Economy
MAN Urges CBN to Consider Interest Rate Cut
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has appealed to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to reduce interest rates to ease the rising cost of borrowing.
This is in reaction to the outcome of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting on November 24 and 25, where the apex bank kept the benchmark rate at 27 per cent.
On Wednesday, the group acknowledged MPC’s decision to retain the Monetary Policy Rate at 27 per cent but stressed that the current lending environment remains “punitive for manufacturers.”
Following its 303rd meeting on November 25, the MPC maintained the benchmark rate at 27 per cent, adjusted the Standing Facilities Corridor to +50/-450 basis points, retained the Cash Reserve Ratio at 45 per cent for commercial banks and 16 per cent for merchant banks, and kept the liquidity ratio at 30 per cent.
The MPC also expressed satisfaction with improving macroeconomic indicators, noting what they called a “continued slowdown in inflation” and the “accelerated pace of disinflation,” which stood at 16.05 per cent in October.
In his statement, the Director-General of MAN, Mr Segun Ajayi-Kadir, said the association “appreciates the decision of the MPC to halt the increase in MPR” but insisted that manufacturers had expected “a further reduction in the rate to reduce the cost of borrowing.”
Mr Ajayi-Kadir noted that despite the improvement recorded at the last meeting, manufacturers still contend with borrowing costs “ranging between 30 and 37 per cent,” describing the rates as “high, restrictive, and damaging to competitiveness.”
“The rate hinders production and reduces the competitiveness of the sector. While the emphasis on exchange rate stability and improved forex liquidity is crucial, it is essential to reduce the cost of funds to encourage borrowing for expansion and investment.”
The organisation warned that persistent high lending rates would continue to limit manufacturers’ access to affordable credit, particularly those in the small and medium industrial cadre, adding that the challenge was compounded by structural bottlenecks such as poor infrastructure, high logistics costs, erratic electricity supply, soaring energy costs, and insecurity, which it said “cumulatively raise production costs and weaken competitiveness.”
MAN urged the CBN and policymakers to strengthen monetary–fiscal coordination and pursue reforms that unlock industrial potential to sustain stability and drive inclusive growth, stressing that the apex bank should “strengthen handshake with the fiscal authority to promote reforms capable of unlocking the full potential of the manufacturing sector.”
It also highlighted a series of recommendations aimed at positioning the sector for productive growth. It advised the CBN to “adopt a downward review of the rate in subsequent MPC meetings to lessen the burden of high borrowing costs and incentivise long-term investments,” particularly in capital-intensive sub-sectors.
The body further recommended that the apex bank introduce additional policy instruments to facilitate credit flow to the real sector while the federal government strengthens fiscal discipline and scales up investments in roads, electricity, and logistics to boost supply capacity.
On exchange rate management, MAN urged the government to work closely with the Central Bank to stabilise the Naira and manage potential risks linked to capital flight arising from the new MPC corridor adjustment “that will push banks to lend more.”
It also called for complementary fiscal measures that support industrial development, promote structural reforms in agriculture, manufacturing, and energy, and address inflationary pressures.
The body added that insecurity in agricultural and industrial zones must be urgently resolved to stabilise raw material supplies and food output, stressing that “a secure environment is critical to sustained industrial growth.”
While commending the MPC for measures aimed at strengthening liquidity and encouraging lending, MAN said the government must seize the moment to drive credit-led growth in productive sectors. The Association urged the CBN to “monitor and evaluate the impacts of previous MPC decisions on credit access to the real sector” to inform future policy decisions.
MAN concluded by reaffirming its appreciation of the CBN’s efforts to stabilise the economy but maintained that stronger coordination between fiscal and monetary authorities remains essential to ensure that the MPC’s decisions translate into real sector gains, sustained growth, and broader economic development.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange extended its stay in the south territory with a decline of 0.56 per cent on Wednesday, April 2.
This brought down the market capitalisation by N13 billion to N2.417 trillion from N2.430 trillion, and downed the NASD Unlisted Security Index (NSI) by 22.57 points to 4,062.87 points from the previous session’s 4,062.87 points.
It was observed that the NASD exchange ended with three price gainers and three price losers during the trading day.
MRS Oil Plc depreciated by N19.00 to close at N171.00 per unit compared with the previous price of N190.00 per unit, NASD Plc lost N4.14 to trade at N37.36 per share compared with Wednesday’s N41.50 per share, and Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc gave up N2.00 to sell at N78.00 per unit versus N80.00 per unit.
On the flip side, FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc appreciated by 19 Kobo to N93.00 per share from N92.81 per share, Food Concepts Plc expanded by 15 Kobo to N2.87 per unit from N2.72 per unit, and Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) Plc improved by 2 Kobo to 52 Kobo per share from 50 Kobo per share.
Yesterday, the volume of securities dipped by 91.8 per cent to 260.2 million units from 3.2 billion units, the value of securities went down by 98.1 per cent to N154.2 million from N8.3 billion, while the number of deals soared by 53.3 per cent to 46 deals from 30 deals.
GNI Plc was the most active stock by value on a year-to-date basis with 3.4 billion units worth N8.4 billion, followed by CSCS Plc with 56.9 million units valued at N3.9 billion, and Okitipupa Plc with 27.5 million units traded for N1.8 billion.
The most traded stock by volume on a year-to-date basis was also GNI Plc with 3.4 billion units sold for N8.2 billion, trailed by Resourcery Plc with 1.1 billion units exchanged for N415.7 million, and Infrastructure Guarantee Credit Plc with 400 million units transacted for N1.2 billion.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Naira dropped N2.09 or 0.15 per cent against the United States Dollar in the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEX) on Thursday, April 2, to trade at N1,380.79/$1 compared with Wednesday’s rate of N1,378.70/$1.
However, it appreciated against the Pound Sterling in the official market by N2.77 to quote at N1,824.86/£1 versus the N1,836.57/£1 it was traded at midweek, and improved its value against the Euro by N10.54 to N1,591.92/€1 from N1,602.46/€1.
Yesterday was the last trading session of the week for the local currency in the spot market, as the market will be closed on Friday and Monday for the Easter Holiday.
At the black market, the Nigerian Naira maintained stability against the greenback yesterday at N1,405/$1, but gained N8 at the GTBank FX counter to settle at N1,388/$1, in contrast to the previous session’s N1,396/$1.
Pressure eased on the domestic currency as strong policy indicators have helped calm the majority of worries within the financial systems. Particularly in the remittance segment, the apex bank has directed all International Money Transfer Operators (IMTOs) to route remittance transactions through designated Naira settlement accounts in banks, a move aimed at boosting transparency and channelling more foreign exchange into the formal market.
This helps take off pressure from the foreign reserves, which have fallen below the $50 billion mark as they are gradually decreasing rather than falling sharply.
Meanwhile, the cryptocurrency market was bullish on Thursday, as macro sentiment shifted against recent optimism after reports that Iran is drafting a protocol with Oman to manage traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, easing concerns about disruptions to a key global oil route.
The remarks came after U.S. President Trump on Wednesday night vowed to hit Iran “extremely hard” in the coming weeks and that the Strait of Hormuz would “open naturally” once the war ends.
Cardano (ADA) chalked up 1.9 per cent to trade at $0.2435, Dogecoin (DOGE) grew by 1.2 per cent to $0.0912, Ethereum (ETH) appreciated by 0.8 per cent to $2,066.37, Bitcoin (BTC) added 0.5 per cent to sell at $67,080.53, Solana (SOL) increased by 0.5 per cent to $79.91, and Ripple (XRP) jumped 0.2 per cent to $1.31.
Conversely, Binance Coin (BNB) dipped 0.7 per cent to $586.90, and TRON (TRX) depreciated by 0.3 per cent to $0.3147, while the US Dollar Tether (USDT) and the US Dollar Coin (USDC) closed flat at $1.00 each.
By Dipo Olowookere
The local stock market was relatively flat on Friday, as the bears and the bulls shared the spoils of war, though investor sentiment turned bullish compared with the preceding session’s bearish posture.
Data from the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited showed that the All-Share Index (ASI) was marginally down by 4.66 points as it ended at 201,698.89 points versus Wednesday’s 201,703.55 points, and the market capitalisation slightly contracted by N3 billion to N129.806 trillion from N129.809 trillion.
Customs Street was shut on Friday because of the public holidays declared by the federal government today and next Monday.
Business Post reports that John Holt declined by 9.91 per cent to N15.45, Abbey Mortgage Bank shed 9.60 per cent to trade at N8.95, International Energy Insurance slipped by 6.48 per cent to N3.32, Chams shrank by 5.30 per cent to N3.75, and Tantalizers depreciated by 5.18 per cent to N4.03.
On the flip side, Unilever Nigeria improved by 10.00 per cent to N103.40, Fortis Global Insurance gained 9.82 per cent to trade at N1.23, Multiverse appreciated 9.81 per cent to N20.15, Legend Internet advanced by 9.38 per cent to N6.30, and Zichis grew by 9.02 per cent to N14.14.
The market breadth index was positive during the trading session, as there were 35 appreciating stocks and 24 depreciating stocks.
Yesterday, investors traded 560.0 million equities valued at N19.3 billion in 49,676 deals, in contrast to the 815.5 million equities worth N33.3 billion transacted in 52,641 deals in the preceding day, representing a drop in the trading volume, value, and number of deals by 31.33 per cent, 42.04 per cent, and 5.63 per cent, respectively.
Secure Electronic Technology dominated the activity log with 59.7 million shares valued at N61.1 million, Wema Bank exchanged 52.0 million equities worth N1.4 billion, VFD Group transacted 36.0 million stocks for N410.5 million, Access Holdings sold 35.3 million shares valued at N914.8 million, and Chams traded 31.0 million equities worth N115.0 million.
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