Economy
Stanbic IBTC Showcases Investment Potentials in Nigeria
By Dipo Olowookere
Investment banking giant, Stanbic IBTC Plc, last week held a three-day conference in Lagos, where it showcased the different investment potentials in Nigeria.
The event, Standard Bank West Africa Investors’ Conference (WAIC), in its 10th edition, took place from Tuesday, September 17 to Friday, September 20, 2019 and was Prism of Possibilities.
It brought together foreign and local institutional investors, fund managers, regulators and policy makers, bankers, businessmen and captains of industry among others.
Nigeria still remains an attraction for foreign investments as the country’s economy continues to experience growth and perhaps, no organization is better positioned to host an investors’ conference than Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC.
According to the Nigerian Capital Importation report of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Stanbic IBTC Bank PLC, a subsidiary of Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC, was responsible for 30.34 percent of the total capital inflow into the country in 2019. The bank has so far recorded $1.765 billion worth of investments this year.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the CEO of Stanbic IBTC Bank PLC, Mr Demola Sogunle, stated that, “The West Africa Investors’ Conference serves as a veritable platform to match investors to investment opportunities. The idea is to be able to showcase the potential investments inherent in Nigeria to individual and institutional investors who are looking to invest in the different sectors in the Nigerian economy.”
The highlight of the opening day of the conference was a panel discussion on advancing FinTech frontiers in Nigeria.
According to Mr Sogunle, this year’s edition of the conference dedicated its panel session to FinTechs due to their significant role in the Nigerian economy.
“The Nigerian financial system as we know it is being disrupted with the introduction of innovative products and services. There is also the need for FinTechs to see potential areas of alignment with financial institutions.
“We hosted this panel session to create a platform for FinTechs to interact with serious minded frontier-market focused fund managers for possible areas of engagement. We also carefully chose the panelists based on their professionalism and years of expertise,” he said.
Speakers at the panel session were Akeem Lawal, Divisional CEO, Switching and Processing, Interswitch, Olugbenga Agboola, Co-Founder, Flutterwave and Iniabasi Akpan, Country Manager, O’Pay.
Interswitch’s Akeem Lawal stated that banks that don’t evolve, risk becoming extinct. He further added that 95% of financial transactions in Nigeria are still cash-based; which presents an opportunity for FinTechs and financial institutions to tap into in terms of expanding the frontiers of financial inclusion in Nigeria. He further advocated for a collaboration amongst FinTechs and financial institutions.
In his remarks, Akpan, Country Manager of O’Pay said he does not foresee a future where the rise of FinTechs will negatively impact the services of banking institutions. He however stated that banks need to be more agile in service delivery while also upgrading their infrastructure to enable seamless connectivity with FinTechs.
Gbenga Agboola, Co-Founder and CEO of Flutterwave stated that the Nigerian FinTech industry was not lacking in talent to take up roles. He added that his company, Flutterwave, has attracted skilled employees from leading banks and consultancy firms. He also reiterated the need for collaboration among FinTechs, financial institutions and telecom companies for better service delivery to customers.
Economy
Petrol Supply up 55.4% as Daily Consumption Reaches 52.1 million Litres
By Adedapo Adesanya
The supply of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, increased by 55.4 per cent on a month-on-month basis to 71.5 million litres per day in November 2025 from 46 million litres per day in October.
This was contained in the November 2025 fact sheet of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) on Monday.
The data showed that the nation’s consumption also increased by 44.5 per cent or 37.4 million litres to 52.1 million litres per day in November 2025, against 28.9 million litres in October.
The significant increase in petrol supply last month was on account of the imports by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited into the Nigerian market from both the domestic and the international market.
Domestic refineries supplied in the period stood at 17.1 million litres per day, while the average daily consumption of PMS for the month was 52.9 million litres per day.
The NMDPRA noted that no production activities were recorded in all the state-owned refineries, which included Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries, in the period, as the refineries remained shut down.
According to the report, the imports were aimed at building inventory and further guaranteeing supply during the peak demand period.
Other reasons for the increase, according to the NMDPRA, were due to “low supply recorded in September and October 2025, below the national demand threshold; the need for boosting national stock level to meet the peak demand period of end of year festivities, and twelve vessels programmed to discharge into October, which spilled into November.”
On gas, the average daily gas supply climbed to 4.684 billion standard cubic feet per day in November 2025, from the 3.94 bscf/d average processing level recorded in October.
The Nigeria LNG Trains 1-6 also maintained a stable processing output of 3.5 bscf/d in November 2025, but utilisation improved slightly to 73.7 per cent compared with 71.68 per cent in October.
The increase, according to the report, was driven by higher plant utilisation across processing hubs and steady export volumes from the Nigeria LNG plant in Bonny.
“As of November 2025, Nigeria’s major gas processing facilities recorded improved output and utilisation levels, with the Nigeria LNG Trains 1-6 processing 3.50 billion standard cubic feet per day at a utilisation rate of 73.70 per cent.
“Gbaran Ubie Gas Plant processed 1.250 bscf per day, operating at 71.21 per cent utilisation, while the MPNU Bonny River Terminal recorded a throughput of 0.690 bscf per day during the period. Processing activities at the Escravos Gas Plant stood at 0.680 bscf per day, representing a 62 per cent utilisation rate, whereas the Soku Gas Plant emerged as the top performer, processing 0.600 bscf per day at 96.84 per cent utilisation,” it stated.
Economy
Secure Electronic Technology Suspends Share Reconstruction as Investors Pull Out
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The proposed share reconstruction of a local gaming firm, Secure Electronic Technology (SET), has been suspended.
The Lagos-based company decided to shelve the exercise after negotiations with potential investors crumbled like a house of cards.
Secure Electronic Technology was earlier in talks with some foreign investors interested in the organisation.
Plans were underway to restructure the shares of the company, which are listed on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited.
However, things did not go as planned as the potential investors pulled out, leaving the board to consider others ways to move the firm forward.
Confirming this development, the company secretary, Ms Irene Attoe, in a statement, said the board would explore other means to keep the company running to deliver value to shareholders.
“This is to notify the NGX and the investing public that a meeting of the board of SET held on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, as scheduled, to consider the status of the proposed share reconstruction and recapitalisation as approved by the members at the Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) held on April 16, 2025.
“After due deliberations, the board wishes to announce that the proposed share reconstruction will not take place as anticipated due to the inability of the parties to reach a convergence on the best and mutually viable terms.
“Thus, following an impasse in the negotiations, and the investors’ withdrawal from the transaction, the board has, in the interest of all members, decided to accept these outcomes and move ahead in the overall interest of the business.
“The board is committed to driving the strategic objectives of SEC and to seeking viable opportunities for sustainable growth of the company,” the disclosure stated.
Business Post reports that the share price of SET crashed by 3.85 per cent on Tuesday on Customs Street on Tuesday to 75 Kobo. Its 52-week high remains N1.33 and its one-year low is 45 Kobo. Today, investors transacted 39,331,958 units.
Economy
Clea to Streamline Cross-Border Payments for African Importers
By Adedapo Adesanya
Clea, a blockchain-powered platform that allows African importers to pay international suppliers in USD while settling locally, has officially launched.
During its pilot phase, Clea processed more than $4 million in cross-border transactions, demonstrating strong early demand from businesses navigating the complexities of global trade.
Clea addresses persistent challenges that African importers have long struggled with, including limited FX access, unpredictable exchange rates, high bank charges, fraudulent intermediaries, and payment delays that slow or halt shipments. The continent also faces a trade-finance gap estimated at over $120 billion annually, limiting importers’ ability to access the FX and financial infrastructure needed for timely international payments by offering fast, transparent, and direct USD settlements, completed without intermediaries or banking bottlenecks.
Founded by Mr Sheriff Adedokun, Mr Iyiola Osuagwu, and Mr Sidney Egwuatu, Clea was created from the team’s own experiences dealing with unreliable international payments. The platform currently serves Nigerian importers trading with suppliers in the United States, China, and the UAE, with plans to expand into additional trade corridors.
The platform will allow local payments in Naira with instant access to Dollars as well as instant, same-day, or next-day settlement options and transparent, traceable transactions that reduce fraud risk.
Speaking on the launch, Mr Adedokun said, “Importers face unnecessary stress when payments are delayed or rejected. Clea eliminates that uncertainty by offering reliable, secure, and traceable payments completed in the importer’s own name, strengthening supplier confidence from day one.”
Mr Osuagwu, co-founder & CTO, added, “Our goal is to make global trade feel as seamless as a local transfer. By connecting local currencies to global transactions through blockchain technology, we are removing long-standing barriers that have limited African importers for years.”
According to a statement shared with Business Post, Clea is already working with shipping operators who refer merchants to the platform and is also engaging trade associations and logistics networks in key import hubs. The company remains fully bootstrapped but is open to strategic investors aligned with its mission to build a trusted global payment network for African businesses.
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