Economy
MTN Rakes in N947bn Revenue as PAT Grows 28% to N181.6bn
By Adedapo Adesanya
MTN Nigeria has recorded a 28.1 per cent rise in profit after tax (PAT) to N181.6 billion in the first half of the year, with profit before tax (PBT) up by 24.9 per cent to N268.6 billion and earnings per share (EPS) rising by 28.1 per cent to N8.92.
According to the company in its unaudited results for the half-year ended June 30, 2022, the capital expenditure (Capex) rose by 67.1 per cent to N311.6 billion (up 78.6 per cent to N204.5 billion, excluding the right of use assets.
The financial statements also showed that there were a lot of increases led by active fintech subscribers which rose by 87.3 per cent to 11.5 million, driven by MoMo wallets since launching the payment service bank on May 19, 2022.
Active data users increased by 13.2 per cent to 36.8 million as it added 2.5 million active users in H1 2022 while mobile subscribers increased by 7.6 per cent to 74.1 million, indicating a growth of 5.7 million subscribers in the period.
Others include an increase in service revenue by 19.9 per cent to N947.9 billion; as earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) grew by 22.1 per cent to N509.3 billion; while EBITDA margin increased by 0.9 percentage points (pp) to 53.6 per cent.
The telco’s interim dividend was pegged at N5.60 per share, up by 23.1 per cent.
MTN’s operating expenses (opex) in the first six months of the year increased by 15.1 per cent due to the effects of Naira depreciation and higher Dollar consumer price index (CPI) on lease rental costs.
The firm also blamed the rising energy costs in the West African nation as part of the reasons for its increased expenses.
Similarly, its cost of sales went up by 22.9 per cent as the firm spent N162bn in the first six months of 2022, compared to N132bn spent in the corresponding period.
In the report, the company’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr Karl Toriola, said the company saved costs via its expense efficiency programme.
“We continue to realize cost savings through our expense efficiency programme, and we remain disciplined with capital allocation. Cost of sales rose by 22.9 per cent off a low base in the prior year, which was depressed by the suspension of new Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) sales and activations by the regulator, lower device purchases during the period, and the impact of growing gross connections in the current year.
“Operating expenses (opex) increased by 15.1 per cent due to the effects of naira depreciation and higher dollar CPI on lease rental costs, the acceleration in our site rollout and rising energy costs. The escalation of diesel prices in Nigeria contributed to the 12.2 per cent increase in direct network operating costs with a 0.3 per cent earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) margin impact,” he said.
MTN, in its outlook for the year, stressed that it has continued to witness strong headwinds such as rising general inflation, paucity of foreign exchange, supply chain disruptions, and higher diesel and petrol prices, which it said placed more financial pressure on its customers, as well as its business.
It, however, looked forward to a surge in subscriber base in the third quarter of the year. The firm stated that the growth would be based on how well it regains subscribers lost to the National Identity Numbers (NIN) enrolment.
The telco planned to commence the rollout of 5G services in all of Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones from the third quarter (Q3) of 2022.
By Adedapo Adesanya
President Bola Tinubu has signed the 2026 Appropriation Bill into law, authorising an aggregate expenditure of N68.32 trillion for the current fiscal year.
He also signed a separate bill extending the implementation period of the 2025 budget from March 31 to June 30, 2026.
The budget allocates N4.799 trillion for statutory transfers and N15.8 trillion for debt service.
It further sets aside N15.4 trillion for recurrent expenditure and N32.2 trillion for capital expenditure through the Development Fund.
In a statement signed by Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, on Friday, it was that, “The N68.32 trillion budget for this year earmarks N4.799 trillion for statutory transfers and N15.8 trillion for debt service. It allocates N15.4 trillion to recurrent expenditure and N32.2 trillion to the Development Fund for Capital Expenditure.”
“With capital expenditure accounting for about 50 per cent, the 2026 budget underscores the administration’s continued commitment to economic stability, national security, infrastructure development, and inclusive growth.
“The allocations reflect a strategic balance between statutory obligations, debt servicing, recurrent expenditure, and capital investments critical to driving productivity and improving the quality of life for Nigerians,” it added.
The 2026 Appropriation Act took effect on April 1, with the federal government commencing full implementation in line with what the presidency describes as the Renewed Hope Agenda.
President Tinubu also assented to the Appropriation (Repeal and Enactment) (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which extends the capital component of the 2025 Appropriation Act by three months to June 30.
The presidency said the extension would ensure the full utilisation of appropriated funds, particularly for critical infrastructure projects at advanced stages of implementation.
“The extension will ensure the full and effective utilisation of appropriated funds, particularly for critical infrastructure and development projects that are at advanced stages of implementation across the country.
“It will enable Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to consolidate ongoing works, enhance project completion rates, and maximise value for public expenditure,” the statement read.
He directed MDAs to ensure disciplined, transparent, and efficient utilisation of allocated resources, with strong emphasis on value for money and timely project delivery.
The President reaffirmed the importance of sustained collaboration between the Executive and Legislative arms of government in advancing national development objectives, the statement noted.
President Tinubu also assured Nigerians of his administration’s resolve to deepen fiscal reforms and boost revenue generation.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL) says Nigeria has lost an estimated $226.734 billion in revenue from stalled crude oil production in Ogoniland over the past 32 years.
The group at the company’s monthly stakeholders’ meeting in Port Harcourt called for an urgent, structured restart of operations in the region.
PINL described the resumption of oil production in Ogoniland as a “strategic national priority,” stressing that the process must be driven by host communities and grounded in environmental sustainability.
Speaking at the event, Mr Akpos Mezeh, General Manager, Community and Stakeholder Relations at PINL, said the scale of losses highlights both the cost of inaction and the opportunity ahead.
“Available data shows that over $226.734 billion has been lost due to the suspension of crude oil production from 96 oil wells in Ogoniland over the past 32 years. This clearly underscores both the economic cost of inaction and the immense opportunity that lies ahead,” he said.
Ogoniland, covered under Oil Mining Lease (OML) 11, has the capacity to produce over 500,000 barrels of crude oil per day. Production was halted in 1993 following unrest and environmental concerns linked to oil exploration activities.
PINL outlined key conditions for restarting operations, including active community participation, sustained environmental remediation, adoption of community-based security models, and prioritisation of economic inclusion.
“The position of PINL aligns with growing calls from stakeholders in the Niger Delta for the Federal Government to restart oil production in Ogoniland in a manner that balances economic benefits with environmental justice and community interests,” Mr Mezeh added.
He further affirmed the company’s readiness to support the process, stating: “At PINL, we stand ready to support this process by applying our experience in stakeholder engagement and infrastructure protection to ensure a peaceful, secure, and sustainable resumption.”
PINL maintained that with the right framework, resuming production in Ogoniland could significantly boost Nigeria’s crude output, increase government revenues, and support broader economic growth.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Additional shares of Champion Breweries Plc have been listed on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited.
A circular from the NGX Regulation Limited confirmed this development on Wednesday, April 15, 2026.
The new stocks of the brewery company came from its hybrid offer comprising rights issue and offer for subscription.
Through the two exercises, Champion Breweries issued fresh 2,375,615,342 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each to subscribers, which were brought to the stock exchange for listing.
Business Post reports that 931,712,324 units arose from the rights issue of 994,221,766 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each at N16.00 per unit, indicating a subscription rate of 93.71 per cent; and 1,443,903,018 units from the offer for subscription of 2,625,000,000 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each at N16.00 per unit, reflecting a subscription rate of 55.01 per cent.
The listing of the new shares of the organisation has increased the total issued and fully paid-up shares to 11,323,611,234 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each from 8,947,995,892 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each.
“With this listing of the additional 2,375,615,342 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each, the total issued and fully paid-up shares of Champion Breweries Plc have now increased from 8,947,995,892 to 11,323,611,234 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each,” a part of the circular signed by the Head of Issuer Regulation Department of NGX RegCo, Mr Godstime Iwenekhai, stated.
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