Economy
Nigeria’s Stock Market Stands Still to Honour Ogunbanjo’s Legacy
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The stock market in Nigeria stood still for the late former chairman of the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Group Plc, Mr Abimbola Ogunbanjo, on Tuesday, February 27, 2024.
The day was set aside to pay homage to the enduring legacy of the esteemed luminary, who died in a helicopter crash in the United States a few weeks ago along with the group chief executive of Access Holdings, Mr Herbert Wigwe, his wife and son.
The NGX Group held an Afternoon of Tributes and Closing Gong Ceremony yesterday for him in collaboration with the Coronation Group.
In a poignant display of reverence and admiration, prominent figures from the Nigerian business landscape came together to pay tribute to the deceased.
Among the distinguished speakers who graced the occasion were Dr Oba Otudeko, the Chairman of Honeywell Group and Past President of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE); Mr Aigboje Aig-Imuokhuede, Chairman of Coronation Group; Mr Umaru Kwairanga, the Chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group; and Mr Temi Popoola, the group CEO of NGX Group, among others.
In his opening remarks, Mr encapsulated the essence of Mr Ogunbanjo’s profound impact, emphasising his pivotal role in steering the successful completion of the demutualisation process within the group.
He hailed Mr Ogunbanjo as not merely a leader, but a beacon of light and a guiding force within the community, underscoring his instrumental contribution to reshaping the Group’s trajectory in the West African sub-region.
On his part, Mr Aig-Imuokhuede reflected on the unparalleled commitment demonstrated by Mr Ogunbanjo throughout the demutualization process, extolling his remarkable service to the industry.
“You served the world in a way only few could do,” Mr Aig-Imuokhuede remarked, paying homage to the deceased’s indelible legacy and wishing him eternal peace.
Mr Popoola, while paying his tributes, echoed the sentiments of admiration and gratitude, highlighting Mr Ogunbanjo’s unwavering dedication to the exchange’s success and seamless leadership transitions.
Mr Otudeko shared poignant recollections of Mr Ogunbanjo, portraying him as an adroit gentleman whose simplicity, brilliance, and doggedness were instrumental during the demutualization process.
Reflecting on Mr Ogunbanjo’s legacy, the Chairman of NGX Limited, Mr Abubakar Mahmoud, lauded his patriotism and commitment to national development, while the President and Chairman of Council at the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers, Mr Olusola Adeosun, expressed deep sorrow at the loss, emphasising Mr Ogunbanjo’s magnetic personality and profound impact on the institute.
The Chairman of the Association of Securities Dealers, Mr Sam Onukwue, hailed Mr Ogunbanjo’s transformative leadership and global perspective, crediting his strong legal acumen and industry experience in navigating the exchange’s restructuring.
Echoing sentiments of admiration, the CEO of Beta Glass Plc, Mr Darren Bennett-Voci, paid tribute to Mr Ogunbanjo’s leadership and professionalism, crediting his strategic guidance during challenging times.
On her part, the former Chairperson of NGX Real Estate, Mrs Angela Adebayo, fondly recalled Mr Ogunbanjo’s unwavering commitment to Nigeria’s progress, portraying him as a patriot who left an indelible mark on the industry.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange closed flat on Wednesday, August 5, as the market witnessed weaker trading activity with only two deals executed.
In the midweek session, the volume of securities exchanged by investors dropped 99.9 per cent to 802 units from the 1.6 million units recorded on Tuesday. The value of securities further decreased by 99.6 per cent to N208,240 from the preceding session’s N47.6 million, and the number of deals significantly went down by 93.9 per cent to two deals from the 33 deals recorded a day earlier.
Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) Plc remained the most traded stock by value on a year-to-date basis, with 3.4 billion units worth N8.4 billion, followed by Infrastructure Credit Guarantee (Infracredit) Plc with 2.3 billion units sold for N6.5 billion, and Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc with 76.9 million units transacted for N5.5 billion.
GNI Plc was also the most active stock by volume on a year-to-date basis, with 3.4 billion units exchanged for N8.4 billion, followed by Infracredit Plc with 2.3 billion units traded for N6.5 billion, and Resourcery Plc with 1.1 billion units valued at N415.7 million.
There were no price gainers or losers yesterday.
As a result, the market capitalisation stood unmoving at N2.739 trillion, while the NASD Security Index (NSI) remained unchanged at 4,563.96 points.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Naira slid against the US Dollar by N2.28 or 0.17 per cent in the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEX) on Wednesday, August 5, to N1,363.85/$1 from N1,362.55/$1.
The local currency also declined against the Pound Sterling in the official market during the session by N5.97 to close at N1,837.38/£1 compared with Tuesday’s closing rate of N1,831.41/£1, and against the Euro, it crashed by N6.54 to quote at N1,575.25/€1 versus the preceding session’s N1,568.71/€1.
But at the black market, the Nigerian Naira traded flat against the greenback yesterday at N1,400/$1, and also remained unchanged at the GTBank FX desk at N1,373/$1.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) says rates have narrowed to below two per cent, while the country’s external reserves have risen above $52.5 billion, reflecting the impact of its ongoing monetary and foreign exchange reforms.
CBN Governor Yemi Cardoso, represented by the Acting Director of Corporate Communications and Investor Relations, Mrs Hakama Sidi-Ali, disclosed this on Tuesday during the CBN Fair in Gombe. He noted that reforms introduced since 2023 had significantly reduced the disparity between the official FX market and the parallel market.
“The Naira continues to strengthen, with the spread between official and Bureau de Change rates now below two per cent,” he said, adding that reserves at $52.5 billion were supported by sustained inflows and renewed investor confidence in the economy.
Interbank FX transactions slid as weaker market activities dropped total Dollar volume exchanged to $75.35 million, a 51.8 per cent decline from $156.23 million in turnover quoted at the previous close.
The deals at the NFEM window also fell as data from the central bank put Wednesday’s quote at 82 from 139.
In the cryptocurrency market, major were down as global risk sentiment softened as a key world equity index slipped and chipmakers fell.
The MSCI All Country World Index snapped a five-day run to fall 0.2 per cent as chipmakers retreated on both sides of the Pacific. South Korea’s Kospi, a bellwether for the AI trade, dropped 4.4 per cent.
Ripple (XRP) depleted by 1.7 per cent to $1.05, Binance Coin (BNB) decreased by 1.0 per cent to $594.87, Cardano (ADA) depreciated by 0.9 per cent to $0.1884, TRON (TRX) shrank by 0.2 per cent to $0.3261, Solana (SOL) crumbled by 0.1 per cent to $74.00, and Dogecoin (DOGE) went down by 0.1 per cent to $0.0697.
On the flip side, Ethereum (ETH) gained 2.3 per cent to trade at $1,911.41, and Bitcoin (BTC) rose by 0.8 per cent to $64,759.28, while the US Dollar Tether (USDT) and the US Dollar Coin (USDC) remained unchanged at $1.00 apiece.
By Dipo Olowookere
The domestic stock exchange rebounded by 0.05 per cent on Wednesday on the back of renewed bargain-hunting by investors, though the level of activity waned.
After bleeding for a few days, the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited heaved a sigh of relief yesterday, as the All-Share Index (ASI) gained 109.41 points to close at 244,912.24 points compared with the previous day’s 244,802.83 points, and the market capitalisation garnered N71 billion to settle at N158.087 trillion versus Tuesday’s N158.016 trillion.
Business Post reports that despite the rebound recorded by Customs Street at midweek, the market breadth index remained negative, as there were 20 price advancers and 29 price decliners, implying bearish investor sentiment.
Linkage Assurance appreciated by 9.94 per cent to N1.77, AVA Capital rose by 9.55 per cent to N10.90, Fortis Global Insurance advanced by 7.69 per cent to N2.80, McNichols gained 7.34 per cent to finish at N5.85, and Coronation Insurance surged by 5.51 per cent to N2.49.
Conversely, Honeywell Flour depreciated by 9.94 per cent to N16.30, PZ Cussons gave up 9.94 per cent to trade at N74.75, Zichis crashed by 9.74 per cent to N20.76, Learn Africa slipped by 9.62 per cent to N9.40, and Neimeth tumbled by 8.33 per cent to N8.25.
The busiest equity was FCMB, with a turnover of 369.2 million units valued at N4.1 billion. Chams transacted 46.7 million units worth N201.8 million, First Holdco transacted 43.5 million units for N5.7 billion, Access Holdings sold 29.8 million units worth N778.0 million, and Linkage Assurance exchanged 19.6 million units valued at N33.5 million.
At the close of transactions, market participants bought and sold 824.1 million units worth N25.5 billion in 48,114 deals, in contrast to the 1.6 billion units sold for N28.7 billion in 54,160 deals a day earlier, showing a shortfall in the trading volume, value, and number of deals by 48.49 per cent, 11.15 per cent, and 11.16 per cent, respectively.
