Economy
SEC Tasks Shareholders to Raise Relevant Observations at AGMs
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Shareholders, especially those under registered groups, have been tasked by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to endeavour to raise relevant observations on key areas at the Annual General Meetings (AGMs) of companies listed on the stock exchanges.
The Director-General of SEC, Mr Lamido Yuguda, said this could be achieved by carefully reviewing audited reports and accounts of listed organisations prior to such yearly shareholders’ gatherings, urging them to uphold high ethical standards and promote new strategies to strengthen accountability among market participants in the Nigerian capital market.
According to Mr Yuguda, in 2016, pursuant to Section 8(y) of the Investments and Securities Act (ISA), the commission released a Code of Conduct for members of shareholders’ associations to guide their conduct during general meetings of public companies and their relationship with public companies outside the general meetings, and for other purposes connected therewith.
He said this code was still in force, noting that it is intended to ensure the highest standard of conduct amongst members and the companies with whom they interact as bona fide shareholders.
“The code is designed to ensure that association members uphold high ethical standards and make positive contributions in ensuring that the affairs of public companies are run in an ethical and transparent manner in compliance with the Nigerian Code of Corporate Governance and the SEC Corporate Governance Guidelines.
“I urge you to continue to abide by this Code of Conduct for Members of Shareholders’ Associations by being disciplined and ensuring good governance,” the SEC DG said at the 2022 edition of the Independent Shareholders Association of Nigeria (ISAN) Triennial Delegates Conference held in Lagos recently.
“We, therefore, urge this association to continue to improve performance of the function of monitoring of companies to contribute to their growth by reviewing Audited Reports and Accounts prior to AGMs to raise germane observations on key areas,” he added.
Mr Yuguda also urged the shareholders to continue to promote their core activities which centre on minority shareholder protection, advancement of corporate governance and development of a deep and robust capital market.
He described the theme of the conference, which focuses on reforming the judicial system in order to stabilise and encourage the growth of the Nigerian economy, as very important and relevant to the growth and development of Nigeria.
The DG commended the shareholders for the excellent support the agency has received from the various shareholder associations in the country, especially ISAN.
“ISAN is one of the largest and foremost shareholders’ advocacy groups in the country. We are proud to be associated with your core activities which centre on minority shareholder protection, advancement of corporate governance and development of a deep and robust capital market,” he said.
“The judiciary has also been contributing to the development of the capital market through its role of adjudicating over matters involving stakeholders in the capital market. As the SEC continues its important regulatory work of protecting both foreign and domestic investors who invest their funds in the Nigerian capital market, we will continue to partner with and engage the judiciary and other relevant stakeholders,” Mr Yuguda noted.
He stated that in an increasingly competitive global environment for capital flows, foreign investors consider the strength and independence of a regulator in their investment decisions, stressing that it is, therefore, a matter of urgent national priority to continue to send the right signals to the investing world that the Nigerian capital market is indeed soundly regulated by a strong and independent SEC, devoid of conflicting interference from any arms of government.
“The SEC is happy to have, over the years, enjoyed the support of the Nation’s courts in the quest to build a vibrant capital market that can contribute to achieving our national objectives.
“The judiciary’s important work impacts market integrity, investor confidence, market development and market fairness. It is clear that without the fair, prompt and effective dispensation of justice, capital markets can never develop. Therefore, in our quest to develop a vibrant capital market in Nigeria, we cannot afford to overlook the central role of the Judiciary,” he said.
However, the SEC DG stated that there was room for reform in the judiciary, especially on issues around investor protection and dispute resolution mechanisms in the Nigerian capital market, adding that the commission supports this reform and is happy to play a role in it.
“As a regulator of this dynamic market, the commission is focused on facilitating capital raising for sustainable national development and transformation of Nigeria’s priority economic sectors, thereby effectively contributing to the national economy.
“Our focus has always centred on the creation of an ecosystem whereby issuers, whether government, entrepreneurs and other businesses, can access capital efficiently. The process of raising money through the capital market plays a vital role in our economy and will help bring nascent ideas to life,” he added.
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By Adedapo Adesanya
The NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange rose by 0.40 per cent on Monday, July 13, buoyed by buying interest in 11 Plc, Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc and UBN Property Plc, which offset the profit-taking in Food Concepts Plc, the parent company of Chicken Republic.
11 Plc gained N20.69 to end at N227.64 per share compared with last Friday’s price of N206.95 per share, CSCS Plc grew by N1.83 to N91.48 per unit from N89.65 per unit, and UBN Property Plc added 1 Kobo to sell at N1.81 per share versus N1.80 per share.
On the flip side, Food Concepts Plc depreciated by 24 Kobo to close at N2.45 per unit, in contrast to the preceding session’s N2.69 per unit.
As a result, the market capitalisation increased by N9.2 billion to N2.587 trillion from N2.578 trillion, and the NASD Security Index (NSI) improved by 15.33 points to 4,311.67 points from 4,296.34 points.
Yesterday, the volume of securities traded by investors surged by 615.9 per cent to 9.1 million units from the previous 1.3 million units, and the value of securities rose by 997.1 per cent to N320.4 million from the preceding session’s N29.2 million, while the number of deals decreased by 12.5 per cent to 28 deals from last Friday’s 32 deals.
At the close of trades, Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) Plc remained the most active stock by value on a year-to-date basis, with 3.4 billion units valued at N8.4 billion, followed by Infrastructure Credit Guarantee (Infracredit) Plc with 2.3 billion units worth N6.5 billion, and CSCS Plc with 73.9 million units exchanged for N5.2 billion.
GNI Plc also closed the session as the most traded stock by volume on a year-to-date basis, with 3.4 billion units sold 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 transacted for N415.7 million.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Naira maintained stability against the US Dollar in the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEX) on Monday, July 13, at N1,379.65/$1.
However, it appreciated against the Pound Sterling in the official market by N2.44 to exchange at N1,848.18/£1 compared with the previous rate of N1,850.62/£1, and lost 73 Kobo against the Euro to sell at N1,576.39/€1 versus last Friday’s N1,575.66/€1.
At the GTBank fore counter, the Naira declined by N2 to settle at N1,388/$1, in contrast to the previous session’s rate of N1,386/$1, and at the black market, it traded flat at N1,400/$1.
Market analysts expect the Naira to trade within a relatively stable range, supported by sustained FX inflows and a continued market intervention by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), although persistent underlying FX demand is likely to keep depreciation pressures elevated.
According to Monday’s trading data, interbank FX turnover surged by 21.14 per cent to $86.136 million from $71.044 million at the previous trading session on Friday.
However, interbank deal counts declined to 85 from 87 on Monday, reflecting the absence of pressure from US Dollar payments against local units. Last week, total foreign exchange inflows amounted to $0.97 billion, according to a Coronation Merchant Bank research report.
Analysts reported that foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) remained the largest source of inflows, contributing 30.29% or $0.29 billion, closely followed by Exporters and Importers at 30.14 per cent.
Non-bank corporates accounted for 26.49 per cent or $0.26 billion, while the CBN contributed 6.93 per cent or $0.07 billion. Other sources made up the remaining 5.4 per cent of total inflows.
In the cryptocurrency market, major coins came under pressure following heightened expectations for a Federal Reserve interest-rate increase as soon as July, just ahead of key US inflation data and congressional testimony from Chairman Kevin Warsh came into focus.
Bitcoin (BTC) fell by 0.2 per cent to $62,627.03, Solana (SOL) dipped by 1.5 per cent to $75.18, TRON (TRX) depreciated by 0.2 per cent to $0.3248, Ripple (XRP) slumped by 0.6 per cent to $1.06, and Cardano (ADA) lost 0.6 per cent to close at $0.1589.
On the flip side, Ethereum (ETH) appreciated by 0.5 per cent to $1,784.26, Dogecoin (DOGE) grew by 0.2 per cent to $0.073, and Binance Coin (BNB) jumped by 0.2 per cent to $569.23, while the US Dollar Tether (USDT) and the US Dollar Coin (USDC) traded flat at $1.00 apiece.
