Economy
SEC Working to Ensure Investors Identify Genuine Investment Opportunities
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The Executive Commissioner Operations for the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Mr Dayo Obisan, has disclosed that the agency was working tirelessly to ensure that investors identify genuine investment opportunities through investor education programmes.
Speaking during one of such workshops for staff of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Abuja on Wednesday, the capital market expert said the commission was worried about the activities of Ponzi scheme operators, who he said are taking advantage of the poor knowledge of the public in the market to dupe them.
However, he assured that the organisation would continue to deploy its enforcement mechanisms, including collaboration with other relevant government agencies and stakeholders, to tackle the menace.
Mr Obisan, who was represented by the Director of the Market Development Department, Mr Nestor Ikeagu, said these promoters of these unscrupulous schemes pose as operators in the capital market to defraud investors of their money with mouth-watering promises of return on investments.
“This has made it difficult for investors to differentiate between genuine and false investment opportunities. The activities of these Ponzi scheme promoters have posed a huge challenge to the commission. In combating them, we are working in collaboration with other agencies to nip their activities in the bud.
“Also, the commission is working tirelessly to ensure investors are aware of these nefarious activities through investor education programmes. We urge the FRSC to partner with us in the fight against Ponzi schemes by reporting to the SEC anytime such activities are noticed. We can be reached via www.sec.gov.ng, +234-094621168 and the SEC social media handles,” he stated.
He expressed the hope that the programme will give participants an overview of the capital market and afford them the opportunity to learn how to invest in the Nigerian capital market, including Collective Investment Schemes being managed by professionals, in addition to exposing participants to the activities of Ponzi schemes and how to identify them.
The Executive Commissioner disclosed that the SEC has a dual mandate to regulate and develop the Nigerian capital market that is fair and orderly, and engenders investor confidence adding that a key aspect of the SEC’s market development role is enlightenment and investor education.
In his remarks, the acting Corps Marshal of the FRSC, Mr Dauda Biu, stated the importance of officers of the corps being financially literate.
Represented by Corps Commander, Mr Anume Osuamkpe, he said Nigerians would only be able to avoid fraudulent investment schemes if they have the requisite knowledge.
“This training is very important as it will enable staff of the FRSC to have knowledge of the workings of these fraudulent schemes and know how to avoid them.
“It will also help them know the products available in the capital market and aid them in taking decisions of how to invest their funds wisely,” he stated.
Mr Biu lamented that many Nigerians had lost huge sums of money to these Ponzi schemes as the operators approach victims with mouth-watering offers that are sometimes too difficult to resist.
“But with programmes like these, Nigerians will be able to know the right investments and how to access such investments in the capital market,” he added.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Nigeria’s First Lady, Mrs Oluremi Tinubu, has given Nigerians business advice that may not involve a lot of money to start.
Speaking with newsmen recently, the wife of President Bola Tinubu said businesses like akara (fried bean cake), kulikuli (a crunchy snack from roasted peanuts or groundnuts) and roasted corn can be set up without breaking the bank.
She disclosed that to support her husband’s Renewed Hope agenda, she has provided funding packages to traders and others to the tune of N3.5 billion.
“To start akara business doesn’t take a lot of money. To start roasting corn and kuli-kuli doesn’t take much. We didn’t give them a loan; we gave it to them as a grant,” she stated.
She further said, “We’ve encouraged Nigerians as best as we could, what is within our hands, I have given, and I keep giving. Those are the things we’ve done.”
“I remember giving for TB (tuberculosis) when I heard of many TB cases; I gave N2 billion, to breast cancer, I gave N1 billion, and to [tackle] malnutrition, I gave N500 million.
“These are the things we’ve been doing to assist the government. So, we’ve had impact in agriculture, social investment, education (as scholarship and ICT training) and others. We are still open to doing more,” she disclosed.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange rallied by 1.70 per cent on Thursday, June 25, after three price gainers overpowered the two price losers recorded at the close of business.
Consequently, the market capitalisation of the trading platform increased by N43.79 billion to N2.618 trillion from N2.574 trillion, and the NASD Security Index (NSI) improved by 72.96 points to close at 4,362.32 points, in contrast to Wednesday’s 4,289.36 points.
Yesterday, the price advancers were led by Nipco Plc, which chalked up N31.79 to close at N349.76 per unit versus the preceding day’s N317.97 per unit. Okitipupa Plc gained N18.00 to end at N298.00 per share versus the previous session’s N280.00 per share, and Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc went up by N7.11 to N86.79 per unit from N79.68 per unit.
On the flip side, Nitrox Industrial Gases Plc crumbled by 32 Kobo to close at N21.09 per share compared with the N21.41 per share it closed at midweek, and Food Concepts Plc depreciated by 25 Kobo to N2.51 per unit from N2.76 per unit.
During the session, the value of securities traded by investors went down by 86.7 per cent to N10.9 million from the preceding session’s N82.9 million, and the volume of securities dropped 84.9 per cent to 10.9 million units from the previous 82.9 million, while the number of deals grew by 84.2 per cent to 35 deals from 19 deals.
At the close of trades, Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) Plc remained the most traded stock by value on a year-to-date basis, with 3.4 billion units sold for N8.4 billion, trailed by Infrastructure Credit Guarantee (Infracredit) Plc with 2.3 billion units valued at N6.5 billion, and CSCS Plc with 68.4 million units exchanged for N4.7 billion.
GNI Plc was also the most traded stock by volume on a year-to-date basis, with 3.4 billion units worth 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 Dipo Olowookere
The Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited further suffered a 0.64 per cent decline on Thursday as the bears tightened their grip on the bourse.
For the second straight session, all the key sectors of Customs Street pointed south, with the energy counter down by 5.22 per cent. The insurance index slumped by 2.59 per cent, the banking space depreciated by 0.28 per cent, and the consumer goods segment moderated by 0.06 per cent, while the industrial goods sector was flat, though with a marginal fall.
As a result, the All-Share Index (ASI) contracted by 1,493.71 points to 233,580.83 points from 235,074.54 points, and the market capitalisation retreated by N959 billion to N149.888 trillion from N150.847 trillion.
Investor sentiment remained weak after a negative market breadth index, as there were 21 price gainers and 34 price losers.
Aradel and Deap Capital went down by 10.00 per cent each to N1,575.00 and N4.05, respectively. Trans-Nationwide Express fell by 9.90 per cent to N3.64, Regency Alliance slipped by 9.57 per cent to N85 Kobo, and C&I Leasing dipped by 9.48 per cent to N28.12.
Conversely, Red Star Express grew by 9.60 per cent to N24.55, Legend Internet expanded by 9.09 per cent to N6.00, Neimeth appreciated by 7.10 per cent to N8.30, Abbey Mortgage Bank rose by 5.45 per cent to N8.70, and Ellah Lakes improved by 4.65 per cent to N9.00.
Yesterday, market participants traded 393.7 million equities valued at N19.2 billion in 45,813 deals compared with the 488.1 million equities worth N20.9 billion transacted in 46,239 deals recorded a day earlier, implying a shortfall in the trading volume, value, and number of deals by 19.34 per cent, 8.13 per cent, and 0.92 per cent, respectively.
The most active stock for the session was Access Holdings with a turnover of 39.1 million units worth N896.2 million, Chams traded 24.5 million units valued at N96.5 million, Fidelity Bank sold 24.1 million units for N436.9 million, Sterling Holdings exchanged 23.8 million units valued at N182.2 million, and Zenith Bank transacted 18.9 million units worth N2.1 billion.
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