Economy
Nestle Nigeria Plc: First Glance Q2-17; PAT in Line With Expectation
By Cordros Research
Last month, Nestle announced Q2-17 PAT of N8.19 billion, compared to a loss of N6.15 billion in Q2-16, (2) below the 8.36 billion reported in Q1-17, and (3) below our N8.51 billion estimate. Compared to Q2-16, the latest result shows the group performed impressively across all reporting lines.
But compared to Q1-17, we note that revenue contraction (a deviation from historical trend) and principally, significant surge in financing cost (283.2%), masked a notable positive –recovery of gross margin.
Revenue grew 37.1% y/y (below our estimate of 57%), benefitting from relatively higher prices. But given that prices have been relatively stable since the increases implemented earlier this year, we note that the q/q contraction in revenue may be the result of lower sales volume.
Revenue from the Food division grew by 40% y/y (-6% q/q) while Beverage division recorded 33% y/y (9% q/q) topline growth.
A noteworthy positive in the result is the 717 bps y/y and 250 bps q/q recovery in gross margin to 40.9%, ahead of our 40% estimate. We note possible savings from the significantly reduced FX volatility in this regard.
Although opex increased 26.3% y/y, opex margin fell by 161 bps to 18.7% (below our estimate of 20%), above Q1-17’s 16.8% but still below end-2016FY’s 20.4%. NESTLE’s management said it continues to adopt internal efficiency initiatives that are supportive of profit growth.
Finance cost was lower by 58.5% y/y, driven majorly by comparatively lower FX loss (N4.14 billion vs. N13.12 billion). The reported FX loss was however higher than the N1.03 billion recognized in Q1-17, suggesting to us that the group may have valued the interest on its USD borrowings using the NAFEX rate of N366 (against interbank rate of N305 in Q1).
Meanwhile, interest expense on financial liabilities increased by 73% y/y and 245% q/q (despite N5.7 billion decrease in gross borrowing).
Finance income increased by 655.4% y/y, reflecting the relatively higher cash balance (N57 billion vs. N37 billion in H1-16), 64% of which is held in high interest yielding short term investments.
We expect positive reaction to NESTLE’s result which is consistent with the broadly positive expectation for the year. Annualized, the PAT recognized YtD is N33.10 billion, well-above the 2016FY PAT of N7.92 billion. Our estimates are under review.
Economy
All On Invests $1m in Eja-Ice Nigeria Limited to Strengthen Cold-Chain Infrastructure in Off-Grid Markets
All On, an impact investing company focused on expanding access to renewable energy solutions in Nigeria, has announced a $1 million investment in Eja-Ice Nigeria Limited, a provider of solar-powered refrigeration and cold chain infrastructure.
The investment will support Eja-Ice’s manufacturing and operational scale-up as the company enters its next phase of growth. It is expected to enable the expansion of its cold-chain solutions and improve access to reliable cooling services for households, small businesses, and institutions operating in off-grid and weak-grid environments.
Access to dependable cold storage remains a significant constraint across Nigeria, particularly in coastal and rural communities where limited energy infrastructure contributes to post-harvest losses and income instability for small-scale agro-producers.
By delivering energy-efficient refrigeration systems, Eja-Ice is helping to address these challenges while supporting the preservation of perishable goods and strengthening local value chains.
“All On’s investment in Eja-Ice reflects our approach of supporting solutions that improve energy access while enhancing livelihoods, reducing costs, and enabling businesses to grow. Strengthening cold-chain infrastructure is an important step towards building more resilient local economies and expanding opportunities in underserved markets,” the chief executive of All On, Ms Caroline Eboumbou, commented on the investment.
Eja-Ice’s integrated cold-chain model allows for greater control over product design, operational efficiency, and service delivery, ensuring that its solutions are tailored to the needs of underserved markets. The company’s systems are already supporting micro enterprises, cooperatives, and community-level infrastructure, particularly in areas where reliable electricity remains limited.
Also commenting, the founder and chief executive of Eja-Ice Nigeria Limited, Mr Yusuf Bilesanmi, said, “This capital raise is a huge step forward in our vision to power homes and businesses with products designed, assembled, and optimised right here on the continent. It’s not just about access to electricity—it’s about dignity, productivity, and opportunity for the over 600 million people across sub-Saharan Africa who are still off-grid.”
Through this investment, All On continues to advance its mission of closing Nigeria’s energy access gap by supporting the renewable energy ecosystem and businesses that deliver sustainable, market-driven solutions.

Economy
First Holdco Lists N45bn Private Placement Shares on Stock Exchange
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Shares of First Holdco Plc worth N45.0 billion issued through a private placement have been listed on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited.
A circular issued by the Head of Issuer Regulation Department of the NGX Regulation Limited, Mr Godstime Iwenekhai, disclosed that the equities were admitted for trading at the stock market on Monday.
According to the notice, the additional shares brought for listing to rank pari passu with existing shares of the organisation were 1,021,334,544 units.
These stocks were sold to one of the company’s major shareholders at a unit price of N44.06, amounting to N45.0 billion.
The total issued and fully paid-up shares of First Holdco, as a result of this listing, are now 45,475,027,677 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each.
“Trading licence holders are hereby notified that an additional 1,021,334,544 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each of First Holdco Plc were on Monday, June 22, 2026, listed on the daily official list of Nigerian Exchange Limited.
“The additional shares listed on NGX arose from the company’s private placement of 1,021,334,544 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each at N44.06 per share.
“With the listing of the additional shares, the total issued and fully paid-up shares of First Holdco Plc have now increased to 45,475,027,677 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each from 44,453,693,133 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each,” the disclosure stated.
Economy
AA Rano, Nipco, Matrix, Others Secure Q3 Petrol Import Permits
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has approved fresh import licences for petrol and diesel for the third quarter of 2026 (July – September) to prevent potential supply shortages in the domestic market.
According to a report by global energy intelligence firm, Argus Media, the latest approvals were issued to major downstream operators amid declining fuel stock levels and concerns over reduced petrol production at the 700,000 barrels per day Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Lagos.
The move comes as Nigeria continues to balance increasing local refining capacity with the need to guarantee adequate supplies of petroleum products across the country.
According to the Argus report, domestic firms, including AA Rano, AYM Shafa, Bono Energy, Nipco, Matrix Energy and Pinnacle Oil, received permits to import Premium Motor Spirit, popularly known as petrol, during the July-September period.
The publication further reported that the same companies, with the exception of Nipco, were granted approvals to import Automotive Gas Oil, commonly known as diesel. The fresh approvals follow an earlier batch of petrol import permits issued by the regulator in May, covering about 720,000 metric tonnes.
Quoting a regulatory source, Argus noted that many of the companies granted the latest approvals were among those that had received permits in previous rounds. “These are some of the same ones that previously received the PMS permits,” the source was quoted as saying.
It was also claimed that AA Rano and Matrix Energy each received approvals to import 180,000 metric tonnes of petrol. AYM Shafa received approval for 120,000 metric tonnes, while Pinnacle Oil received a permit covering 150,000 metric tonnes.
For diesel imports, Argus reported that AYM Shafa obtained a permit for 60,000 metric tonnes, while Pinnacle secured approval for 45,000 metric tonnes. The report stated that the import approvals were issued only recently, after being delayed from an initial target date of June 15.
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