Economy
Rising Oil Price: CBN Urges FG to Save to Avert Another Recession
By Dipo Olowookere
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on Tuesday warned of a looming fall into another recession if efforts are not being made to boost the economy.
This warning was given at the end of the two-day Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting held in Abuja.
Addressing reporters yesterday, CBN Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele, noted that during the meeting, the committee identified rising inflation and pressure on external reserves created by capital flow reversal as the current challenges to growth.
According to him, inflationary pressures have started rebuilding and capital flow reversals have intensified as shown by the bearish trend in the equities market even though the exchange rate remains very stable.
Mr Emefiele told newsmen that at the July meeting of the MPC, members had lauded the modest stability achieved in key indicators, including inflation, exchange rate and external reserves, buoyed by a robust level of external reserves with inflation trending downwards for the 18th consecutive month.
However, he emphasised that the gains recorded as at the last time the committee met before yesterday appear to be under threat of reversal, following new data which provides evidence of weakening fundamentals.
He said available data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed that real GDP growth declined by 45 basis points as the economy grew by 1.50 percent in the second quarter of 2018, down from 1.95 percent in the preceding quarter, but higher than 0.72 percent in the corresponding quarter of 2017.
“The committee was concerned that the exit from recession may be under threat as the economy slowed to 1.95 and 1.50 percent in Q1 and Q2 2018, respectively,” Mr Emefiele said during the briefing.
He said the committee attributed the slowdown in economy to drop in the oil sector, with strong linkages to employment and growth in other key sectors of the economy.
According to him, in order to avoid another recession, federal government must take advantage of the current rising oil prices to rebuild fiscal buffers, strengthen government finances in the medium term and reverse the current trend of decline in output growth.
“The MPC also called on the fiscal authorities to intensify the implementation of the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) to stimulate economic activity, bridge the output gap and create employment,” he said.
The CBN chief further disclosed that the committee noted that disruptions to the food supply chain in major food producing states due to the combined effects of poor infrastructure, flooding and the on-going security challenges resulted in a rise in food prices, contributing to the uptick in headline inflation.
However, he said the committee expressed optimism that as harvests progress in the coming months, pressure on food prices would gradually recede, while growth enhancing measures would over the medium term have some moderating impact on food prices.
He said the MPC was of the view that even though growth remained weak, the effective implementation of the 2018 capital budget and policies that would encourage credit delivery to the real sector of the economy would boost aggregate demand, stimulate economic activity and reduce unemployment in the country.
Business Post recalled that in the second quarter of 2016, Nigeria slipped into recession and only exited in the second quarter of 2017.
Some weeks ago, the Statistician General of the federation, Mr Yemi Kale, disclosed that the Nigerian economy was presently in a recovery stage.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The credit ratings of Stanbic IBTC Insurance, a subsidiary of Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc, have been upgraded by Agusto & Co.
The improved ratings underscore the company’s commitment to robust risk management, operational discipline, and its strong capacity to meet obligations to policyholders.
In a statement, Stanbic IBTC Insurance said its long-term and short-term ratings of A and A1 were raised by the rating agency. It was added that the two ratings were given a stable outlook, reflecting stronger confidence in the company’s financial resilience, governance standards, and long-term sustainability.
Agusto also cited Stanbic IBTC Insurance’s sound liquidity position, prudent business strategy, and the strategic backing it receives as part of Stanbic IBTC Holdings.
As part of its growth strategy, Stanbic IBTC Insurance continues to expand its retail footprint across Nigeria, enhancing access to life insurance solutions and deepening its presence in key markets. This expansion supports its mission to serve individuals, families, and businesses with reliable and accessible insurance offerings.
In terms of claims settlement, Stanbic IBTC has consistently demonstrated its commitment to prompt and efficient payout to policyholders and annuitants.
Since its establishment in 2021, the company has settled over 2,000 claims, amounting to more than N1.8 billion in cash.
Additionally, it has paid over 16 billion in annuities to more than 4,900 retirees, reaffirming its dedication to delivering reliable and timely benefits.
“We are delighted with this upgrade as a reflection of our progress and the trust we’ve earned from stakeholders.
“Our focus remains on delivering reliable protection, exceptional service, and enduring value to both policyholders and other stakeholders.
“This recognition motivates us to uphold the highest standards of financial discipline, service excellence, and integrity,” the chief executive of Stanbic IBTC Insurance, Mr Akinjide Orimolade, stated.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Additional 2,575,851,543 ordinary shares of First Holdco Plc issued to one of the investors of the company from a private placement have been listed on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited.
The equities were sold at the exercise at N32.50 per share, amounting to N83.715 billion. They were from the private placement of 3,276,923,077 ordinary shares of the financial services firm.
The listing of the new stocks have increased the total issued and fully paid-up shares of First Holdco Plc to 44,453,693,134 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each from 41,877,841,591 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each.
This development was confirmed by the bourse over the weekend in a disclosure to the investing community.
“Trading licence holders are hereby notified that additional 2,575,851,543 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each of First Holdco Plc were on Monday, January 5, 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 3,276,923,077 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each at N32.50 per share.
“With the listing of the additional shares, the total issued and fully paid-up shares of First Holdco Plc have now increased from 41,877,841,591 to 44,453,693,134 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each.
By Dipo Olowookere
Eighty-four equities gained weight on the floor of the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited last week, higher than the 73 equities recorded a week earlier, helping the All-Share Index (ASI) to rise by 3.71 per cent to 162,298.08 points and lifting the market capitalisation by 3.84 per cent to N103.775 trillion.
In the five-day trading week, all other indices finished higher apart from the sovereign bond index, which closed flat.
Data also showed that 22 equities depreciated in the period under review, lower than 23 equities in the previous week, while 42 equities remained unchanged, lower than 51 equities in the previous week.
Multiverse ended the week as the biggest price gaienr after improving its value by 59.73 per cent to close at N23.40, McNichols appreciated by 53.20 per cent to N5.50, May and Baker expanded by 51.58 per cent to N28.80, Deap Capital rose by 43.54 per cent to N3.00, and Neimeth leapt by 43.22 per cent to N8.45.
On the other hand, Aluminium Extrusion was the biggest price loser with a 19.75 per cent decline to settle at N19.10, Austin Laz lost 11.56 per cent to trade at N4.13, Sovereign Trust Insurance moderated by 11.29 per cent to N3.38, Ikeja Hotel depreciated by 10.91 per cent to N40.00, and Juli contracted by 9.93 per cent to N7.26.
In the week, investors transacted 4.164 billion shares worth N94.026 billion in 248,254 deals versus the 7.821 billion shares valued at N134.471 billion traded in 150,799 deals in the preceding week.
Financial stocks led the activity chart with 2.651 billion units sold for N35.957 billion in 93,706 deals, contributing 63.67 per cent and 38.24 per cent to the total trading volume and value, respectively.
Services equities followed with 369.963 million units worth N3.383 billion in 16,521 deals, and third place was ICT shares with a turnover of 297.938 million units worth N5.727 billion in 21,548 deals.
Universal Insurance, Linkage Assurance, Access Holdings accounted for 1.261 billion shares worth N5.060 billion in 13,819 deals, contributing 30.28 per cent and 5.38 per cent to the total trading volume and value apiece.
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