Economy
Navigating the Complex World of Investing: What Novices Need to Know
Have you finally decided to take the leap into the exciting arena of investing? Not only is this an excellent way to secure a lucrative nest egg for the future, but many have begun to use these opportunities as a springboard for their businesses.
However, appreciating the intricacies of online trading is no easy task. A great deal of preparation will be required and mistakes can occur on occasion. This is why knowing where to begin is one of the best ways to establish strong foundations. Let us therefore cut through a fair amount of “fluff” and examine a handful of strategies that have already been embraced by experts.
Determine How Much You Can Comfortably Afford to Invest
Comfort is king (and queen) in terms of investing. It is always prudent to establish how much you can afford to trade at any given time. You might otherwise stretch your finances too thin and suffer from a lack of liquidity (especially if you have become involved with long-term positions).
Many experts recommend placing no more than ten percent of your available capital into an investment at any given time. Even if losses do occur, you will not be placed in fiscal jeopardy. This also helps to avoid mistakes that can be made when trading based on emotions as opposed to pragmatism and logic.
Consistency is Key
As opposed to other online articles that you might have encountered from time to time, the chances of becoming a millionaire overnight are virtually non-existent. Any successful investor understands that accruing liquidity requires time and effort. This is when the power of consistency comes into play. Set a trading schedule and stick to it. One novel way to develop this level of clarity is to employ an economic calendar. These handy tools will enable you to prioritise specific positions and to appreciate how your individual investments are performing from a longitudinal perspective.
Balance Your Portfolio
All of us aim to achieve a balanced lifestyle and this is just as relevant in terms of investing. Any type of trading portfolio should hold a number of different asset classes at any give time. Examples include traditional stocks, commodities… Even if one asset happens to perform poorly, the gains associated with others can be used to mitigate any potential losses. This is sometimes referred to as “hedging” within financial circles. It may also be wise to work in tandem with a third-party wealth management firm. These companies will provide targeted recommendations based on your short- and long-term goals. Thus, it can serve as a helping hand even for expert investors.
Set Realistic Milestones
What is it that you are ultimately trying to achieve? Are you solely interested in short-term profits or might you instead wish to develop a well-rounded retirement package? Note that clearly establishing your goals will have a profound impact upon the types of investments that you make as well as the most appropriate asset classes. For instance, those who view their investments from a multi-year perspective might gravitate toward holdings such as shares in Apple or precious metals, as they normally are more stable than other alternatives.
Having said this, be realistic with your goals. Appreciate that even seasoned veterans have accrued wealth over decades as opposed to relying upon luck or the movement associated with a handful of trades. Establishing practical milestones will also enable you to gauge your progress and to make any changes that may be warranted. This likewise brings us to the final point.
View Errors as Learning Experiences as Opposed to Setbacks
Experts such as Warren Buffett are well aware of the fact that errors can and will emerge from time to time. Novice investors are essentially left with two choices. They can either walk away from a position or use the scenario to further hone their talents. Mistakes represent some of the most lucrative learning opportunities if viewed in a constructive manner, even if it sounds too difficult to understand just after they were made.
As more people begin to understand the advantages that online investing can offer, we should expect to witness an influx of younger traders who are eager for success. Still, Rome was not built in a day. The good news is that there are countless resources to be found across the Internet if you are keen to learn more. Furthermore, do not hesitate to bookmark this article for future reference if desired.
By Adedapo Adesanya
US sanctioned Russian oil giant Lukoil, will sell its foreign assets, including those in Nigeria and five other countries, to the US investment firm, The Carlyle Group.
According to an announcement on Thursday, Lukoil reached an agreement with the US investment firm on the sale of Lukoil International GmbH, the holding company that owns the group’s non-Russian international assets.
These foreign assets include shares in oil fields and refineries across the globe, including in Iraq, Azerbaijan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Nigeria, and Mexico.
The sale follows the US sanctions on Lukoil and Rosneft, “as a result of Russia’s lack of serious commitment to a peace process to end the war in Ukraine.”
The Donald Trump administration in October 2025 had carried out the decision to put pressure on Russia’s state finances, adding the country’s two largest oil producers, Lukoil and Rosneft, to its blacklist of sanctioned entities. The US had initially given the oil firm one month to sell the holdings before gradually extending it as negotiations dragged on.
Lukoil had announced that same month that it would sell all of its international assets, initiating a formal process to receive bids from potential buyers.
After months of negotiations with potential buyers and one preliminary agreement with Gunvor blocked by the US Treasury, which described the trading group as “the Kremlin’s puppet”, it has now signed an agreement to sell Lukoil International GmbH to Carlyle.
Companies working with the sanctioned firms risk secondary sanctions that would deny them access to US banks, traders, transporters, and insurers.
The agreement is not exclusive and is subject to conditions such as the procurement of necessary regulatory approvals, including permission from the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) for the transaction with Carlyle.
Carlyle said that the agreement “has been structured to be fully compliant” with US Treasury policies and that it was “conditional upon Carlyle’s due diligence and regulatory approvals”.
Prior to the Carlyle news, other US oil and gas supermajors Chevron and ExxonMobil, and International Holding Company (IHC) of Abu Dhabi expressed interest to the US Treasury to potentially acquire Lukoil’s international assets.
The sale would further dent Russian economy which has been struggling because of its war in Ukraine and Western sanctions have increased inflation and slowed economic growth. In 2025, the country’s oil and gas revenues, which make up about a quarter of government income and help fund the war, fell to their lowest level in five years.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The chief executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, has assured investors of a transparent, merit-based and competitive process for Nigeria’s 2025 oil and gas licensing round.
Mrs Eyesan, gave the assurance on Wednesday while speaking at a Pre-Bid Webinar organised by the commission, noting that only applicants with strong technical, financial credentials, professionalism and credible plans would proceed to the critical stage of the bidding process.
The NUPRC in December 1, 2025 inaugurated Nigeria’s 2025 Licensing Bid Round, offering 50 oil and gas blocks across frontier, onshore, shallow water, and deepwater terrains for potential investors.
The basins included Niger Delta basin, with 35 blocks, Benin (Frontier) with three blocks, Anambra (Frontier), with four blocks, Benue (Frontier), with four blocks and Chad (Frontier) with four blocks on offer.
Mrs Eyesan explained that the licensing process would follow five stages: Registration and pre-qualification, data acquisition, technical bid submission, evaluation, and a commercial bid conference, with only bidders that meet strong technical and financial criteria progressing.
The NUPRC executive said the 2025 Licensing Round represented a deliberate effort by Nigeria to reposition its upstream petroleum sector for long-term investment, transparency, and value creation, amid increasing global competition for capital.
She said that energy security and supply resilience had become key global economic and geopolitical priorities, while investment capital was increasingly selective and disciplined.
“Our national priority is clear: to attract capital, grow reserves, and improve production in a responsible and sustainable manner.
“A structured and transparent licensing round is essential to achieving these objectives.
“The NUPRC is legally mandated to conduct licensing rounds in a periodic, open, transparent, and fully competitive manner and the entire 2025 process will be governed strictly by published rules,” she said.
The official further revealed that, with the approval of President Bola Tinubu, signature bonuses for the 2025 round have been set within a range designed to lower entry barriers and prioritise technical capability, credible work programmes, financial strength, and speed to production.
She emphasised that the bid process will fully comply with the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and remain open to public and institutional scrutiny through the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) and other oversight agencies.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Four price losers weakened the NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange by 0.06 per cent on Wednesday, January 28.
The decliners were led by Afriland Properties Plc, which lost N1.53 to close at N14.50 per share compared with the previous day’s N16.03 per share, Geo-Fluids Plc dropped 50 Kobo to end at N6.35 per unit versus Tuesday’s price of N6.85 per unit, Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc declined by 35 Kobo to N40.15 per share from N40.50 per share, and Food Concepts Plc decreased by 28 Kobo to sell at N2.72 per unit versus N3.00 per unit.
As a result, the market capitalisation of the bourse went down by N1.3 billion to N2.173 trillion from the N2.174 trillion it ended a day earlier, and the NASD Unlisted Security Index (NSI) fell by 2.17 points to 3,632.56 points from Tuesday’s 3,634.73 points.
In the midst of the profit-taking, some securities witnessed bargain-hunting, with Nipco Plc gaining N22.00 to close at N242.00 per share versus N220.00 per share of the previous session, FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc improved by N4.00 to N68.00 per unit from N64.00 per unit, and Acorn Petroleum Plc added 8 Kobo to finish at N1.38 per share versus N1.30 per share.
At midweek, the volume of securities transacted by the market participants surged by 259.9 per cent to 4.7 million units from 1.3 million units, but the value of securities went down by 8.6 per cent to N52.4 million from N57.3 million and the number of deals shrank by 15.8 per cent to 32 deals from 38 deals.
CSCS Plc remained the most traded stock by value (year-to-date) with 15.3 million units exchanged for N622.4 million, followed by FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc with 1.6 million units valued at N108.4 million, and Geo-Fluids Plc with 8.9 million units worth N60.3 million.
CSCS Plc was also the most traded stock by volume (year-to-date) with 15.3 million units sold for N622.4 million, followed by Geo-Fluids Plc with 8.9 million units exchanged for N60.3 million, and Mass Telecom Innovation Plc with 8.4 million units traded for N3.4 million.
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