Economy
New King of Delta Region – New Hope For Nigerian Youngsters
After the crowning of the oil-rich but poor Niger Delta region’s dashing monarch, several young Nigerians have taken an interest again in royalty, tradition, and heritage.
The Itsekiri people of the Iwere Kingdom in Delta state anointed a new monarch, Ogiame Atuwatse III, in front of thousands of spectators and dignitaries from across the world.
A new generation has been inspired by the prince’s progressive approach, and his address was a highlight of the event for those who have long bemoaned the failings of leadership in the country.
“We must move beyond oil and gas,” he said in a wide-ranging address. With 86 per cent of Nigeria’s entire export earnings coming from oil, Nigeria is the continent’s largest oil producer.
This region of Nigeria’s Niger Delta has had to contend with militants, oil spills, and pollution produced by the region’s energy giants.
As he remarked, “We must go beyond oil and gas to focus our attention on initiatives that will result in increased value for everyone.” Because of the progressive promises and claims, some of the richest Forex traders in Nigeria, think that the country’s currency will become less volatile and be more demanded in the marketplace. In addition to that, a lot of people are hoping that when the new Olu of Warri takes office, things will get moving to rewrite the history of the region.
“It’s been either pollution or insecurity in the Niger Delta, and I think this is a tipping point,” Oritsema Jemide told CNN.
He also promised to empower women so they could play a more active part in their society.
“We will guarantee that women of all ages, young and old, are recognized and appreciated, not merely verbally, but also in actual cultural practice. Our ladies will no longer be invisible, I tell them.”
Tara Fela Durotoye, an Itsekiri businesswoman, attended the coronation event. She said to the journalists: “Many people began to dance as he arrived. Someone exclaimed… I believe Nigerians are searching for something new and fresh. His age, his exposure, his education, and the lineage make him a perfect example of all of that and more”.
“As a monarch, he brought so much to the throne: a futuristic monarch who knows technology, who understands the importance of women. Being a part of it gave me hope,” as Durotoye said to CNN,
Itsekiri’s ancestral house, Ode-Itsekiri, hosted a celebration honouring the Olu of Warri.
A large number of people watched local broadcasts and congregated at watching centres to see history unfold across the country and the diaspora.
Her father, a historian, made sure his children were well-versed in their culture, according to Durotoye.
At 10, she attended the coronation of her father, the current Olu of Warri. “To be able to participate in and witness another coronation in my life as a 44-year-old woman and mother of three was an honour,” she stated.
During the intermission, the Olu of Warri entertained the crowd by singing Christian praise hymns. The king was criticized by some for not embracing his ancestors’ beliefs.
Olu Erejuwa II is supposed to have cursed Nigeria with his grandpa Olu Erejuwa II’s blood.
“When it comes to spirituality, I feel that the spiritual and physical are intimately intertwined. I reverse the curse in my capacity as spiritual, cultural, political, and traditional monarch of this land,’ he said.
To individuals in the diaspora who desire to strengthen their links to Itsekiri culture, the new age gives optimism that a supportive atmosphere will be established for those who want to do so.
Because she’s been playing with the notion of spending more time establishing a foundation and setting down roots, she adds, “I feel like this coronation is very meaningful for me.”
This new monarch, who I believe has a vision for the kingdom that will provide an enabling atmosphere for those ambitions, is really crucial.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Dangote Petroleum Refinery is preparing to raise about $5 billion through an initial public offering (IPO) expected to conclude in October, in what could become the largest stock market listing in Africa’s history.
The company has already submitted an initial application to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), with approval expected in the coming weeks. Once authorised, the refinery is expected to release its prospectus in September ahead of the public offer.
The primary listing will be on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited, although investors across Africa are expected to participate through structured investment instruments rather than a dual listing.
The proceeds will be used to expand the capacity of the 700,000-barrels-per-day refinery in Lagos and possibly support plans to replicate the project in Kenya as Dangote seeks to deepen Africa’s energy independence.
The proposed IPO comes after the refinery benefited from increased demand for refined products during the recent Iran conflict, supplying jet fuel across Africa and into Western Europe as global shortages disrupted markets.
As per Reuters, stock exchanges in South Africa, Kenya, Egypt, Ghana and Rwanda have held discussions with advisers to the transaction as interest in the offering continues to build across the continent.
Kenya alone could account for as much as $500 million of the targeted capital raise, driven largely by demand from institutional investors, including pension funds, the publication reported.
While the company is targeting a $5 billion raise, the final amount will depend on the outcome of the SEC’s review. If achieved, the offering would represent more than four per cent of the Nigerian Exchange’s current market capitalisation.
The IPO follows a $2.5 billion private placement completed last month, in which a six per cent stake in the refinery was sold, implying a valuation of about $40 billion.
That valuation, however, would place the refinery well above several listed global refining companies. Turkey’s Tupras, which operates a similar combined refining capacity across four facilities, has a market value of roughly $12 billion, while US-listed HF Sinclair, with a comparable processing capacity, is valued at around $16 billion.
Although the NGX generally requires companies on its main board to maintain a minimum free float of 20 per cent, there have been exceptions. Dangote Cement, for instance, currently has a free float of just over 12 per cent.
The publication also reported that investors outside Nigeria are likely to gain exposure through instruments such as global depositary receipts or exchange-traded products linked to the Nigerian-listed shares, rather than through a cross-listing on other African exchanges.
The founder of the 700,000-barrels-per-day capacity plant, Mr Aliko Dangote, said in April that the refinery aims to increase production capacity to 1.4 million barrels per day.
Mr Dangote is also pursuing plans to build another refinery in Lamu along Kenya’s coast in partnership with other East African governments, although it remains unclear whether part of the IPO proceeds will be allocated to that project valued at an estimated $17 billion.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange rallied by 0.89 per cent on Tuesday, August 4 amid renewed buying interest in unlisted stocks.
During the session, the market capitalisation added N24.07 billion to end at N2.739 trillion compared with Tuesday’s N2.715 trillion, while the NASD Security Index (NSI) gained 40.11 points to quote at 4,563.96 points compared with the preceding day’s 4,523.85 points.
The NASD OTC Exchange ended the trading session with two price losers and three gainers, led by Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc, which chalked up N7.80 to close at N119.80 per unit versus the previous session’s N112.00 per unit. Afriland Properties Plc increased its value by N1.27 to N23.95 per share from N22.68 per share, and Nitrox Industrial Gases Plc expanded by N1.15 to N21.15 per unit from N20.00 per unit.
On the flip side, FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc slid by N8.64 to sell at N144.00 per share compared with the previous day’s N152.64 per share, and 11 Plc dipped by 1 Kobo to end at N225.00 per unit, in contrast to Monday’s closing price of N225.01 per unit.
Tuesday’s trading data showed that the volume of securities rose by 9.0 per cent to 1.6 million units from 1.5 million units, and the number of deals climbed by 6.5 per cent to 33 deals from 31 deals, while the value of securities dropped by 26.9 per cent to N47.6 million from N65.2 million.
At the close of trades, Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) Plc remained the most traded stock by value on a year-to-date with 3.4 billion units worth N8.4 billion, followed by Infrastructure Credit Guarantee (Infracredit) Plc with 2.3 billion units valued at N6.5 billion, and CSCS Plc with 76.9 million units exchanged for N5.5 billion.
GNI Plc also closed the session as the most traded stock by volume on a year-to-date with 3.4 billion units transacted for N8.4 billion, followed by Infracredit Plc with 2.3 billion units sold for N6.5 billion, and Resourcery Plc with 1.1 billion units transacted for N415.7 million.
By Dipo Olowookere
A 0.38 per cent loss was suffered by Nigerian stocks on Tuesday on the back of continued selling pressure from investors embarking on profit-taking.
Data from the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited showed that the contraction was influenced by the 1.78 per cent decline recorded by the insurance sector, the 0.24 per cent slip printed by the consumer goods index, and the 0.09 per cent drop posted by the energy space, offsetting the 0.75 per cent growth achieved by the banking sector and the 0.21 per cent growth recorded by the industrial goods segment.
Investor sentiment was weak during the trading day, as the bourse ended with 13 price gainers and 40 price losers, representing a negative market breadth index.
LivingTrust Mortgage depreciated by 10.00 per cent to N3.42, Multiverse also shed 10.00 per cent to N22.95, McNichols dropped 9.92 per cent to N5.45, Thomas Wyatt dipped by 9.87 per cent to N3.56, and Eterna lost 8.57 per cent to trade at N33.00.
On the flip side, AVA Capital improved by 9.94 per cent to N9.95, Livestock Feeds expanded by 9.71 per cent to N8.65, Neimeth increased by 8.43 per cent to N9.00, AIICO gained 3.47 per cent to settle at N4.18, and Oando grew by 3.30 per cent to N36.00.
A total of 1.6 billion equities valued at N28.7 billion exchanged hands in 54,160 deals yesterday versus the 923.0 million equities worth N37.9 billion traded in 72,544 deals on Monday, indicating a 73.35 per cent surge in the trading volume, a 24.27 per cent decline in the trading value, and a 25.34 per cent slip in the number of deals.
The busiest stock was Japaul, which transacted 904.4 million units for N2.7 billion. Sterling Holdings sold 54.0 million units valued at N431.9 million, FCMB exchanged 49.5 million units worth N545.9 million, Chams traded 44.9 million units for N199.2 million, and Neimeth sold 42.4 million units worth N327.8 million.
Business Post reports that the All-Share Index (ASI) gave up 927.70 points to 244,802.83 points from 245,730.53 points, and the market capitalisation receded by N599 billion to N158.016 trillion from N158.615 trillion.
