Economy
Naira Depreciates at Official Market to N1,384/$1
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Naira continued to depreciate against the United States Dollar in the different segments of the foreign exchange (FX) market on Tuesday, March 4.
During the session, it lost N6.27 or 0.46 per cent in the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEX) to close at N1,384.29/$1, in contrast to the previous trading day’s N1,378.02/$1.
The local currency depreciated against the Pound Sterling in the official market yesterday by N3.92 to quote at N1,842.22/£1 versus the previous day’s N1,846.14/£1, but gained N6.79 on the Euro to close at N1,606.19/€1 compared with Monday’s rate of N1,612.98/€1.
In the parallel market, the Naira further lost N10 against the Dollar during the trading day to settle at N1,385/$1 compared with the preceding session’s N1,375/$1, and at the GTBank FX desk, it was traded at N1,373/$1.
The exchange rate has been trending down for over 10 days following an unusual FX purchase activity by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) at the official market in February.
However, the Naira is expected to trade with a stable bias in line with prevailing market demand and supply dynamics, supported by an improving external reserves position.
Nigeria’s strong net reserves position has been touted as enough, as it rose 50.5 per cent year-on-year to $34.8 billion in 2025 from $23.11 billion in 2024.
The Governor of the apex bank, Mr Yemi Cardoso, said that the growth in external reserves reflects stronger external sector fundamentals and sustained policy reforms.
He stated that the figures emphasised the benefits of increased transparency and credibility in foreign exchange management, boosting investor confidence, attracting stronger FX inflows, and improving reserve management practices aimed at preserving capital, ensuring liquidity, and supporting long-term sustainability.
As for the cryptocurrency market, most majors recovered from the weekend lows but couldn’t sustain it over a 24-hour trading period, leaving the market in a holding pattern while it waits for clarity on the Iran situation.
Cardano (ADA) slumped 3.5 per cent to $0.2600, Dogecoin (DOGE) dropped 2.7 per cent to trade at $0.0889, Ethereum (ETH) went down by 1.2 per cent to $1,970.48, Ripple (XRP) depreciated by 0.8 per cent to $1.35, and Solana (SOL) decreased by 0.6 per cent to sell at $85.22.
On the flip side, Litecoin (LTC) increased by 1.2 per cent to $54.60, Bitcoin (BTC) added 0.5 per cent to sell for $68,207.17, and Binance Coin (BNB) rose 0.1 per cent to $632.25, while the US Dollar Tether (USDT) and the US Dollar Coin (USDC) remained unchanged at $1.00 each.
Economy
Zichis Confirms Intention to Borrow from Capital Market
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
One of the newest members of the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited, Zichis Agro-Allied Industries Plc, has confirmed its intention to approach the capital market to raise funds, subject to shareholder and regulatory approval.
However, it denied reports suggesting it’s “set to undertake an Initial Public Offering (IPO) or related capital raising activity.”
In a notice on Monday, the firm affirmed proposing “to seek shareholders’ approval at its forthcoming Annual General Meeting (AGM) to raise additional capital, which may be through equity, debt, or a combination of both, subject to regulatory approvals and market conditions.”
“At this stage, the structure, timing, and details of any such capital raising have not been finalised, and no specific transaction has been concluded,” a part of the statement signed by the company secretary, Solomon Itsede, stressed.
Zichis expressed its commitment to upholding “the highest standards of corporate governance, transparency, and timely disclosure.”
“Accordingly, any material corporate actions or capital market activities will be formally communicated through the appropriate regulatory channels,” it said, advising shareholders and the investing public “to rely solely on official disclosures and filings made by the company through the NGX and other authorised regulatory platforms when making investment decisions.”
Zichis welcomed the “continued interest of investors and market participants in its operations and performance,” promising to remain focused on delivering sustainable value through disciplined strategic execution.
It also lauded the continued support of its shareholders, saying it remains committed to maintaining transparency in all its communications.
Economy
NERC Orders Transparent Reporting of Transmission Loss Factors
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has issued a directive to ensure transparency in reporting the Regional Electricity Transmission Loss Factor, as it remains above the 7 per cent threshold.
In a public notice posted on its official X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, the order, contained in No. NERC/2026/026 is aimed at improving transparency and efficiency in Nigeria’s power grid through enhanced reporting of Regional Transmission Loss Factors (TLF).
The regulator disclosed that the order is backed by the provisions of the Electricity Act 2023, which enables the commission to regulate, monitor, and ensure efficiency in the power sector.
According to the statement, the Data from the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) indicate that the national average TLF was 8.71 per cent in 2024 but was reduced to 7.24 per cent in 2025.
The statement added that the report exceeds the 7 per cent benchmark approved by NERC in the Multi-Year Tariff Order (MYTO).
The statement reads, “The Order dated 8 April 2026 establishes a formal framework for reporting transmission losses across regions operated by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).
“Taking effect from 13 April 2026, the Order is backed by provisions of the Electricity Act 2023, which empower NERC to regulate, monitor, and ensure efficiency in the electricity market.”
The directive reads, “NISO to install smart meters at all boundary regional interconnection points by December 2026 to accurately measure energy flows for each region of the transmission network.
“NISO to measure and document all energy flow of power transformers at transmission substations.
“NISO to file quarterly reports on TLF to NERC on a regional basis.”
It added, “TCN to file an action plan by July 2026 on the reduction of TLF to a value within the 7 per cent approved benchmarks in the regions.
“TCN to ensure that TLF across transmission regions shall not exceed 6.5 per cent by December 2026.”
NERC concluded that the order is designed to strengthen accountability in transmission operations and support better grid performance through structured loss reporting.
Economy
Dangote Refinery Plans Cross-border Listing of Shares
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigerian businessman, Mr Aliko Dangote, is planning to list shares of his $20 billion oil refinery on multiple African stock exchanges.
The landmark cross-border public offering on the continent was disclosed by the chief executive of the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE), Mr Frank Mwiti, following a meeting held last week in Lagos between Mr Dangote and several heads of African exchanges.
Last year, Mr Dangote unveiled plans to list a 10 per cent stake in his Lagos-based refinery on the Nigerian Exchange this year.
According to a Bloomberg report, citing an email from the chief executive of FirstCap, Mr Ukandu Ukandu, Stanbic IBTC Capital Limited, Vetiva Advisory Services Limited, and FirstCap Limited have been appointed as advisers for the initial public offering of Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE.
Mr Mwiti said the proposed listing is designed to cut across multiple markets and deepen investor participation across the continent.
“The plan is to structure a pan-African IPO,” he said.
Bloomberg also reported that a spokesman for the Dangote Group confirmed that discussions had taken place between Mr Dangote and exchange officials but declined to provide further details.
In February 2026, Mr Dangote said that the IPO could be launched within the next five months.
“But individually Nigerians too will have an opportunity in the next maximum four or five months, they will actually be able to buy their shares,” he said at the time.
He added that investors would have flexibility in how they receive returns.
“People will have a choice either to get their dividends in naira or to get their dividends in dollars because we earn in Dollars.”
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