By Aduragbemi Omiyale

To unlock the trade and investment opportunities in West Africa, efforts must be made to build a regional coalition, the chairman of the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Group Plc, Mr Umaru Kwairanga, has submitted.

Speaking at the inaugural West Africa Economic Summit (WAES) 2025, the NGX Group chief tasked stakeholders to harness the untapped potential of the region’s trade and commodity markets.

According to him, capital markets and commodity exchanges can transform West Africa’s abundant natural resources into organized, transparent capital that fuels industrialization and inclusive economic growth.

Delivering remarks during a high-level panel on Commodities as Capital: Regional Commodities Exchange and Reserves, Mr Kwairanga noted that despite West Africa’s wealth of raw materials, it continues to face a paradox of resource abundance coexisting with capital scarcity.

“As a nation and region, we are abundantly rich in raw materials, but often poor in capital outcomes. This paradox is not due to lack of resources, but due to the way these resources have historically been excluded from structured financial ecosystems.

“Commodities, whether agricultural, mineral, or energy, must be seen not just as tradeable goods, but as investable assets capable of powering industrialization, job creation, and macroeconomic stability,” he said at the event themed Unlocking Trade and Investment Opportunities in the Region.

Mr Kwairanga emphasized NGX Group’s commitment to building resilient market infrastructure that supports price discovery, clearing, settlement, and investor protection, systems that can underpin thriving regional commodity markets.

He highlighted NGX Group’s role in mobilizing capital for commodity value chains through IPOs, bonds, and structured funds, citing the success of NGX-listed companies like Presco and Okomu Oil as models for attracting long-term investment.

On the question of regional versus national commodity exchanges, Mr Kwairanga advocated a dual approach that combines the strengths of national platforms with the scale and integration benefits of regional frameworks.

“National exchanges address local needs and build depth, but for West Africa to unlock the full potential of commodity trade, we must connect these markets under a regional structure.

“Regulatory harmonization will be key and this is where NGX Group’s experience in governance, coupled with platforms like the African Exchanges Linkage Project and the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System, can help align standards and enable seamless cross-border transactions,” he stated.

Addressing liquidity challenges, the chairman outlined the need for harmonized rules, trustworthy infrastructure, product innovation, and incentives to drive participation, calling for public-private partnerships and regional integration to deepen market liquidity and ensure efficient price discovery.

Beyond the panel discussions, Mr Kwairanga commended the vision of President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Yusuf Tuggar, for spearheading the summit.

“There is power in unity and prestige in size. The great economic powerhouses of the 21st century, such as the United States and China have risen to prominence partly because of the scale of their markets. A united West Africa can achieve the same if we work together on initiatives like this,” he said, expressing optimism that the summit would produce actionable frameworks to reduce trade barriers, encourage regional investment, and fast-track economic growth across ECOWAS.

NGX Group, he added, remains committed to supporting cross-border investments, citing its participation in the African Exchanges Linkage Project and the increasing regional footprint of NGX-listed companies such as Dangote Cement, First Bank, Zenith Bank, Access Bank, and Ecobank.

By Adedapo Adesanya

The NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange recorded a decline of 0.61 per cent in the 25th trading week of 2025, with the benchmark index, the NASD Unlisted Security Index (NSI), going down by 20.31 points to 3,320.91 points from the 3,341.22 points posted in Week 24.

In the same vein, the market capitalisation, which captures the total value of stocks on the platform, went down by N20 billion to N1.94 trillion from the N1.96 trillion recorded in the preceding week.

Business Post reports that there were eight price gainers and three price losers in the five-day trading week, led by Okitipupa Oil Palm Plc, which fell by 9.50 per cent to close at N219.00 per unit versus the preceding week’s N242.00 per unit, Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc lost 2.78 per cent to trade at N29.00 per share versus N29.43 per cent share of the earlier week, and Friesland Campina Wamco Nigeria Plc shed 2.06 per cent to trade at N69.38 per unit compared with the preceding week’s N70.84 per unit.

On the flip side, Geo-Fluids Plc gained 9.87 per cent to finish at N4.23 per share versus N3.85 per share. Air Liquide Plc appreciated by 9.80 per cent to N9.97 per unit versus N9.08, AG Mortgage Bank Plc rose by 9.21 per cent to N83 Kobo per share from 76 Kobo per share, FirstTrust Mortgage Bank Plc improved by 8.62 per cent to 63 Kobo per unit from 58 Kobo per unit, Food Concepts Plc expanded by 7.27 per cent N1.77 per share from N1.65 per share, Acorn Petroleum Plc grew by 6.36 per cent to N1.17 per unit from N1.10 per unit, Industrial and General Insurance Plc chalked up 2.86 per cent to quote at N36 Kobo per share versus N35 Kobo per share, UBN Property Plc increased by 2.75 per cent to N2.34 per unit from N2.18 per unit, and Afriland Properties Plc jumped by 0.78 per cent to N29.40 per share from N19.25 per share.

In the week, the total value of trades went up by 255.2 per cent to N113.13 million from N39.1 million, while the total volume of transactions went down by 35.6 to 2.44 million units  from 3.80 million units.

FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc was the busiest stock by value with N90.3 million, CSCS Plc recorded N13.2 million, Okitipupa Plc posted N5.2 billion, Afriland Properties Plc sold N1.6 million, and 11 Plc achieved N1.1 million.

Also, FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc was the most active by volume with 1.3 million units, CSCS Plc traded 0.43 million units, UBN Property Plc exchanged 0.27 million units, Lagos Building Investment Company (LBIC) Plc reported 0.15 million units, and Afriland Plc transacted 0.08 million units.

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

The suspension earlier placed on Thomas Wyatt Nigeria Plc by the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited has been lifted.

This action was taken on Wednesday, allowing investors to resume trading in the shares of the company, a pioneer paper conversion and printing firm in Nigeria.

Recall that on February 11, 2025, the stock market regulator suspended trading in the equities of Thomas Wyatt because of its inability to publish its financial statements for the year ended March 31, 2024.

The embargo on the organisation, according to the NGX, was in line with the provisions of Rule 3.1: Rules for Filing of Accounts and Treatment of Default Filing (Default Filing Rules).

Business Post reports that the rule requires the regulator to prohibit the buying and selling of the company’s securities on its platform “If an issuer fails to file the relevant accounts by the expiration of the cure period.”

However, before the suspension if effected, the NGX must have sent the defaulting firm “a second filing deficiency notification” within two business days after the end of the cure period.

After the suspension of trading in the issuer’s securities, the NGX must “notify the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the market within 24 hours.”

In a statement last Wednesday, the stock exchange informed the market that “Thomas Wyatt Nigeria has now filed its audited financial statements for the year ended March 31, 2024, and other outstanding unaudited financial statements for 2024.”

“In view of the company’s submission of its 2024 AFS, and pursuant to Rule 3.3 of the default filing rules, which states that the suspension of trading in the issuer’s securities shall be lifted upon submission of the relevant accounts provided the exchange is satisfied that the accounts comply with all applicable rules of the exchange. the exchange shall thereafter also announce through the medium by which the public and the sec was initially notified of the suspension, that the suspension has been lifted, trading license holders and the investing public are hereby notified that the suspension placed on trading on the shares of Thomas Wyatt Nigeria Plc was lifted on Wednesday, June 18, 2025,” the notice stated.