Economy
Nigerian Stocks Attract N52.967bn Investment in One Week
By Dipo Olowookere
Last week, investors traded 2.094 billion shares worth N52.967 billion in 64,612 deals on the floor of the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited compared with the 1.183 billion shares valued at N28.868 billion in 42,397 deals a week earlier.
Nigerian stocks witnessed higher turnover in the week due to panic selling by the market participants, triggered by happenings in the global scene, especially as regards the trade war between the United States and China.
Analysis showed that the financial services sector was the busiest in the period under review, trading 1.539 billion units valued at N36.353 billion in 36,013 deals, contributing 73.49 per cent and 68.63 per cent to the total trading volume and value, respectively.
The agriculture industry recorded the sale of 98.884 million units worth N 1.344 billion in 2,772 deals, and the services counter exchanged 93.000 million units for N522.147 million in 3,012 deals.
Access Holdings, GTCO, and Zenith Bank led the activity chart with 629.327 million units worth N25.820 billion in 12,742 deals, contributing 30.06 per cent and 48.75 per cent to the total trading volume and value, respectively.
Business Post reports that 27 equities appreciated in the week versus 23 equities in the previous week, 56 equities depreciated versus 51 equities in the previous week, and 64 equities remained unchanged versus 73 equities a week earlier.
VFD Group topped the gainers’ log after chalking up 53.86 per cent to close at N87.70, Union Dicon expanded by 31.03 per cent to N7.60, Abbey Mortgage Bank jumped by 29.60 per cent to N6.13, FTN Cocoa rose by 18.75 per cent to N1.90, and TotalEnergies grew by 9.61 per cent to N745.00.
The losers’ chart was led by Royal Exchange after it lost 20.79 per cent to settle at 80 Kobo, Cornerstone Insurance declined by 15.15 per cent to N2.80, Sovereign Trust Insurance tumbled by 15.00 per cent to 85 Kobo, Lasaco Assurance shed 12.82 per cent to finish at N2.04, and CAP dwindled by 11.70 per cent to N41.50.
Data showed that the All-Share Index (ASI) and the market capitalisation depreciated by 0.90 per cent and 0.67 per cent each to 104,563.34 points and N65.707 trillion, respectively.
Similarly, all other indices finished lower apart from the growth and sovereign bond indices, which appreciated by 0.37 per cent and 3.42 per cent, respectively, while the AseM index closed flat.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Nigeria slightly surpassed its quota set by the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in July 2026.
In the month under review, the country produced about 1.57 million barrels of crude oil per day.
It was the third consecutive month Africa’s largest oil-producing nation was meeting its monthly quota, set to stabilise the price of the commodity on the global market by the oil cartel.
Data released by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) on Wednesday showed that the 1.5 million barrels per day ceiling for Nigeria was surpassed last month.
The agency disclosed in a statement today that the country produced 1.505mbpd of crude oil and 0.17mbpd of condensate, bringing the combined daily production to 1.67mbpd.
In the month under review, the daily peak production of crude oil and condensate was 1.78mbpd, while the lowest daily production was 1.57mbpd.
Although Nigeria met its OPEC quota in the month of July, the statistics show that on a month-on-month basis, production fell by 4 per cent.
This was attributed to the decline in production due to operational challenges experienced at the Erha and Akpo fields, which impacted crude oil output during the period under review.
These disruptions constrained production volumes and contributed significantly to the overall reduction in national crude oil output.
Despite the challenges, production operations across most other producing assets remained relatively stable, with operators implementing measures aimed at maintaining production efficiency and minimising the impact of operational constraints, NUPRC stated.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The over 9 billion shares of Lasaco Assurance Plc issued to shareholders of the company via a rights issue have been listed on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited.
The equities were brought to Customs Street on Wednesday by the organisation, increasing its total issued and fully paid-up share capital.
Lasaco Assurance, which scaled the recapitalisation hurdle of the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) in July 2026, raised fresh capital from the capital market to shore up its capital base.
The underwriting firm got about N18.5 billion from the rights issue, which involved the issuance of 9,236,321,546 ordinary shares at a unit price of N2.00.
The exercise was on the basis of five new ordinary shares for every existing six ordinary shares held as of the close of business on Friday, February 20, 2026.
Confirming the listing of the additional stocks of Lasaco Assurance today, the Head of Issuer Regulation Department of NGX RegCo, Mr Godstime Iwenekhai, announced in a circular that, “Trading licence holders are hereby notified that an additional 9,236,321,546 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each of Lasaco Assurance Plc were today, Wednesday, August 12, 2026, listed on the daily official list of Nigerian Exchange Limited.
“The additional shares arose from the company’s rights issue of 9,236,321,546 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each at N2.00 per share on the basis of five new ordinary shares for every existing six ordinary shares held as of the close of business on Friday, February 20, 2026.
“With the listing of the additional 9,236,321,546 ordinary shares, the total issued and fully paid-up share capital of Lasaco Assurance Plc has now increased from 11,083,585,855 to 20,319,907,401 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA) has said the successful recapitalisation of the insurance industry will strengthen the sector’s ability to support financial stability and economic growth.
NIA Chairman, Mrs Ebelechukwu Nwachukwu, said a well-capitalised insurance industry would be better positioned to meet its obligations promptly, underwrite complex and large-scale risks and serve as a dependable pillar of the Nigerian economy.
She made the remarks while commending the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) for its structured implementation of the new minimum capital requirements under the Nigerian Insurance Industry Reform Act (NIIRA) 2025.
Mrs Nwachukwu said NAICOM’s clear guidelines, systematic verification process, defined timelines and rigorous supervision had provided operators with a credible framework for navigating the recapitalisation exercise.
She described the outcome as a major milestone for the industry and congratulated the 43 insurance and reinsurance companies that have successfully met the prescribed minimum capital requirements.
According to her, the exercise represents “a major win not just for regulators and operators, but for policyholders, investors and the wider Nigerian economy.”
Mrs Nwachukwu said the association would continue to work with NAICOM and other stakeholders to consolidate the gains of the exercise, with emphasis on sustainable industry growth, stronger market conduct and improved consumer confidence.
The official also expressed solidarity with the eight companies still undergoing final verification and regulatory review, urging them to remain confident as NAICOM completes the process within the 14-day review period.
The NIA chairman assured policyholders and the wider business community that the insurance industry would emerge from the recapitalisation exercise stronger, more resilient and better positioned to contribute to Nigeria’s economic development.
