Economy
SEC Developing Regulations for Credible, Stable Capital Market—Yuguda
By Dipo Olowookere
The Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Mr Lamido Yuguda, has said the agency has continued to develop regulations to make the Nigerian capital market more credible and stable.
According to him, a credible and stable capital market will propel the Nigerian economy from its developing status to an advanced category like the United States and others.
Speaking at the first Nigeria Employers Summit organised by the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA) in Abuja recently, the SEC DG said efforts are being made to ensure that the domestic capital market becomes one of the world’s deepest by 2025 through the 10-year Capital Market Master Plan.
He said this is why the commission has over the years continued to put in place clear and consistently applied regulatory frameworks to reduce regulatory and operational impediments and engender the smooth functioning of the market.
“As the apex regulator of the Nigerian capital market, the SEC has executed several initiatives to build a collaborative regulatory environment for enterprise competitiveness, job creation and national development.
“Through its 10-year Capital Market Master Plan (2015-2025), which serves as the primary roadmap for the development of the Nigerian capital market, the commission has mapped out strategies to build a capital market that is the largest on the continent of Africa and one of the world’s deepest by 2025.
“The master plan’s implementation has been admitted as the 246th programme and project in the recently approved National Development Plan 2021-2025 (NDP2515033),” he said.
“The commission continues to enhance its regulatory framework through the issuance of rules to keep pace with market trends.
“Recent ones include rules on investment-based crowdfunding, which created an enabling environment for capital raising by start-ups and on annual renewal of registration of capital market operators to ensure only fit and proper persons operate in the Nigerian capital market,” Mr Yuguda added.
The DG said the agency has continued to strive to fulfil its mandate of protecting investors and creating an enabling environment for market operations and has remained consistent in its mandate of ensuring that the market provides an important channel of financing for the real sector to drive economic growth; allocate risk appropriately; support financial stability and smoothen transmission of monetary policy.
He, however, noted that the capital market is making efforts to do more in the areas of provision of long-term funds to develop infrastructure for the country and support developmental projects, canvassing the need to further deepen the Nigerian capital market for it to contribute to the required long-term capital that Nigeria needs for business investment, infrastructure and other innovative financings.
“The gains of the capital market development will be macroeconomic development, lower transaction cost, greater liquidity, improved productivity and infrastructure development.
“The development of the capital market will facilitate a housing finance revolution. It will facilitate improved allocation of capital and provide small, medium and large companies access to the market to raise funds; facilitate foreign inflows of capital; raise productivity growth and lower unemployment. Capital market development is a spur for growth; improved living standards and efficiency. The impact of these efforts will be a superior economic performance of the Nigerian economy,” he added.
Mr Yuguda stated that since its formation in 1957, NECA has earned a reputation as a viable platform for interaction between private sector employers, government, labour and other relevant stakeholders.
“We at SEC identify with NECA’s commitment and drive towards promoting a favourable environment for businesses to thrive and contribute maximally to national development,” he stated.
According to him, the theme for this year’s summit, The Private Sector – An Engine for National Development, would not have come at a better time than now, when nations are working to manage their economies amidst the devastating effects of COVID-19 and unravelling global political developments.
“I must also mention that the topic, Building a Collaborative Regulatory Environment for Enterprise Competitiveness, Job Creation and National Development, is a tacit reminder that building a viable economic system requires cooperation and commitment of all relevant stakeholders operating in a robust regulatory environment,” Mr Yuguda said.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies (OPEC+) agreed to raise its oil output quotas by 206,000 barrels per day for May.
Eight members of OPEC+, comprising Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, the UAE, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria, and Oman, agreed to the increase in May quota at a virtual meeting on Sunday, OPEC+ said in a statement.
However, the rise will be in theory, as its key members are unable to raise production due to the US-Israeli war with Iran, which has affected production.
The war has effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most important oil route, since the end of February and cut exports from some OPEC+ members, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait and Iraq. These are the only countries in the group which were able to significantly raise production even before the conflict began.
Besides the disruptions affecting Gulf members, others, such as Russia, are unable to increase output due to Western sanctions and damage to infrastructure inflicted during the war with Ukraine. For Nigeria, even as Africa’s largest producer, it has not been able to keep production quotas steady.
The OPEC+ quota increase of 206,000 barrels per day represents less than 2 per cent of the supply disrupted by the Hormuz closure, but it signals readiness to raise output once the waterway reopens.
Also meeting on Sunday, a separate OPEC+ panel called the Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC), expressed concern about attacks on energy assets, saying they were expensive and time-consuming to repair and so have an impact on supply.
May’s OPEC+ increase is the same as the eight members had agreed for April at their last meeting held on March 1, just as the war began to disrupt oil flows.
A month later, the largest oil supply disruption on record is estimated to have removed as many as 12 to 15 million barrels per day or up to 15 per cent of global supply.
The eight OPEC+ members have raised production quotas by about 2.9 million barrels per day from April 2025 through December 2025, before pausing increases for January to March 2026. The sub-group holds its next meeting on May 3.
Market analysts have warned that oil prices could hit $150 per barrel if the closure of the strait is prolonged and continues, due to damage to energy assets across the critical Middle East region.
As of the time of this report, Brent crude is trading at $108 per barrel, below the US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude at $109 per barrel.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Workers at Seplat Energy will resume work after a strike action that impacted production was called off by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) over the weekend, with the company issuing written commitments on pay rises.
Top employees began an indefinite strike last Friday as talks over a collective bargaining agreement and staff welfare issues broke down. The action came at a time when Nigeria is seeking to maximise production amid rising global oil prices.
According to Reuters, in an April 4 letter to the chief executive of Seplat Nigeria, Mr Roger Brown, PENGASSAN said it had directed members at the local energy firm to immediately suspend industrial action after negotiations resumed with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited. Other less-skilled workers are covered by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and did not partake in the strike with PENGASSAN.
The union said talks on a 2026 collective bargaining agreement would continue, with the aim of concluding outstanding issues by April 13. However, according to the publication, the union did not disclose more details about its financial demands.
“We can confirm that the union has suspended its notice of industrial action to allow negotiations to conclude on outstanding items within an agreed framework,” Seplat spokesperson, Mr Ogechukwu Udeagha, said, adding that “operations are recommencing at our various locations.”
Seplat Energy’s group production averaged 131,506 barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2025, according to its latest audited results. That is the equivalent of around 7 per cent–9 per cent of Nigeria’s total liquids production.
The company expects output to rise to 155,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day, making any sustained disruption particularly sensitive for Nigeria’s supply outlook. This comes as it seeks to scale production while remaining a major supplier of gas to Nigeria’s domestic power market.
With the company’s output expected to rise, any prolonged disruption would have significantly impacted Nigeria’s oil supply and fiscal outlook.
By Dipo Olowookere
The weekly turnover of the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited shrank by 27.70 per cent or 1.094 billion equities, partly due to the inability of market participants to trade last Friday as a result of the Good Friday public holiday declared by the federal government.
In the week, investors bought and sold 2.856 billion equities worth N113.597 billion in 215,287 deals versus the 3.950 billion equities valued at N201.312 billion transacted in 359,642 deals in the preceding week.
The activity chart was led by the financial services industry with 1.811 billion shares valued at N61.901 billion in 86,818 deals, contributing 63.41 per cent and 54.49 per cent to the total trading volume and value, respectively.
The services sector traded 299.895 million stocks worth N2.966 billion in 13,797 deals, and the ICT segment exchanged 183.233 million equities for N14.654 billion in 25,287 deals.
Wema Bank, Access Holdings, and Secure Electronic Technology accounted for 734.659 million shares worth N14.134 billion in 12,319 deals, contributing 25.72 per cent and 12.44 per cent to the total trading volume and value apiece.
Data from the NGX said 29 stocks gained weight versus 47 stocks of the previous week, as 57 shares lost weight versus 45 shares in the preceding week, while 62 equities closed flat versus 56 equities a week earlier.
Multiverse led the gainers’ chart after it gained 20.66 per cent to trade at N20.15, UPDC REIT appreciated by 15.49 per cent to N8.20, International Energy Insurance chalked up 12.54 per cent to quote at N3.32, Austin Laz grew by 10.47 per cent to N4.43, and Unilever Nigeria rose by 10.00 per cent to N103.40.
Conversely, Secure Electronic Technology topped the losers’ table after it lost 21.54 per cent to close at N1.02, John Holt declined by 18.47 per cent to N15.45, May and Baker depreciated by 16.57 per cent to N35.00, Aluminium Extrusion moderated by 16.27 per cent to N10.55, and Legend Internet slipped by 16.00 per cent to N6.30.
Business Post reports that the All-Share Index (ASI) was up by 0.39 per cent to 201,698,89 points, and the market capitalisation rose by 0.65 per cent to N129.806 trillion.
In the same vein, all other indices finished higher apart from the main board, insurance, MERI Value, consumer goods, industrial goods and growth indices, which went down by 0.29 per cent, 4.25 per cent, 0.36 per cent, 1.74 per cent, 0.24 per cent, and 0.06 per cent, respectively, while the sovereign bond index closed flat.
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