Economy
SEC Praises Market Development Initiatives of NGX, CSCS, Others
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited, the Central Securities Clearing System and other capital market stakeholders have been praised by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for their market development initiatives, helping the capital market scale through the COVID-19 crisis.
According to the Director-General of SEC, Mr Lamido Yuguda, NGX plays a very significant role in the Nigerian capital market, and as such, the commission remains supportive of the exchange in the key role it plays towards developing the market.
While speaking at a meeting with capital market stakeholders in Abuja on Wednesday, the SEC chief further said the agency was aware that the advancement of new-generation information technologies, the rapid innovation of financial instruments and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic are gradually transforming the operations of capital markets through the introduction of sound initiatives in the financial industry eco-system.
“The past two years have been challenging for the Nigerian capital market, which is largely a reflection of the Pandemic-related unexpected challenges in global markets. However, the NGX has continued to deploy capable resources to tackle elements militating against the market’s growth.
“You will agree with me that the efforts made and gains achieved in this regard are as a result of the collective efforts of various stakeholders in the Nigerian capital market, including the commission and the NGX Ltd. This emphasises the importance of collaboration on the growth of our market,” he said.
Mr Yuguda said specifically, the launching of the Smart Surveillance System and X-Mobile App for retail trading; upgrading of the X-Issuer Platform to further enhance market integrity; and the X-Public Offer initiatives are highly commendable achievements that support our common goal of building a world-class capital market.
While applauding their efforts, the SEC boss, however, reminded them of the challenging task ahead and new threats brought forth by Fintech and what is expected from stakeholders to consolidate on the achieved gains while making necessary adjustments to improve market practices and remain vigilant against potential risks.
“We all have a common interest in developing a healthy, viable and world-class capital market. At the bottom of the work we do at the SEC, is investor protection. While trying to look at the rules we should not forget that the ultimate goal of the commission is to have a fair and transparent market that is fair to investors,” Mr Yuguda said.
He reiterated that as the apex regulator of the capital market with a mandate to develop the market, SEC will continue to support all efforts aimed at making the markets fairer, more efficient and more transparent.
In his opening remarks, Chief Executive Officer of NGX Limited, Mr Temi Popoola, said there have been strong growth and market interactions in recent times which he attributed to the collaborative efforts of stakeholders.
Mr Popoola emphasised the need for education in the technology sector in the country, adding that as a market it is time to put all hands on deck to tap the potential in that sector.
“A lot of opportunities exist for the capital market. Technology can be used to address the capital formations in the market and we are making progress in tapping that.
“We are on a digitalisation drive and we have started with the MTN offer which was done electronically, we need to improve on that going forward. That is the only way to unlock the demography of young Nigerians that are technology savvy.
“We are collaborating with relevant stakeholders to ensure what’s best for the ecosystem. We are exploring ways to strengthen the entire market infrastructure,” he stated.
Also speaking, the Managing Director/CEO of CSCS, Mr Haruna Jalo-Waziri, welcomed the collaboration between markets, regulators and tiger stakeholders saying that the aim is to simplify the marker and give investors the experience they deserve to ensure they keep coming back.
“The market is changing, and with technology, a lot of the ways we were operating is also changing and we look forward to better market and operations,” he added.
Economy
BNB Price Reflects Changing Dynamics in the Digital Asset Market
Economy
NASD Unlisted Security Index Crosses 4,000-point Benchmark Again
By Adedapo Adesanya
The NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange achieved a milestone on Friday, April 24, 2026, after five securities on the platform helped with a 1.85 per cent growth.
Data showed that the NASD Unlisted Security Index (NSI) again crossed the 4,000-point benchmark yesterday.
The index chalked up 73.64 points during the trading day to close at 4,052.59 points compared with the preceding session’s 3,978.95 points, while the market capitalisation added N5.38 billion to finish at N2.424 trillion versus Thursday’s closing value of N2.380 trillion.
The price gainers were led by Okitipupa Plc, which grew by N25.00 to sell at N305.00 per share compared with the previous price of N280.00 per share. Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc gained N6.92 to close at N76.26 per unit versus N69.34 per unit, Afriland Properties Plc appreciated by N1.00 to N17.00 per share from N18.00 per share, FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc improved by 55 Kobo to N99.55 per unit from N99.00 per unit, and Food Concepts Plc increased by 5 Kobo to N2.70 per share from N2.65 per share.
However, there was a price loser, MRS Oil, which dipped by N21.75 to N195.75 per unit from N217.50 per unit.
During the final session of the week, the value of securities jumped 75.2 per cent to N41.3 million from N23.6 million units, and the number of deals expanded by 62.9 per cent to 44 deals from 27 deals, while the volume of securities declined marginally by 0.9 per cent to 447,403 units from 451,522 units.
At the close of trades, Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) Plc was the most traded stock by volume (year-to-date) with 3.4 billion units worth N8.4 billion, trailed by Resourcery Plc with 1.1 billion units valued at N415.7 million, and Infrastructure Guarantee Credit Plc with 400 million units traded for N1.2 billion.
GNI was also the most active stock by value (year-to-date) with 3.4 billion units sold for N8.4 billion, followed by CSCS Plc with 59.6 million units transacted for N4.0 billion, and Okitipupa Plc with 27.8 million units exchanged for N1.9 billion.
Economy
Naira Slips to N1,358/$1 as FX Reserves, Policy Uncertainty Concerns
By Adedapo Adesanya
It was not a good day for the Nigerian Naira in the currency market on Friday, April 24, as its value depreciated against the major foreign currencies at the close of transactions.
In the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEX), it lost N4.53 or 0.33 per cent against the United States Dollar yesterday to trade at N1,358.44/$1, in contrast to the N1,353.91/$1 it was exchanged on Thursday.
Equally, the domestic currency slipped against the Pound Sterling in the official market during the session by N8.14 to close at N1,834.02/£1, compared with the previous rate of N1,825.88/£1 and dropped N8.01 against the Euro to sell at N1,590.73/€1 versus N1,582.72/€1.
Also, the Naira depreciated against the US Dollar at the GTBank FX desk on Friday by N4 to quote at N1,370/$1 compared with the previous session’s N1,366/$1, and at the parallel market, it depleted by N5 to settle at N1,380/$1 versus the preceding day’s N1,375/$1.
Data published by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) indicated that NFEM interbank turnover surged to N43.562 million across 68 deals, up from N28.117 million the previous day.
Despite the CBN’s reassurance that the recent drop in external reserves is not worrisome, the market remains unsettled by persistent concerns over liquidity constraints, policy transparency, and weakening confidence in Nigeria’s FX market as gross reserves continue to decline to $48.4 billion.
The outlook for the Dollar appears supported by broader macro risks, including elevated oil prices tied to the tanker traffic disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and a continued US-Iran standoff over ceasefire negotiations.
A look at the digital currency market showed that investors are sitting on the edge as the US Dollar rebounded amid geopolitical and inflation risks despite continued inflows into US spot bitcoin Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs).
Solana (SOL) rose by 1.2 per cent to sell $86.45, Cardano (ADA) appreciated by 1.1 per cent to $0.2517, Dogecoin (DOGE) grew by 0.9 per cent to $0.0989, Ripple (XRP) improved by 0.3 per cent to $1.43, Ethereum (ETH) soared by 0.2 per cent to $2,316.83, and Binance Coin (BNB) chalked up 0.1 per cent to sell for $637.44.
However, TRON (TRX) depreciated by 1.3 per cent to $0.3235, and Bitcoin (BTC) lost 0.2 per cent to close at $77,562.27, while the US Dollar Tether (USDT) and the US Dollar Coin (USDC) closed flat at $1.00 each.
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