Economy
UAC Nigeria Gets N3.6bn Shares of UPDC REIT
By Dipo Olowookere
One of the shareholders of UACN Property Development Company (UPDC), UAC Nigeria, has been allocated 649 million units of UPDC Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) stocks worth N3.6 billion.
Recall that in 2020, UPDC, as part of the process its restructuring process, unbundled its holdings in UPDC REIT and made allocations to all its shareholders, including its parent company, UAC Nigeria Plc.
UPDC had explained that the initiative was to maximise returns to its shareholders by providing direct access to the steady and regular dividend distributions of UPDC REIT.
This deal and a few others had an impact in UAC Nigeria in the 2020 financial year.
Also, recall that last year, UAC Nigeria struck a deal with Custodian Investment Plc for the transfer of 51 per cent stake in UPDC, reducing its stake to 42.85 per cent. UAC Nigeria received N6.6 billion in cash proceeds from the transactions.
“In December 2020, UAC received 649 million units of UPDC REIT, valued at N3.6 billion as part of the partial exit from UPDC.
“This is in addition to the N6.6 billion received in H2 2020 for the sale of a 51 per cent stake in UPDC,” the Group Managing Director of UAC Nigeria, Mr Fola Aiyesimoju, stated.”
“We benefited from N1.2 billion in non-recurring gains from investments in associates, MDS Logistics Limited and UPDC,” Mr Aiyesimoju added.
Last year, the revenue generated by UAC Nigeria increased 3.0 per cent to N81.6 billion from N79.2 billion supported by sales growth in the Animal Feeds & Other Edibles segment (4.6 per cent), the Packaged Food & Beverages segment (1.8 per cent) and the Quick Service Restaurant Segment (1.9 per cent).
These segments were deemed essential services during the period of stringent restrictions to the movement of people and goods to curtail the spread of COVID-19.
However, the gross profit dropped 5.5 per cent to N15.7 billion from N16.6 billion due to limited sales during the strictest phase of the lockdown in April and May, higher input costs, and distribution expenses.
At the end of the year, the profit after tax from continuing operations decreased to N3.8 billion, from N5.3 billion a year earlier, while the total profit closed at N4.3 billion in contrast to the N9.3 billion loss reported in FY 2019, with the earnings per share (EPS) at N1.06 in 2020 versus the negative N1.83 in 2019.
In his reaction to the performance of the company last year, Mr Aiyesimoju said, “FY 2020 was challenging, with operational disruptions related to COVID-19 and #EndSARS protests.”
He noted that the team “focused on executing our strategy, implementing initiatives relating to UPDC, significantly reducing leverage and increasing cash, strengthening management, and driving profitability.”
“Operating performance for the year was negatively impacted by the aforementioned disruptions as well as input cost escalation. Our efforts resulted in net income of N4.3 billion in 2020.
“In the fourth quarter, our businesses rebounded and profit after tax increased 136 per cent to N2.4 billion (N1.4 billion, adjusting for non-recurring items) from N1.0 billion in 2019, supported by cost management initiatives that reduced operating expenses by N1.4 billion (30 per cent),” he added.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) has unveiled a unified Taxpayer Identification (Tax ID) system for all taxable persons across the country as part of efforts to strengthen tax administration and improve transparency.
The agency announced the development in a public notice issued jointly with the Joint Revenue Board (JRB) on Monday.
According to the notice, the initiative is backed by Sections 6, 7, and 8 of the Nigeria Tax Administration Act, 2025, which mandate every taxable person in Nigeria to obtain a Tax ID, in a wider move to expand the country’s tax base.
The NRS said the new framework is designed to create a centralised and harmonised taxpayer database that would enhance interactions between taxpayers and revenue authorities at both federal and sub-national levels.
“The Tax ID will serve as a single, unified identity for all taxpayers, enabling seamless interaction with tax authorities at both federal and sub-national levels. It is designed to consolidate taxpayer records, eliminate duplication, and ensure more efficient management of tax-related information,” the agency stated.
The revenue agency explained that the new system would simplify tax compliance procedures, including taxpayer registration, filing of returns, and payment processes.
According to the NRS, the framework is also expected to improve accountability and reduce leakages in tax collection by creating better visibility and tracking of taxpayer information nationwide.
“The initiative will simplify tax compliance processes, including registration, tax filing, and payment procedures. The system will improve transparency by enabling better visibility and tracking of taxpayer records while reducing leakages and improving accountability in tax collection. The framework will also harmonise taxpayer information across all levels of government,” the notice added.
The agency further disclosed that the new Tax ID system would replace the existing Tax Identification Number (TIN) Validation API currently used by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), financial institutions, and other organisations for taxpayer verification.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Three bellwether stocks weakened the NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange by 1.31 per cent on Monday, May 18.
This brought the NASD Unlisted Security Index (NSI) by 54.71 points to 4,133.70 points from 4,188.41 points, and shrank the market capitalisation by N32.73 billion to N2.473 trillion from N2.506 trillion.
Yesterday, FrieslandCampina Wamco Plc contracted by N12.45 to sell at N146.55 per share compared with last Friday’s closing price of N159.00 per share, Central Securities and Clearing System (CSCS) Plc declined by N2.34 to N70.00 per unit from N72.34 per unit, and NASD Plc lost 50 Kobo to trade at N34.50 per share versus N35.00 per share.
The trio overpowered the N5.56 gained Newrest Asl Plc. This stock ended the trading session at N61.15 per unit, in contrast to the previous session’s N55.59 per unit.
During the trading day, the volume of securities traded by investors slid by 56.1 per cent to 514,142 units from 1.2 million units, and the value of securities dropped 29.8 per cent to close at N17.4 million versus N29.8 million, while the number of deals jumped 12.5 per cent to 27 deals from 24 deals.
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, followed by CSCS Plc with 60.8 million units exchanged for N4.1 billion, and Okitipupa Plc with 27.9 million units traded for N1.9 billion.
GNI Plc also ended the day as the most traded stock by volume on a year-to-date basis 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 transacted for N1.2 billion.
By Adedapo Adesanya
It was a horrible day for the Nigerian Naira in the different segments of the foreign exchange (FX) market on Monday, May 15, as its value further weakened against the United States Dollar.
In the black market window, the Naira lost N5 against the Dollar yesterday to sell for N1,390/$1 compared with the previous value of N1,385/$1, but at the GTBank forex counter, it remained unchanged at N1,383/$1.
In the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEX), the Nigerian currency depreciated against the greenback by N2.66 or 0.19 per cent to sell for N1,373.70/$1 compared to last Friday’s rate of N1,371.04/$1.
Equally, it fell against the Pound Sterling in the same market segment by N9.05 to trade at N1,839.66/£1 versus N1,830.61/£1, and lost N5.42 on the Euro to close at N1,600.49/€1 versus N1,595.07/€1.
The performance of the local currency during the session indicates early worries despite all signals pointing to stability, amid improved Dollar sales by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), with steady, higher oil receipts to bolster the nation’s reserves.
Activity at the market showed that turnover rose 57.3 per cent to $76.29 million on Monday from $48.49 million posted on Friday.
Over the weekend, S&P raised Nigeria’s credit ratings for the first time since 2012 and highlighted improved FX market liquidity and $10 billion turnover recorded in April 2026 as one of the major gains of the CBN-led FX reforms.
The agency said the liberalisation of the exchange rate has bolstered access to foreign currency and enabled a market-driven exchange-rate environment while supporting investor and consumer confidence.
Meanwhile, the cryptocurrency market was bullish on Monday as investors monitored developments in the Iran conflict and weighed the impact of surging oil prices on inflation and US interest-rate expectations.
Ethereum (ETH) gained 0.7 per cent to trade at $2,134.10, Cardano (ADA) rose by 0.6 per cent to $0.2515, Solana (SOL) expanded by 0.3 per cent to $85.11, Binance Coin (BNB) jumped 0.2 per cent to $643.29, TRON (TRX) increased by 0.03 per cent to $0.3565, and Bitcoin (BTC) advanced by 0.02 per cent to $76,912.12.
On the flip side, Dogecoin (DOGE) slid by 1.5 per cent to $0.1044, and Ripple (XRP) decreased by 0.5 per cent to $1.38, while the US Dollar Tether (USDT) and the US Dollar Coin (USDC) traded flat at $1.00 apiece.
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