Economy
SEC Wants 2.5% of Fees Collected by NSE, FMDQ, NASD, CSCS, Others
By Dipo Olowookere
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the apex regulatory agency in the Nigerian capital market, is proposing to take 2.5 percent of fees collected by the securities exchanges under its control so as to get more funds to carry out its statutory duties.
These securities exchanges and clearing houses include the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), FMDQ Securities Exchange Plc, which does clearing and depository functions; NASD OTC Securities Exchange and Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS).
The commission, in a notice justifying this move, explained that, “In order for the commission to continue to effectively carry out its core mandate, which is increasingly becoming more expensive due to the expansion of the market in terms of size, complexity and product offerings, it is imperative that the commission charges annual fees on Exchanges and FMIs.”
It further said it “expends huge resources in the course of regulating these entities, ranging from costs of target and periodic inspections/investigations, review and approval of requests for rules making/amendments, etc,” pointing out that, “Currently, Exchanges and other FMIs do not pay renewal fees.”
Business Post reports that in order to achive its goal, SEC, in the amendment titled Proposed amendment to Schedule I (Registration Fees, Minimum Capital Requirements, Securities and others), which seeks to create a new “Part E” to provide for annual regulatory charges to be paid by Securities Exchanges and FMIs, it wants a registered securities exchange to “pay to the commission, within thirty days of end of each financial year, an amount equal to 2.5 percent of the aggregate listing fees paid to it by issuers whose securities are listed or admitted on it, during that year.”
It further proposes that, “A depository shall pay to the commission, within thirty days of end of each year an amount equal to 2.5 percent of the aggregate annual depository fees paid to it by the issuers whose securities are deposited with it.”
Also, SEC further proposes that, “A registered clearing house or central counterparty clearing house shall pay to the commission, within thirty days of end of each financial year, an amount equal to 2.5 percent of the aggregate clearing fees charged by it for clearing functions, [while] other FMIs shall be required to pay annual fees to the commission as may be determined from time to time.”
Business Post reports further that SEC is proposed an amendment to Rule 199(3), which guides removal of a company trading its shares on any of the exchanges from the different trading platforms..
The existing rule states that, “The issuer of a security listed on an exchange may file an application to withdraw the security from listing on any exchange in accordance with the rules of that exchange and notify the commission accordingly. The exchange shall within ten (10) days consider and dispose of the application and notify the commission when such application is approved.”
In the proposed amendment, SEC wants this changed to, “The issuer of a security listed on an exchange may file an application to withdraw the security from listing on any exchange in accordance with the rules of that exchange. The Issuer shall give prior notice of such an application to the commission and notify the commission accordingly. The exchange shall within ten (10) days consider and dispose of the application and notify the Commission when such application is approved.”
Explaining the reason for this change, the agency said, “Rule 199 (1) requests an exchange to notify the commission seven (7) days prior to delisting an issuer when the initiative to delist is from the exchange itself. Thus similarly when such initiative is from the issuer, it is proposed for the concerned Exchange to similarly notify the commission before delisting the issuer.”
By Dipo Olowookere
The bullish run seen lately in the Nigerian equities market continued on Wednesday after it closed the session with a 2.27 per cent growth.
This was influenced by renewed interest in domestic stocks by investors, who are locking funds in some shares with sound fundamentals like Airtel Africa, Aradel Holdings, Dangote Cement, and others.
Data showed that Airtel Africa and Trans-Nationwide Express gained 10.00 per cent to sell for N5,801.40 and N2.97, respectively. Fidelity Bank appreciated by 9.97 per cent to N19.85, Thomas Wyatt advanced by 9.89 per cent to N3.00, and UPDC REIT improved by 9.47 per cent to N10.40.
Conversely, Haldane McCall lost 9.95 per cent to trade at N3.53, McNichols declined by 8.89 per cent to N6.15, Transcorp slid by 5.65 per cent to N40.05, CWG went down by 5.24 per cent to N19.00, and VFD Group crashed by 5.19 per cent to N28.12.
The market breadth index remained positive after the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited ended the day with 32 appreciating stocks and 24 depreciating stocks, indicating strong investor sentiment.
Business Post reports that the insurance sector was under pressure yesterday, resulting in a 0.20 per cent loss, which did not affect the outcome of the market.
The energy space gained 3.85 per cent, the industrial goods segment chalked up 1.89 per cent, the banking index rose by 1.07 per cent, and the consumer goods counter soared by 0.31 per cent.
As a result, the All-Share Index (ASI) added 5,378.70 points to finish at 242,459.98 points compared with the previous day’s 237,083.28 points, and the market capitalisation went up by N3.450 trillion to N155.586 trillion from N152.136 trillion.
The busiest equity during the trading session was Lasaco Assurance, with a turnover of 56.6 million units valued at N104.8 million. Fidelity Bank traded 47.5 million units worth N911.9 million, Linkage Assurance transacted 33.9 million units for N51.2 million, Zenith Bank sold 32.0 million units valued at N3.4 billion, and Sterling Holdings exchanged 30.5 million units worth N233.3 million.
At the close of transactions, 518.4 million shares worth N22.8 billion exchanged hands in 48,495 deals versus the 493.7 million shares valued at N28.0 billion traded in 49,969 deals a day earlier. This implied that the trading volume was up by 5.00 per cent, the trading value was down by 18.57 per cent, and the number of deals decreased by 2.95 per cent.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Oil prices surged over 5 per cent to a two-week high on Wednesday after US President Donald Trump declared that the interim ceasefire agreement with Iran is officially.
Brent futures rose $4.40 or 5.9 per cent to settle at $78.02 a barrel, while the US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude increased by $3.64 or 5.2 per cent to $73.52 per barrel.
The American President said an interim deal signed last month to end the war with Iran was “over” and that the US was likely to launch new strikes on Wednesday night following Iranian attacks on US bases in the Gulf and tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.
Asked before a NATO summit in Turkey whether the memorandum of understanding was over, President Trump said: “It’s a very interesting question. To me, I think it’s over. I don’t want to deal with them.”
He later ruled out the restart of full-fledged war with Iran, which pulled oil benchmarks lower from the session’s highest gains of as much as 9 per cent.
A fifth of global oil supplies moved through the Strait before the Iran war began on February 28 after US-Israeli airstrikes against Iran, which led to retaliation that forced Middle Eastern oil producers to cut millions of barrels of oil production.
Iran on Tuesday attacked three commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, prompting retaliatory attacks by the US. A Saudi-flagged LNG tanker was struck on its port side, causing an engine room fire, while the supertanker suffered minor damage off the coast of Oman.
In response, US Central Command (CENTCOM) conducted massive offensive airstrikes hitting more than 80 military targets inside Iran while the Trump administration also revoked a temporary sanctions waiver that allowed Iran to sell oil and petrochemicals, cutting off a key revenue stream for the oil producer.
Freight rates for tankers operating in the Gulf have surged as shipowners demand higher risk premiums, while refiners in Asia are scrambling to secure alternative cargoes from West Africa, the US, and Latin America in case Hormuz remains closed.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) downgraded its 2026 global economic growth forecast to 3 per cent, down from 3.5 per cent posted in 2025, with the impact of the Iran war expected to negate gains made by the ongoing AI boom.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Independent Petroleum Producers Group (IPPG) is pushing for a harmonised tax regime for Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, citing the burden of more than 270 different taxes, fees and statutory levies imposed on operators.
The Chairman of IPPG, Mr Adegbite Falade, stated this in his keynote address at the opening of the 2026 NOG Energy Week in Abuja.
He said a situation where oil firms pay as many as 270 different types of taxes and levies discourages investment and threatens the viability of many projects.
Mr Falade said while recent government reforms have improved investor confidence, the multiplicity of charges imposed by different government agencies risks undermining those gains.
“Today, the Nigerian oil and gas industry remains the most taxed and levied in the country, and perhaps globally, with over 270 separate fees, taxes and levies,” he said.
According to him, the cumulative burden of these charges has begun to outweigh the incentives introduced under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), particularly for smaller indigenous operators managing mature oil assets.
He warned that the situation could force some operators to abandon projects, urging the federal government to harmonise the various charges into a transparent and globally competitive fiscal framework.
“We therefore urge the government to undertake a comprehensive harmonisation of all fees and levies across all agencies to eliminate duplication, ensure transparency in how these charges are computed and applied, and align the overall fiscal burden with the incentive-driven spirit of the PIA,” he said.
Beyond fiscal reforms, the IPPG chairman identified an emerging manpower crisis as another major threat to the industry, noting that the retirement of experienced professionals and recent international oil company divestments have created significant skills gaps that require urgent investment in workforce development.
Mr Falade also called for a comprehensive review of the PIA five years after its enactment, to address implementation challenges and incorporate presidential directives that have improved investment conditions.
He stressed that Nigeria must shift its focus from simply increasing crude oil production to creating greater value through refining, gas processing, power generation, fertiliser production and petrochemicals.
According to him, the country’s vast hydrocarbon resources should serve as a catalyst for industrialisation rather than continued exports of raw crude and gas.
While commending the administration’s reforms that have helped secure more than $8 billion in upstream final investment decisions since 2023 and boosted oil production to about 1.6 million barrels per day, Mr Falade maintained that sustainable growth would depend on creating a more competitive operating environment for investors.
