Economy
Value of Unclaimed Dividends Rises to N103bn
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has continued to step up its campaign aimed to further reduce the quantum of unclaimed dividend in the Nigerian capital market.
The agency has used every occasion to appeal to investors to come forward to register for the e-dividend initiative it came up with to address the issue.
The total value of unclaimed dividend in the market currently stands at N103 billion as at December 2017.
On Tuesday, SEC held an enlightenment programme for Lagos State Probate Registry in Lagos, where it was disclosed some deceased persons were one category of investors whose investment yields have contributed to the growth of unclaimed dividends.
Acting Director-General of SEC, Ms Mary Uduk, in her welcome address at the seminar, said the beneficiaries of these sums as indicated in the will or letter of administration were yet to claim the investments and accrued dividends through the share transmission process.
Ms Uduk, who was represented by the Acting Executive Commissioner in charge of Operations at SEC, Isyaku Tilde, said the purpose of the enlightenment programme was to give participants an understanding of the operations of the capital market, especially in the areas of transmission of shares and administration of estate; areas in which the Probate Registry was a key stakeholder.
“The capital market is a market for raising medium to long term capital via a number of instruments. The most popular of the instruments are shared and bonds with resultant yield of dividends and interests respectively.
“However, the quantum of unclaimed dividends in the Nigerian capital market has been on the increase, as investors fail to claim the dividend from their investment in shares,” the SEC chief said.
Ms Uduk restated SEC’s readiness to collaborate with the probate registry staff so that together the Nigerian capital market can become a desirable investment destination.
During the programme, the Acting DG congratulated the Probate Registry on the recent inauguration of the e-filing system, saying it will guarantee integrity of data, provide for online tracking of applications, simplify and shorten the application process of Letter of Administration and grants.
In a keynote address, Justice A.A. Oyebanji, who represented the Chief Judge of Lagos State, commended the Commission on the enlightenment programme, which she said will go a long way in aiding the staff of the Probate Registry in the discharge of their duty.
Justice Oyebanji said the Registry processed legal instruments for the administration of the real and personal estate of a deceased, who was a resident, and who owned landed properties in Lagos State.
She disclosed that the Registry is also now fully-computerised, and all applications must be made online.
“This e-Probate system was introduced primarily to ensure a more efficient delivery of services to elements of the public. It is aimed at reducing significantly the length of time required to obtain a grant in Ikeja of the Lagos Division,” she added.
Economy
BNB Price Reflects Changing Dynamics in the Digital Asset Market
Economy
NASD Unlisted Security Index Crosses 4,000-point Benchmark Again
By Adedapo Adesanya
The NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange achieved a milestone on Friday, April 24, 2026, after five securities on the platform helped with a 1.85 per cent growth.
Data showed that the NASD Unlisted Security Index (NSI) again crossed the 4,000-point benchmark yesterday.
The index chalked up 73.64 points during the trading day to close at 4,052.59 points compared with the preceding session’s 3,978.95 points, while the market capitalisation added N5.38 billion to finish at N2.424 trillion versus Thursday’s closing value of N2.380 trillion.
The price gainers were led by Okitipupa Plc, which grew by N25.00 to sell at N305.00 per share compared with the previous price of N280.00 per share. Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc gained N6.92 to close at N76.26 per unit versus N69.34 per unit, Afriland Properties Plc appreciated by N1.00 to N17.00 per share from N18.00 per share, FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc improved by 55 Kobo to N99.55 per unit from N99.00 per unit, and Food Concepts Plc increased by 5 Kobo to N2.70 per share from N2.65 per share.
However, there was a price loser, MRS Oil, which dipped by N21.75 to N195.75 per unit from N217.50 per unit.
During the final session of the week, the value of securities jumped 75.2 per cent to N41.3 million from N23.6 million units, and the number of deals expanded by 62.9 per cent to 44 deals from 27 deals, while the volume of securities declined marginally by 0.9 per cent to 447,403 units from 451,522 units.
At the close of trades, Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) Plc was the most traded stock by volume (year-to-date) 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 traded for N1.2 billion.
GNI was also the most active stock by value (year-to-date) with 3.4 billion units sold for N8.4 billion, followed by CSCS Plc with 59.6 million units transacted for N4.0 billion, and Okitipupa Plc with 27.8 million units exchanged for N1.9 billion.
Economy
Naira Slips to N1,358/$1 as FX Reserves, Policy Uncertainty Concerns
By Adedapo Adesanya
It was not a good day for the Nigerian Naira in the currency market on Friday, April 24, as its value depreciated against the major foreign currencies at the close of transactions.
In the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEX), it lost N4.53 or 0.33 per cent against the United States Dollar yesterday to trade at N1,358.44/$1, in contrast to the N1,353.91/$1 it was exchanged on Thursday.
Equally, the domestic currency slipped against the Pound Sterling in the official market during the session by N8.14 to close at N1,834.02/£1, compared with the previous rate of N1,825.88/£1 and dropped N8.01 against the Euro to sell at N1,590.73/€1 versus N1,582.72/€1.
Also, the Naira depreciated against the US Dollar at the GTBank FX desk on Friday by N4 to quote at N1,370/$1 compared with the previous session’s N1,366/$1, and at the parallel market, it depleted by N5 to settle at N1,380/$1 versus the preceding day’s N1,375/$1.
Data published by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) indicated that NFEM interbank turnover surged to N43.562 million across 68 deals, up from N28.117 million the previous day.
Despite the CBN’s reassurance that the recent drop in external reserves is not worrisome, the market remains unsettled by persistent concerns over liquidity constraints, policy transparency, and weakening confidence in Nigeria’s FX market as gross reserves continue to decline to $48.4 billion.
The outlook for the Dollar appears supported by broader macro risks, including elevated oil prices tied to the tanker traffic disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and a continued US-Iran standoff over ceasefire negotiations.
A look at the digital currency market showed that investors are sitting on the edge as the US Dollar rebounded amid geopolitical and inflation risks despite continued inflows into US spot bitcoin Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs).
Solana (SOL) rose by 1.2 per cent to sell $86.45, Cardano (ADA) appreciated by 1.1 per cent to $0.2517, Dogecoin (DOGE) grew by 0.9 per cent to $0.0989, Ripple (XRP) improved by 0.3 per cent to $1.43, Ethereum (ETH) soared by 0.2 per cent to $2,316.83, and Binance Coin (BNB) chalked up 0.1 per cent to sell for $637.44.
However, TRON (TRX) depreciated by 1.3 per cent to $0.3235, and Bitcoin (BTC) lost 0.2 per cent to close at $77,562.27, while the US Dollar Tether (USDT) and the US Dollar Coin (USDC) closed flat at $1.00 each.
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