Economy
Major Indicators That Will Shape Nigeria in 2023
The year 2022 has been an eventful one. As we close out on all activities of the year and look forward to a new one, it is important that we begin to envisage what the new year portends and be better prepared. The outgoing year has been marked with some remarkable incidences: President Muhammadu Buhari signed the Electoral Act 2022, the CBN issued a string of controversial announcements, the Nigerian government plans to wean off the subsidy regime starting next year, and 5G made it to Nigeria; however, rollouts have been slow.
These and many more are the highlights that shaped 2022, but in this article, we will be focusing on major events that have been projected to shape Nigeria in 2023.
General Elections
The upcoming general election in February 2023 will be Nigeria’s seventh democratic election. It has been recognized as one of the most significant electoral events in the country’s history of elections as there are more candidates contesting for the presidential seat, with more Nigerians becoming politically aware and involved.
And in a historic move, Nigeria will be transmitting its election results electronically for the first time in the upcoming elections, as is contained in the Electoral Act 2022, that promises of a credible election. Political analysts have praised the signing of the Act, as it foretells a more transparent electoral system to allow for the smooth running of the country’s democratic processes. The outcome of the elections will, in no small measure, determine the extent of the economic growth of the country.
CBN’s Domestic Card
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had announced plans to develop a National domestic card scheme which it expects to take off in January 2023. Among its reasons for the card scheme launch, the CBN listed financial inclusion, consumers’ data sovereignty and Enabling banks to offer differentiated products and services.
The big question, however, is, does the CBN need to launch a domestic card to achieve these? Currently, in Nigeria, there are existing local and international card schemes that are meeting these needs already. These card schemes, notably Mastercard, Visa, and Verve cards, are enabling banks to offer enough differentiated products and services, among other card payment benefits.
The Verve card particularly is a Nigerian home-grown domestic card scheme and one of Africa’s most successful indigenous payment cards. It has grown its value proposition and market base to be accepted in over 180 countries and issued in countries across Africa, providing secure and ubiquitous payment options.
Not only are these card schemes delivering on the goals of the proposed domestic card scheme, telecommunication operators, Payment Service Banks (PSBs), Fintechs, Commercial banks, and Microfinance banks are playing in this space to create a more financially inclusive, data secure, and product differentiated payment ecosystem.
Another question the CBN will be forced to answer in the new year while launching its domestic card is the ethical question of fairness. Will the CBN be playing fair now that the regulator has also become a player? There has been widespread concern over the ethical disposition of this move. Experts believe the CBN will want to coerce the banks and even Nigerians (cardholders) to subscribe to the government-owned card.
CBN’s entry into the card business; experts project it will effectively crowd out competition and directly compete with homegrown cards as well as other international card companies. They further suggest that instead of playing in the field, the apex bank should remain in its role as a regulator while providing institutional support for existing players, ensuring that they meet the set standards for the benefit of the domestic economy. 2023 will decide.
Slow Economic Growth
The World Bank adjusted its projection for Nigeria’s economic growth for 2023 from 3.3 per cent to 3.2 per cent. The global financial institution noted that the slow growth would be propped by an increase in private consumption, which will be driven by subsiding inflationary pressures.
2022 saw Nigeria record its highest inflation figure since 2005 at 21.15 per cent. This inflation was majorly instigated by; disruptions in the food distribution network resulting from insecurity, high importation costs, currency depreciation, and a bump in the cost of production.
As the new year unveils, keen expectations will be for the government, through the CBN, to be more intentional about its fiscal and monetary policies and proffer business-friendly initiatives that will help tackle the challenges affecting macroeconomic growth.
5G Rollout
It’s the era of the 5th generation mobile network, which sets to drive faster and enhanced communication. As of June 2022, about 70 countries have deployed the 5G technology, with projections that more users will be onboarded. Earlier this year, Nigerians joined the list of 5G users after an auction process was announced by the National Communication Commission (NCC) for the 3.5GHz 5G spectrum.
With this, the NCC will enable licensed operators with existing infrastructure to provide 5G services to Nigerians while providing a regulatory framework that will guide these providers of the 5G network on how to protect users.
Although the rollout is not as extensive yet, experts believe the technology holds a trove of benefits for Nigerians, both individuals and businesses. It is expected that the adoption of this technology will increase opportunities and throw up new businesses with the evolution of blockchain in 2023, which will determine just how much work needs to be done to ensure that advanced technologies are accessible to more Nigerians.
2023, as with any election year, holds a lot of uncertainties, but the hope is that the theme of collaboration endures. Collaboration between the government and private sector players, and collaboration between the government and the citizens to create a robust and efficient economy.
Growth in the Oil Sector
As Europe completely wane itself off the Russian energy and the promises the recently passed Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) holds, Nigeria poses as a more attractive destination for foreign direct investment for oil and gas.
The government has recently redesigned its security strategy along the Niger Delta corridor to curb installation vandalization and oil theft. The new strategy of engaging the militants in addition to the military operations in the Niger Delta is expected to increase the daily oil production from 1.22m b/d towards the OPEC stipulated 1.7m b/d.
The government has also speculated it will be removing oil subsidies from its spending in the new year.
Other growth indicators in the oil sector include the recent commercialisation of the government-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, which will further liberalise the sector. The completed Dangote Refinery, with its 650,000 b/d is expected to meet Nigeria’s fuel requirement, provided domestic oil prices are cost-effective, and fuel imports are lowered.
With all these efficient components brought together; expected foreign investment, increased security, increased daily oil production, removal of oil subsidy and the take-off of the Dangote refinery- the oil sector is going to be a major contributor to the economy’s balance of payment.
The new year indeed looks viable; the supposition is that the key players, government, businesses, and individuals will take their roles assiduously and deliberately work towards making the new year a productive and prosperous one for all.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Vice President, Mr Kashim Shettima, inaugurated the Board of the Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation (CREDICORP) and gave a 50 per cent access target for workers, saying consumer credit was critical to Nigeria’s ambition of becoming a one-trillion-dollar economy by 2030.
According to him, President Bola Tinubu established the CREDICORP to build a trusted credit infrastructure, provide catalytic capital to lower borrowing costs, and help Nigerians overcome long-standing cultural resistance to credit.
Speaking on Thursday in Abuja when he inaugurated the board on behalf of the President, the Vice President, in a statement by his spokesman, Mr Stanley Nkwocha, said that the quality of life of Nigerians cannot improve without closing the gap between access to capital and human dignity.
“A civil servant who earns honestly does not have to chase sudden wealth just to buy a vehicle, or save for ten years to buy one. A young professional should not remain in darkness simply because solar power must be paid for all at once,” the Vice President said.
VP Shettima disclosed that in just one year of operations, CREDICORP has disbursed over ₦37 billion in consumer credit to more than 200,000 Nigerians, with over half of them accessing formal credit for the first time.
The Vice President said the organisation was specifically tasked with building credit infrastructure to bridge the trust gap between lenders and borrowers, providing wholesale capital and credit guarantees through its portfolio company.
“Ultimately, these critical jobs of CREDICORP will enable access to consumer credit to at least 50 per cent of working Nigerians by 2030,” he said.
The Vice President explained that the new board’s role was not ceremonial as they are custodians of the organisation’s mission, adding that the long-term strength of the institution would depend on their “vigilance, integrity, sacrifice, and commitment.”
He directed Board members to uphold Public Service Rules, the Board Charter, and all applicable governance frameworks, warning that accountability and stewardship of public resources were non-negotiable.
The Chairman of CREDICORP, Mr Aderemi Abdul, expressed appreciation to President Tinubu for his vision behind the formation of CREDICORP and for the confidence reposed in them, noting that the establishment of the corporation marked an important step towards strengthening the nation’s financial architecture.
He assured President Tinubu that the board understands its responsibility and will guide the institution to deliver meaningful benefits to Nigerians.
For his part, Mr Uzoma Nwagba, Managing Director/CEO of CREDICORP, recalled watching President Tinubu say 20 years ago that consumer credit is one of the major tools that will improve the lives of Nigerians.
He noted that over the past 18 months, the institution has benefited more than 200,000 Nigerians, including students.
He assured that the presidential vision behind CREDICORP would not be taken lightly, as the team considers their appointments a unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Other members of the board inaugurated include Mrs Olanike Kolawole, Executive Director, Operations; Mrs Aisha Abdullahi, Executive Director, Credit and Portfolio Management; Mr Armstrong Ume-Takang (MD, MoFI), Representative of MoFI; Mrs Bisoye Coke-Odusote (DG, NIMC), Representative of NIMC; and Mr Mohammed Naziru Abbas, Representative of FMITI.
Others are Mr Marvin Nadah, Representative of FCCPC; Mrs Chinonyelum Ndidi, Representative of the Federal Ministry of Finance; Mr Mohammed Abbas Jega, Independent Director; and Mrs Toyin Adeniji, Independent Director.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Six price gainers helped the NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange retain its stay in green territory after a 0.23 per cent appreciation on Thursday, February 26.
The price gainers were led by Nipco Plc, which added N25.00 to close at N278.00 per share compared with the previous day’s N253.00 per share, NASD Plc rose by N5.13 to N56.41 per unit versus N51.28 per unit, FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc expanded by N2.24 to N102.44 per share from N100.00 per share, Afriland Properties Plc grew by 88 Kobo to N18.88 per unit from N18.00 per unit, 11 Plc increased by 35 Kobo to N277.00 per share from N276.65 per share, and Lagos Building Investment Company (LBIC) Plc gained 27 Kobo to close at N3.75 per unit versus N3.48 per unit.
On the flip side, Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc lost N1.75 to sell at N68.25 per share versus N70.00 per share, and Geo-Fluids Plc depreciated by 2 Kobo to N3.25 per unit from N3.27 per unit.
The weight of the advancers fortified the NASD Unlisted Security Index (NSI) by 9.21 points to 4,034.46 points from 4,025.25 points, and the market capitalisation soared by N5.51 billion to N2.413 trillion from Wednesday’s N2.408 trillion.
Yesterday, the transaction value jumped by 18.8 per cent to N102.8 million from N80.7 million, and the number of deals surged by 18,8 per cent to 38 deals from 32 deals, while the transaction volume went down by 84.9 per cent to 1.3 million units from 8.7 million units.
At the close of business, CSCS Plc was the most traded stock by value (year-to-date) with 34.2 million units worth N2.04 billion, followed by Okitipupa Plc with 6.3 million units sold for N1.1 billion, and Geo-Fluids Plc with 122.1 million units valued at N478.2 million.
Resourcery Plc remained as the most traded stock by volume (year-to-date) with 1.05 billion units exchanged for N408.7 million, trailed by Geo-Fluids Plc with 122.1 million worth N478.2 million, and CSCS Plc with 34.2 million units traded for N2.04 billion.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Naira further weakened against the Dollar in the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEX) for the fourth straight session this week on Thursday, February 26.
At the official market yesterday, the Nigerian Naira lost N3.71 or 0.27 per cent to trade at N1,359.82/$1 compared with the previous session’s N1,356.11/$1.
In the same vein, the local currency depreciated against the Pound Sterling in the same market window on Thursday by N8.27 to close at N1,843.23/£1 versus Wednesday’s closing price of N1,834.96/£1, and against the Euro, it crashed by N8.30 to quote at N1,606.89/€1, in contrast to the midweek’s closing price of N1,598.59/€1.
But at the GTBank forex desk, the exchange rate of the Naira to the Dollar remained unchanged at N1,367/$1, and also at the parallel market, it maintained stability at N1,365/$1.
The continuation of the decline of the Nigerian currency is attributed to a surge in foreign payments that have outpaced the available Dollars in the FX market.
In a move to address the ongoing shortfall at the official window, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) intervened by selling $100 million to banks and dealers on Tuesday.
However, the FX support failed to reverse the trend, though analysts see no cause for alarm, given that the authority recently mopped up foreign currency to achieve balance and it is still within the expected trading range of N1,350 and N1,450/$1.
As for the cryptocurrency market, major tokens posted losses over the last 24 hours as traders continued to de-risk alongside equities following Nvidia’s earnings-driven pullback, with Ripple (XRP) down by 2.7 per cent to $1.40, and Dogecoin (DOGE) down by 1.6 per cent to $0.0098.
Further, Litecoin (LTC) declined by 1.3 per cent to $55.87, Ethereum (ETH) slipped by 0.9 per cent to $2,036.89, Bitcoin (BTC) tumbled by 0.7 per cent to $67,708.21, Cardano (ADA) slumped by 0.6 per cent to $0.2924, and Solana (SOL) depreciated by 0.4 per cent to $87.22, while Binance Coin (BNB) gained 0.4 per cent to sell for $629.95, with the US Dollar Tether (USDT) and the US Dollar Coin (USDC) closing flat at $1.00 each.
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