial markets that deal with FX, including the rebound in the value of the Naira across markets.
The system instantly reflects data on all FX transactions conducted in the interbank market and approved by the CBN; publication of real-time prices and buy-sell orders data from this system has lent support to the Naira at the official market.
Equally, the local currency improved its value against the British Pound Sterling by N3.91 to wrap the session at N1,954.77/£1 compared with the previous day’s N1,958.65/£1 and against the Euro, the Nigerian currency gained N2.25 to sell for N1,610.41/€1 versus N1,612.66/€1.
However, in the black market, the Naira crashed further against the US Dollar on Thursday by N10 to quote at N1,680/$1 compared with Wednesday’s closing rate of N1,670/$1.
Meanwhile, the cryptocurrency market majorly corrected after earlier gains as US President-elect Donald Trump reiterated his ambition to embrace crypto assets, but a bond market rout dragged risk assets lower.
Mr Trump said, “We’re going to do something great with crypto” while ringing the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange, reiterating his ambition to embrace digital assets in the world’s largest economy and create a strategic bitcoin reserve.
Alongside, the European Central Bank trimmed its benchmark interest rates by 25 basis points and in its dovish policy statement hinted that more rate cuts were likely to happen.
The biggest loss was made by Cardano (ADA), which fell by 4.9 per cent to trade at $1.10, followed by Ripple (XRP), which slid by 4.1 per cent to $2.33 and Dogecoin (DOGE) recorded a value depreciation of 2.9 per cent to sell at $0.4064.
Further, Solana (SOL) slumped by 1.8 per cent to $225.89, Binance Coin (BNB) slipped by 1.3 per cent to $746.92, Bitcoin (BTC) declined by 0.6 per cent to $99,998.18, Ethereum (ETH) crumbled by 0.5 per cent to $3,909.43, and Litecoin (LTC) dipped by 0.3 per cent to $121.52, while the US Dollar Tether (USDT) and the US Dollar Coin (USDC) remained unchanged at $1.00 each.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The oil market slumped on Thursday, pressured by an expected increase in supply, supported by rising expectations of a Federal Reserve interest rate cut.
The International Energy Agency (EIA) made a slight upward revision to its demand outlook for next year but still expected the oil market to be comfortably supplied, with Brent crude futures losing 11 cents or 0.15 per cent to trade at $73.41 per barrel and the US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures declining by 27 cents or 0.38 per cent to finish at $70.02 per barrel.
The IEA in its monthly oil market report increased its 2025 global oil demand growth forecast to 1.1 million barrels per day from 990,000 barrels per day last month, largely in Asian countries due to the impact of China’s recent stimulus measures.
At the same time, the IEA expects nations not in the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and Allies (OPEC+) group to boost supply by about 1.5 million barrels per day next year, driven by the US, Canada, Guyana, Brazil and Argentina – more than the rate of demand growth.
On Wednesday, OPEC cut its demand growth forecast for 2024 for the fifth straight month.
The IEA said that, even excluding the return to higher output quotas, its current outlook is to a 950,000 barrels per day supply overhang next year, which is almost 1 per cent of the world’s supply.
The Paris-based agency said this would rise to 1.4 million barrels per day if OPEC+ goes ahead with its plan to start unwinding cuts from the end of next March.
Next year’s surplus could make it harder for OPEC+ to bring back production. The hike was earlier due to start in October 2024, but OPEC+ has delayed it amid falling prices.
Meanwhile, inflation rose slightly in November increasing the possibility of a US Federal Reserve rates cut again as the data fed optimism about economic growth and energy demand.
Support also came as crude imports in China grew annually for the first time in seven months in November, up more than 14 per cent from a year earlier.
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