Economy
Uduk Describes Private Equity Firms ‘Agents of Economic Growth’
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Private equity companies have been described as important agents of business and economic growth because they bring capital to business.
The Acting Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Ms Mary Uduk, who said this at a programme in Lagos over the weekend, said PE firms have various businesses opportunities they can tap into.
The SEC chief, speaking at the Udo Udoma & Belo-Osagie (UUBO) second private equity summit with the theme Drivers, Disruptors and Unlocking Value, noted that there was a nexus between adequate capital and business growth as such capital helps businesses grow, generates profits for the investors, creates socio-economic benefits to the consumers, and enhances overall growth of the economy.
PE can look into lots of startups in the country with robust business plans, many profitable unlisted companies with established cash-generating capacity, as well as public companies with solid customer bases, proven products, and high-quality management.
“I see an improved investment climate, friendly market rules and regulations as well as increased investor education as essential elements for attracting PE investments in Nigeria.
“Towards this, the commission is working on rules and regulations to ease participation of, and disclosures, by more PE funds. Initiatives in registering and developing the FinTech space in the capital market will also provide good opportunities for PE firms to invest in innovative start-ups operating in in the capital market.
“The ISA 2007 empowers the Securities and Exchange Commission to register PE Funds. Based on their scope and the need to attract investors such as the Pension Funds, many PE firms and Infrastructure funds (often structured as PE), file their returns with the commission,” Ms Uduk said.
She said the capital market provides the most efficient gateway opportunities for PE firms, citing the NASD Enterprise Portal as a collaborative development in the market, which aims at aiding PE firms invest in and dispose of eligible companies’ securities in an easy and cost-effective manner.
According to her, “As PE activity rises in the country, PE funds can utilise the opportunities provided on our various organised exchanges when exiting their investments. This will increase the quality of our listed public companies, while allowing PE firms benefit from the market liquidity, efficiency and increased participation available on the exchanges.”
“It is therefore, my hope that the outcome of this summit will impact greatly and positively on the PE segment of our market, the capital market in general and our economy as a whole,” she said.
In his keynote address on Fostering an enabling environment for investment in Nigeria, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr Niyi Adebayo, said federal government would seek to localise at least 40 percent of its expenditure on stipulated goods and services, to facilitate local markets access for Nigerian made products.
The Minister said that government had realised that building production capacity alongside strategic partners with strong track record in some priority sectors was critical to success.
“Through the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission, bilateral investment agreements are being modernised with a greater sense of purpose.
“Much of our most recent agreements target countries that align with our ambition of building local production capacity,” he said.
According to him, government will seek a comprehensive approach in mobilising capital, incentivising priority sectors and expanding market access for local producers.
Mr Adebayo said that government would further enhance the ease of doing business and support the growth of MSMEs.
He said that the ministry had begun implementing a number of key initiatives, including the reactivation of the six special economic zones and the special agro-industrial processing zones project.
“In supporting the growth of MSMEs, we are easing access to capital, deploying shared facilities across the country and facilitating the delivery of tax and regulatory incentives for MSMEs.
“Our priority sectors cut across agriculture, construction and the automotive industry,” Adebayo said.
He said that Nigeria would remain critical to the global economic market as the country prepared for the inevitable rise of the world’s third most populous country.
“This also presents a compelling case for global investors when viewed against the backdrop of the country’s capacity for growth.
“Achieving a GDP per capita rate comparable to South Africa would catapult Nigeria’s GDP to over one trillion dollars.
“The dwindling prospects of oil and our growing population leaves us with no choice but to develop a Nigeria that is investor-friendly, export-oriented, high producing and high growth,” Adebayo said.
He said that government’s primary objective in the present decade was economic diversification and job creation.
“Diversification of our economy, or more precisely government revenues, must accommodate both short and long-term efforts because we no longer have the luxury of time; considering the realities of our growing population and the dwindling prospects of crude oil,” Mr Adebayo said.
Founder of Counsel UUBO, Mr Udoma Udo Udoma, stressed the need for private sector participation in the development of the country’s economy.
Mr Udoma said that government must engage private sector to ensure economic expansion, noting that government could not do it alone, adding that government needed to create an enabling environment that encouraged growth of private equity in Nigeria.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc bested four price decliners on the NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange on Monday, April 27. The alternative stock market opened the week bullish during the session with a 0.03 per cent uptick.
According to data, the security depository company added N2.61 to its share price to close at N76.26 per unit compared with the preceding session’s N78.87 per unit.
As a result, the market capitalisation of the platform increased by N820 million to N2.425 trillion from N2.424 trillion, and the NASD Unlisted Security Index (NSI) gained 1.38 points to finish at 4,053.97 points compared with the 4,052.58 points it ended last Friday.
The four price losers were led by NASD Plc, which slumped by N3.80 to sell at N34.70 per share versus N38.50 per share. FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc fell by N1.45 to N98.10 per unit from N99.55 per unit, Food Concepts Plc slid by 27 Kobo to N2.43 per share from N2.70 per share, and Geo-Fluids Plc dipped by 9 Kobo to N2.91 per unit from N3.00 per unit.
The value of securities transacted by market participants went down by 82.0 per cent to N7.4 million from N41.3 million units, the volume of securities declined by 28.5 per cent to 319,831 units from 447,403 units, and the number of deals dropped by 34.1 per cent to 29 deals from 44 deals.
Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) Plc was the most active stock by value on a year-to-date basis with 3.4 billion units worth N8.4 billion, followed by CSCS Plc with 59.6 million units sold for N4.0 billion, and Okitipupa Plc with 27.8 million units exchanged for N1.9 billion.
Also, GNI Plc was the most traded stock by volume on a year-to-date basis with 3.4 billion units valued at N8.4 billion, followed by Resourcery Plc with 1.1 billion units traded for N415.7 million, and Infrastructure Guarantee Credit Plc with a turnover of 400 million units worth N1.2 billion.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The first trading day of the week in the currency market was bearish for the Naira in the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEX) on Monday, April 27.
Yesterday, it lost N5.80 or 0.43 per cent against the United States Dollar to trade at N1,364.24/$1, in contrast to the N1,358.44/$1 it was traded last Friday.
In the same vein, the Nigerian currency depreciated against the Pound Sterling in the official market by N13.70 to close at N1,847.72/£1 versus the preceding session’s N1,834.02/£1, and slumped against the Euro by N11.56 to sell at N1,602.29/€1 versus N1,590.73/€1.
Also, the Nigerian Naira tumbled against the greenback during the trading day by N5 to quote at N1,385/$1 compared with the previous rate of N1,380/$1, and at the GTBank FX desk, it traded flat at N1,370/$1.
The poor performance of the domestic currency could be attributed to liquidity shortage at the official currency market on Monday, which came amid surging demand for international payments. At $76.50 million, interbank liquidity printed higher across 79 deals, up from the $43.572 million reported on Friday.
Nigeria’s gross external reserves declined to $48.45 billion amid a month-long decline in inflows, amid uncertainties in the global commodity market. The depletion of foreign reserves could be partly attributed to the Central Bank of Nigeria’s intervention in the FX market.
The market remains perturbed by persistent concerns over liquidity constraints, policy transparency, and weakening confidence in Nigeria’s FX market, while boosters, including oil prices, continue to look rocky due to stalled discussions and unclear ceasefire negotiations between the US and Iran.
A look at the cryptocurrency market, Bitcoin (BTC) has been rejected near $79,000 three times in eight sessions, leaving the level as the de facto ceiling of its current trading range even as major cryptocurrencies trade lower over the past day. It lost 0.9 per cent to sell at $77,003.61.
Analysts say that upcoming US Federal Reserve policy decisions and top tech firms’ earnings this week could provide the catalyst to push bitcoin decisively above $80,000.
The market also continued to weigh Iran’s interim deal proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which failed to advance over the weekend. The White House said US officials were discussing the latest Iranian proposal but maintained “red lines” on any deal to end the eight-week war.
Solana (SOL) dropped 1.8 per cent to $84.25, Ripple (XRP) went down by 1.6 per cent to $1.39, Ethereum (ETH) depreciated by 1.3 per cent to $2,290.00, Binance Coin (BNB) declined by 0.5 per cent to $625.18, and Cardano (ADA) fell by 0.2 per cent to $0.2480.
However, Dogecoin (DOGE) rose by 2.0 per cent to $0.1002, and TRON (TRX) appreciated by 0.2 per cent to $0.3242, while the US Dollar Tether (USDT) and the US Dollar Coin (USDC) remained unchanged at $1.00 apiece.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
One of the leading salt makers in Nigeria, NASCON Allied Industries Plc, has set its eyes on some strategies aimed to deliver more value to shareholders.
The chief executive of the company, Mrs Aderemi Saka, said efforts are being made to surpass the performance of last year.
In the 2025 financial year, the organisation recorded a 27 per cent growth in revenue, while post-tax profit grew by over 100 per cent to N33.5 billion, with the earnings per share (EPS) expanding by 115 per cent to N12.41 from N5.77 Kobo in the previous year.
The impressive performance, attributed to a clear strategic vision, disciplined execution and sustained focus on cost-saving initiatives across production, logistics and fleet management, resulted in a 200 per cent increase in dividend payout to shareholders to N6 per share.
Mrs Saka, at the firm’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Lagos, said the strategic priorities for the coming year include deeper cost optimisation, expanded market penetration, strengthened energy diversification and sustainability initiatives, as well as accelerated digital transformation and process automation.
Earlier, the chairman of NASCON, Mr Olakunle Alake, informed shareholders that the achievements for last year were due to improved operational efficiency, strict cost management and the dedication of the company’s workforce.
“The operating environment in 2025 was characterised by economic volatility, persistent inflation and structural changes across key sectors. Yet, NASCON remained resilient and strategically focused, delivering outstanding value to shareholders,” Mr Alake said.
He noted that operational sustainability remains a core pillar of the organisation’s strategy, stressing that during the year, NASCON introduced Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) trucks into its logistics fleet to reduce fuel costs and minimise exposure to diesel price volatility.
In addition, the company’s state-of-the-art salt refinery, its largest production facility, now runs entirely on natural gas, significantly boosting efficiency while reinforcing NASCON’s commitment to environmental sustainability.
A director in the organisation, Mrs Tonya Lawani, emphasised that the firm remains firmly committed to the principles that have driven its excellent performance, noting that NASCON approaches the new financial year from a position of strength, with further opportunities for growth and improvement.
Speaking on behalf of shareholders, Mr Faruk Umar expressed strong confidence in the company’s trajectory, citing NASCON’s rising share price, which recently crossed the N100 mark, and projecting further appreciation.
He commended the quality of the Board and management team, noting that strong leadership and recent executive appointments have positioned the entity to deliver even greater value to all stakeholders.
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