Economy
Velex Advisory’s Approach to Financial Structuring for Business Growth
Expansion across Africa is often framed as a market opportunity.
New customers, growing adoption, and expanding digital ecosystems continue to attract businesses into multiple African markets. Yet for many companies, growth across the continent becomes difficult to sustain beyond initial entry.
Across African markets, businesses must operate within different tax regimes, currency environments, banking systems, and capital access frameworks. These differences introduce financial complexity that directly impacts how companies manage cash flow, allocate capital, and sustain operations across jurisdictions.
Over time, these issues increase financial risk and slow growth, limiting the ability of emerging growth companies and established businesses alike to scale sustainably.
Financial Advisory as a Strategic Growth Enabler
According to Velex Advisory, managing this complexity requires more than accounting. It requires a structured approach to how financial decisions are made across the business.
“Poor financial management and structure is one of the biggest challenges businesses across Africa face, especially as they expand. In many cases, growth happens faster than the systems supporting it, which then leads to cash flow pressure, inefficiencies across markets, and difficulty sustaining that growth,” says Jonathan Nwanze, Finance Manager, Velex Advisory West Africa.
Businesses, therefore, need structured, strategic financial advisory to help them:
- Align their financial structure and capital structure with the expansion strategy
- Manage capital across multiple jurisdictions, and maintain visibility across revenue and cost centers.
- Prepare for investment, funding, and capital raising
- Ensure compliance without limiting operational flexibility.
This is what enables businesses to move from operating to scaling with clarity, financial flexibility, and control across markets.
How Velex Advisory Structures Finance for Scalable Growth
Financial advisory is one of Velex Advisory’s core service areas, supporting businesses by aligning financial strategy with how they operate and expand across African markets.
Rather than treating finance as a back-office function, the firm works with companies to ensure that financial decisions support business growth, market entry, and long-term sustainability across multiple jurisdictions.
“Scaling across multiple markets requires more than access to capital. It requires discipline in how that capital is structured, deployed, and managed across the business,” says Vadim Mildov, Executive Chairman, Velex Group.
At Velex Advisory, financial advisory is delivered as a structured, hands-on process that connects financial planning with operational and strategic decision-making across the business.
This includes:
i) Tax Advisory
Operating across multiple markets requires careful alignment with different tax regimes.
Velex Advisory supports clients in structuring their operations to ensure tax efficiency while maintaining compliance with local regulations. This includes corporate tax positioning, cross-border tax considerations, and aligning tax structures with revenue flows, business plans, and overall financial goals.
ii) Financial and Investment Analysis
As businesses scale, financial visibility becomes increasingly important.
Velex Advisory provides financial and investment analysis to help businesses assess performance, evaluate growth opportunities, and prepare for investment or expansion. This includes supporting investment readiness, understanding valuation, and identifying financial risks across markets.
iii) Banking Advisory and Assurance
Access to banking infrastructure and financial institutions varies significantly across African markets.
Velex Advisory supports businesses in establishing and managing banking relationships, navigating local financial infrastructure, and aligning capital and liquidity structures with operational needs. This includes guidance on liquidity management, capital planning, and financial systems that support cross-border operations.
Connecting Financial Structure to Business Growth
Financial advisory does not operate in isolation. Velex Advisory also supports businesses across key operational and legal functions that directly impact how companies operate and expand.
“Financial structuring and legal structuring are deeply connected. Decisions around transactions, partnerships, and expansion have direct implications on risk exposure and long-term sustainability,” explains Laura Gacho, Legal Manager, Velex Advisory East Africa.
On the legal side, the firm provides support in licensing and regulatory compliance, intellectual property and data protection, and transaction advisory, including joint ventures, M&A transactions, capital raises, and strategic partnerships.
From a business advisory perspective, Velex Advisory works with clients on business establishment and development, market entry and growth strategy, human resources consulting, and due diligence and valuation support, ensuring that operational, structural, and strategic decisions are aligned from the outset.
By integrating business, legal, and financial advisory services, Velex Advisory supports companies in building structures that are not only compliant but capable of sustaining long-term success and growth across African markets.
As part of the broader Velex Group and working alongside Velex Hub and Velex Investments, the firm connects advisory, investment readiness, and expansion strategy into a single, coordinated approach across markets.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is seeking a reduction in import duty exemptions, which rose to N34 trillion, limiting its ability to increase its revenue generation threshold.
The Comptroller-General of the Customs Service, Mr Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed that the value of import duty exemption certificate approvals increased to that level in 2025, describing the policy as one of the major factors restricting its revenue generation.
At an investigative session of the Senate Committee on Finance with revenue-generating agencies in Abuja on Monday, Mr Adeniyi explained that government fiscal policies have continued to impact the revenue-generating capacity of the Customs Service, both positively and negatively.
“The NCS would have generated significantly higher revenue over the years if not for government-approved import duty waivers and other external factors affecting collections,” he said.
He added that the Import Duty Exemption Certificate scheme, introduced in March 2020, accounted for about N34 trillion in approvals in 2025, with nearly 60 per cent covering duty-free importation of military hardware due to Nigeria’s prevailing security challenges.
Other government-backed duty waivers, he noted, covered the importation of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), electric and hybrid vehicles, healthcare equipment and medical supplies, industrial machinery and manufacturing inputs, as well as food import intervention programmes.
While acknowledging the impact of the waivers on Customs revenue, Mr Adeniyi argued that fiscal policy should not be assessed solely on the basis of revenue generation but also on its broader economic and social objectives.
He, however, urged the federal government to establish stronger monitoring mechanisms to ensure beneficiaries of duty waivers deliver the intended economic outcomes, including lower consumer prices, increased local production and improved healthcare access.
The committee also expressed displeasure over the absence of several heads of government agencies invited to the hearing, including the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Industrial Training Fund (ITF), and the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jabi.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, Mr Sani Musa, warned that the affected chief executives must appear at the committee’s next sitting or face severe sanctions under the Senate’s rules.
In the competitive world of online trading, finding a trading brokerage partner that balances reliability, technological innovation, and accessible conditions is essential. Headway broker has emerged as a significant player, currently serving over 4 million users globally.
In this article, we take a detailed look at what makes this broker for trading a notable option for both novice and experienced traders.
Headway Regulatory Foundation and Safety
Safety is the cornerstone of any trading relationship. Headway broker operates under the regulation and licensing of the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA). This regulatory oversight ensures that the broker adheres to strictly defined standards for transparency and operational conduct, providing traders with an added layer of security and confidence when managing their portfolios.
Trading Platforms and Instruments
Efficiency in trading Forex and other markets is driven by the tools at your disposal. Headway provides a robust technological trading ecosystem:
Industry-Standard Platforms: The broker fully supports MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), the most widely used platforms for technical analysis and automated trading.
Proprietary Mobile App: For traders who prioritize mobility, Headway offers its own custom-built trading app. It is readily available for download on both Google Play and the App Store, allowing for seamless account management and trading on the go.
Diverse Market Access: Traders have a wide range of opportunities with access to over 300 trading instruments, ensuring plenty of choice for different strategies and asset classes.
Trading Account Types Offered by Headway
Headway broker understands that every trader enters the market with a different level of experience:
Three Account Tiers: To ensure inclusivity, the broker offers three distinct types of accounts (Cent, Standard and Pro), tailored to suit different levels of expertise and capital requirements.
Demo Account: For those looking to refine their skills without financial risk, Headway provides a comprehensive demo trading account. This is the perfect environment to practice strategies, understand how the platform works, and gain confidence before transitioning to live trading.
Customer Support and Incentives
Headway supports its user base with comprehensive resources and financial incentives:
24/7 Technical Support: Market fluctuations happen at any time. Headway provides round-the-clock technical support for the traders, ensuring that help is always available whenever a question or issue arises.
150$ No Deposit Bonus: To help new traders get started, Headway offers a $150 no deposit bonus. This is an excellent way to test the broker’s execution speed and trading environment with zero initial risk.
IB Partnership Program: Beyond individual trading, Headway fosters growth through its Introducing Broker (IB) partnership program. This allows partners to build their business and earn commissions by referring new traders to the platform.
Conclusion
With its combination of FSCA regulation, a vast range of instruments, and modern platforms like MT4, MT5, and its own proprietary app, Headway FX broker provides a comprehensive environment for modern traders. Whether you are using the demo account to hone your skills or taking advantage of the 150 no deposit welcome bonus, this broker offers the stability and tools needed for your trading journey.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange rose by 0.40 per cent on Monday, July 13, buoyed by buying interest in 11 Plc, Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc and UBN Property Plc, which offset the profit-taking in Food Concepts Plc, the parent company of Chicken Republic.
11 Plc gained N20.69 to end at N227.64 per share compared with last Friday’s price of N206.95 per share, CSCS Plc grew by N1.83 to N91.48 per unit from N89.65 per unit, and UBN Property Plc added 1 Kobo to sell at N1.81 per share versus N1.80 per share.
On the flip side, Food Concepts Plc depreciated by 24 Kobo to close at N2.45 per unit, in contrast to the preceding session’s N2.69 per unit.
As a result, the market capitalisation increased by N9.2 billion to N2.587 trillion from N2.578 trillion, and the NASD Security Index (NSI) improved by 15.33 points to 4,311.67 points from 4,296.34 points.
Yesterday, the volume of securities traded by investors surged by 615.9 per cent to 9.1 million units from the previous 1.3 million units, and the value of securities rose by 997.1 per cent to N320.4 million from the preceding session’s N29.2 million, while the number of deals decreased by 12.5 per cent to 28 deals from last Friday’s 32 deals.
At the close of trades, Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) Plc remained the most active stock by value on a year-to-date basis, with 3.4 billion units valued at N8.4 billion, followed by Infrastructure Credit Guarantee (Infracredit) Plc with 2.3 billion units worth N6.5 billion, and CSCS Plc with 73.9 million units exchanged for N5.2 billion.
GNI Plc also closed the session as the most traded stock by volume on a year-to-date basis, with 3.4 billion units sold for 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.
