Economy
NSE to Unlock Investment Opportunities in ETF Market
By Dipo Olowookere
Investors in search of new investment opportunities can consider the Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) market for value creation, the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) has suggested.
The market value of ETFs in Nigeria reached N24.5 billion last year and there is the possibility for it to grow bigger because a year earlier, the capitalisation was 270 per cent lower.
In 2020, the space witnessed significant increases in traded values and volumes (i.e., 218.0 per cent and 51,830.6 per cent respectively between 2019 and 2020).
The factor responsible for the rise was the adoption of ETFs, new product issuances as well as fungibility of some of the listed funds.
Since 2011, the supply-side has deepened from a single ETF tracking the price of gold to 12 ETFs currently offering exposure to equities, fixed income, commodities including Newgold ETF; Vetiva Griffin 30 ETF; Lotus Halal Equity ETF; Stanbic IBTC 30 ETF; Vetiva Banking ETF; Vetiva Consumer Goods ETF; Vetiva Industrial ETF; Vetiva S & P Nigeria Sovereign Bond ETF; The SIAML Pension ETF 40; Greenwich Alpha ETF; Meristem Growth ETF; and Meristem Value ETF.
Earlier this month, the NSE had discussions with issuers of ETFs as part of the exchange’s commitment to deepening activities in the segment.
During the meeting, which was held virtually, both parties discussed key development areas for the market, specifically in terms of product issuances, market liquidity, regulatory landscape and capacity building.
At the event, the Divisional Head of Trading Business at the NSE. Mr Jude Chiemeka, reaffirmed the exchange’s determination to work together with stakeholders to deepen the existing suite of available investments as well as improving the general landscape of the market.
He also expressed satisfaction with the improvements in the market, noting that ETFs are one of the fastest-growing capital-market investment vehicles in advanced economies, offering transparency, liquidity, diversification, and lower costs.
“For an emerging market like Nigeria, the ETF marketplace represents a meaningful opportunity to support the development of domestic capital markets, leading to greater price transparency, investor diversification, and liquidity across a wider range of instruments.
“Today, the NSE prides itself in its position as the second-largest ETF market in Africa with a market capitalisation of N24.5 billion as at December 31, 2020, up by 270 per cent from 2019,” he said.
ETFs are a type of investment fund very similar to the mutual fund. ETFs involve a combination of securities like equities, bonds, commodities, etc, in one basket, which can be transacted as a whole on the stock exchange.
Business Post reports that last year, when some foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) could not repatriate their funds from the country because of a shortage in foreign exchange as a result of a decline in crude oil prices, they turned to the EFTs market, buying the Newgold Issuer Limited ETF in Nigeria to sell in South Africa, where they could easily get FX.
This was one of the reasons the market witnessed a significant rise in transactions last year.
By Adedapo Adesanya
About 143 companies that successfully passed the technical and prequalification stages of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission’s (NUPRC) 2025 Licensing Round will, today, compete for 50 oil and gas blocks at the commercial bid conference in Abuja, the final stage in the allocation process for the assets.
The commission said only the prequalified companies have been invited to attend the event, which will hold at the Conference Centre of the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, stressing that participation is strictly by invitation.
The commercial bid conference will determine the successful bidders for oil and gas assets located across Nigeria’s producing and frontier basins.
The 50 blocks comprise 16 onshore blocks and 18 shallow water blocks in the Niger Delta, one deep offshore block, three onshore blocks in the Benin Basin, four in the Anambra Basin, four in the Chad Basin, and four in the Benue Trough.
According to the commission, the winning bids will be determined through a transparent evaluation process based on clearly defined commercial parameters. These include the signature bonus offered by bidders, the proposed work programme commitment and the level of performance security provided. The final selection will be based on a weighted technical and commercial score.
The licensing round is being conducted under the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, which requires a transparent and competitive process for the award of petroleum assets.
NUPRC had announced the commencement of the 2025 Licensing Round on November 11, 2025, before opening the online bid portal on December 1, 2025, to enable interested companies to register and participate in the exercise.
To ensure prospective investors fully understood the requirements, the commission organised a pre-bid conference on January 14, 2026, at Eko Hotels and Suites, Lagos. The event provided detailed explanations on the licensing guidelines and bidding procedures to registered participants and other stakeholders.
Registration and submission of prequalification documents closed on February 27, 2026, while the prequalification evaluation was completed on March 16, 2026.
NUPRC disclosed that 286 companies initially submitted applications for prequalification.
Following the evaluation process, 196 companies were cleared to participate in the technical and commercial bid stages.
The prequalified 143 companies eventually submitted a total of 200 bids for the available oil and gas blocks. These companies are now set to compete at the commercial bid conference, where the financial offers will be opened and evaluated to determine the eventual winners.
The licensing round is expected to attract fresh investment into Nigeria’s upstream petroleum sector, boost exploration activities across both producing and frontier basins, increase crude oil and gas reserves, and support the country’s drive to grow production and government revenue.
It also underscores the regulator’s commitment to implementing a transparent, competitive and investor-friendly licensing regime under the Petroleum Industry Act.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has retained all key monetary policy parameters following the conclusion of its two-day meeting on July 21, 2026, on Tuesday, maintaining its tight monetary policy stance to curb inflation and support macroeconomic stability.
According to the Governor of the apex bank, Mr Yemi Cardoso, who chaired the committee, the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR), which serves as the benchmark interest rate, remains at 26.50 per cent. The MPC also retained the asymmetric corridor around the MPR at +50 basis points and -450 basis points.
In addition, the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) for commercial banks was left unchanged at 45.00 per cent, while the CRR for merchant banks remains at 16.00 per cent. The committee also retained the CRR on non-Treasury Single Account (Non-TSA) public sector deposits at 75.00 per cent, with the liquidity ratio at 30.00 per cent.
The decision reflects the apex bank’s continued commitment to containing inflationary pressures through a restrictive monetary policy while safeguarding the resilience of Nigeria’s financial system amid ongoing macroeconomic adjustments.
By keeping all policy tools unchanged, the MPC signalled its intention to continue managing excess liquidity in the banking sector and maintain stability in financial markets.
The move is also expected to provide greater policy certainty for investors and businesses monitoring the country’s monetary policy direction.
The latest decision also means borrowing costs are likely to remain elevated in the near term as the central bank continues to prioritise price stability over monetary easing.
Analysts had expected the CBN committee to retain the rate after Nigeria’s headline inflation came in at 15.91 per cent as of June 2026, marking a slight decline from 15.93 per cent in May.
However, even as overall price growth has moderated significantly compared to previous periods, food inflation remains a persistent challenge, accelerating to 17.52 per cent in June.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Shareholders of Unilever Nigeria Plc will receive an interim dividend of N2 per share, the board of the organisation has said.
The cash reward was announced after the company released its financial statements for the first half of the year ended June 30, 2026.
The payment will be made on Friday, August 14, 2026, only to investors whose names appear on the Register of Members at the close of business on Friday, July 31, 2026.
A quick look at the financial performance of the firm in the first six months of this year showed that revenue improved by 22.22 per cent to N119.9 billion from the N98.1 billion achieved in the corresponding period of last year.
A rise in earnings also resulted in a 16.43 per cent surge in cost of sales, though this did not shrink the gross profit, which rose by 29.93 per cent to N54.7 billion from N42.1 billion. The operating profit stood at N24.4 billion in the period under review, higher than N18.8 billion in the same period of 2025, while the net finance income contracted by 9.43 per cent to N4.8 billion from N5.3 billion due to elevated borrowing costs.
Business Post reports that despite higher taxes paid in the first six months of 2026, the net profit grew by 8.33 per cent to N15.6 billion from N14.4 billion, enabling the board to pass on value to shareholders for their faith in the firm.
