Feature/OPED
Diversifying into Foreign Assets – All You Need to Know

By FBNQuest
Many Nigerian investors may think that investing in a foreign currency asset is an exotic venture for ultra-high-net-worth investors. On the contrary, diversifying into foreign currency assets may be easier than you think and offers both short-term and long-term benefits.
Over the past few years, a growing number of savvy investors are putting their money into vehicles that offer exposure to low-risk dollar assets. This allows them to better manage the currency risk associated with a volatile exchange rate. They are doing this by investing in instruments like Eurobonds.
Eurobonds are debt instruments that are denominated in a currency, such as the US dollar, other than the home currency of the country or market in which it is issued. Nigeria’s federal government and several companies have issued Eurobonds that are currently traded on international financial markets.
Though the Eurobond market was previously dominated by investors from large banks and financial institutions, it has now become more accessible to everyone. Individuals are able to invest in Eurobonds directly or indirectly by investing in mutual funds created for this purpose.
Among the main benefits of investing in Eurobonds is the diversification of your investment portfolio. It is never a good idea to put all your eggs in one basket, it is better to spread your investments across several asset classes or issuers.
In addition to the returns that you could potentially make from the investment, you also benefit from the protection against a possible depreciation of the naira relative to the US dollar. If the naira depreciates against the dollar, then the return that you make on your investment in a Eurobond actually increases in naira terms.
Investing in a Eurobond is a relatively medium-risk investment option for those seeking exposure to assets denominated in foreign currency. Eurobonds offer fixed coupons or interest payments. The return on the investment is, therefore, more predictable. What you can make from a Eurobond also beats the interest that you will earn in most dollar domiciliary accounts in Nigeria.
Consider the FBN Dollar Fund offered by FBNQuest. It is a medium to a long-term investment fund that provides income and capital appreciation by investing in US dollar-denominated instruments issued by the Nigerian government and reputable corporate institutions. It is well suited for and adaptable to any investor type. The Fund offers attractive returns, safety, and liquidity to investors.
Feature/OPED
Local Supply Chain Support – From Seed to Sip

By Abiola Laseinde
From the soil of Northern Nigeria from where grains are sourced, to the bubbling breweries in the South that bottle joy, and finally to your glass, beer is more than just a beverage. It is a cultural artefact, a celebration of local entrepreneurship, and it is a sustainable force of development. As the world observes International Beer Day, what better time to spotlight the engine room of this golden industry: Nigeria’s local beer supply chain
The Nigerian beer industry is one of the most dynamic in Africa, and caters to over 200 million consumers. Yet, beyond the stream of iconic labels and festival commercials, lives a vibrant ecosystem that adds value. Farmers, transportation engineers, marketers, bar owners, recyclers, and innovators, are reliant on beer production and delivery for gainful employment.
Sourcing fresh grains from Nigerian farmers makes beer companies contributors to rural economic development, supporters of agronomic innovation and diversification, and a means of reducing import dependency. Local sourcing alleviates food security and supports the building blocks of industrial self-reliance. Opening a bottle of beer in essence, is a silent salute to the thousands of farmers working across the rich, fertile lands of Nigeria
Beer binds cultures together, whether being toasted at a naming ceremony in Abeokuta or downed at the end of a long day in Jos, beer has become a nexus of community across tribes, religions, and class. Beer unifies people, encourages conversations, and often plays a backseat role in defining moments in one’s life.
Beyond that, beer tells an indigenous Nigerian story. From the packaging that pays tribute to our heritage, to advertisements that mirror our humor, odds, and wins, beer serves as a lens into our identity. In many ways, when people engage with beer, they are not merely consuming it; they are experiencing it.
This layered value chain is also a training ground. Often, breweries will up skill employees with technical skills training, workplace safety protocols, and environmental sustainability, which means they are producing a skilled national workforce. It is an ecosystem where blue-collar and white-collar roles intersect, providing a balanced socio-economic impact.
Beer production today is being managed with the environment in mind. Increasingly Nigerian beer companies are looking to use renewable energy; treat wastewater; and implement circular packaging. Grains can be repurposed to animal feed, glass bottles recycled, and even introducing new technologies such as lighter-weight cans to mitigate carbon emissions. These actions are more than just corporate responsibility; they are commitments to Nigeria’s future.
As we raise our glasses high this International Beer Day, we must recognize the leg of the journey from seed to sip. Beer is more than a drink; it is an industry that provides families with food and shelter, builds communities, shapes culture, and now, takes into account its footprint on the planet. The local supply chain is not only strong but also strategic!
In celebrating and supporting this industry, we do not just celebrate a product, we celebrate potential, resilience, and the Nigerian spirit of enterprise.
Mrs Abiola Laseinde is the Executive Director of the Beer Sectoral Group (BSG)
Feature/OPED
7 Delicious Ways to Enjoy More Fresh Vegetables Daily

By Diana Tenebe
Vegetables are such a rich source of vitamins, minerals and fiber. They play a vital role in maintaining good health as they are low in calories and fat; contributing to various aspects of well-being, including improved digestion, reduced risk in chronic diseases, and better weight management.
Eating enough fresh vegetables is crucial for a healthy lifestyle, and it can actually be tastier than you think, especially with Nigeria’s abundant fresh produce. Here are 7 delicious ways you can incorporate more vibrant, wholesome goodness into your daily menus.
1. Elevate Your Soups and Stews: This is the usual way you know to add vegetables to your meals. But beyond the usual, you can add extra leafy greens like ugu (fluted pumpkin), shoko, efo, or even a handful of chopped spinach or kale to your egusi, ogbono, or even light soup. Don’t forget bell peppers, carrots, and spring onions for extra flavor and nutrients. Nigerian soups are already vegetable-heavy; simply upping the quantity and variety makes a significant difference without altering the core dish.
2. Boost Your Rice and Pasta Dishes: You can turn your Jollof rice, fried rice, or even a simple white rice accompaniment into a veggie powerhouse. Sauté a medley of diced carrots, green beans, sweet corn, peas, and bell peppers, then stir them in. For pasta, add zucchini, eggplant, or mushrooms to your sauce. These additions provide texture, color, and a nutrient punch, making familiar dishes more exciting and wholesome.
3. Reinvent Your Breakfast Eggs: Whether you’re making scrambled eggs, an omelette, or egg sauce, load it with finely chopped tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, spinach, or even shredded cabbage. This is a quick and easy way to start your day with a serving of vegetables, adding freshness and flavor to a breakfast staple.
4. Make More Salad a Main Event (or a Strong Side): Go beyond the basic coleslaw. Combine lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, carrots, and bell peppers. Add some boiled eggs, grilled chicken or fish, or even boli (roasted plantain) for a more filling meal. Drizzle with a light vinaigrette or a homemade dressing. Salads offer raw, unadulterated nutrients and can be incredibly refreshing, especially in Nigeria’s climate.
5. Snack Smart with Veggie Sticks and Dips: Cut carrots, cucumbers, bell peppers (various colours), and even garden eggs into easy-to-munch sticks. Pair them with a healthy dip like groundnut paste thinned with a little water and spices, or a simple homemade avocado dip. It’s a convenient and crunchy alternative to processed snacks, providing fiber and vitamins. Perfect for mid-day cravings.
6. Incorporate Them into Your Swallows (Eba, Fufu, Amala): While your soup already has vegetables, consider side dishes. A small bowl of lightly steamed or sautéed greens like tete or ugwu can accompany your main soup and swallow. Or, finely grate vegetables like carrots into your amala flour before preparation for a subtle addition. This method subtly increases your vegetable intake with dishes that are central to Nigerian cuisine.
7. Grill or Roast Them for a Flavorful Side: Slice eggplant, bell peppers, onions, zucchini, and even large mushrooms. Toss them with a little olive oil, salt, pepper, and your favourite Nigerian spices (like a touch of yaji for a kick), then grill or roast until tender and slightly caramelized. Grilling or roasting brings out the natural sweetness of vegetables, creating a delicious and satisfying side dish for grilled fish, chicken, or even rice.
By trying these simple yet effective methods, you can easily and deliciously boost your daily vegetable intake, leading to a healthier and more vibrant lifestyle!
Diana Tenebe is the Chief Operating Officer of Foodstuff Store
Feature/OPED
Lagos Ports Modernization: The Time is Now!

By Timi Olubiyi, PhD
The bustling heart of Nigeria’s maritime economy is Apapa Lagos, and has long been the epicenter of trade and commerce in West Africa if I am not mistaken. Yet, beneath the vibrant activity and the constant hum of trailers and trucks, there lies a significant issue that has plagued the city’s ports for years, congestion.
This challenge has become a bottleneck not only for the flow of goods but also for businesses and residence living in that environs, which, above all, do have negative impact on the nation’s overall economic growth. Every day, thousands of containers pile up at the Lagos ports, causing delays, increasing costs, and frustrating stakeholders.
In fact, a recent report from the World Bank showed that congestion at Nigerian ports, particularly in Lagos, costs the country an estimated $19 billion annually. But what if there were a way to tackle this problem head-on? Enter the world of smart technologies. the game-changer that could radically transform Lagos ports, making them more efficient, responsive, and globally competitive.
Looking around the world, one cannot help but admire the seamless flow of goods in ports like Singapore, Rotterdam, and Hong Kong hubs that are seen as the gold standard for port efficiency.
For instance, Singapore’s port, one of the busiest in the world, has adopted an array of smart technologies, including automation in container handling, real-time tracking systems, and intelligent traffic management, which ensure smooth operations despite handling millions of containers annually.
Similarly, Rotterdam’s implementation of AI-driven logistics and smart port management systems has significantly reduced waiting times for vessels and trucks, increasing throughput and reducing operational costs. These global success stories demonstrate that congestion at ports isn’t inevitable, it’s a challenge that can be overcome with the right technological solutions.
Lagos, however, faces a unique set of challenges that make the situation particularly dire. The Apapa and Tin Can Island ports, which handle the lion’s share of Nigeria’s maritime trade, have been chronically congested, leading to a cascade of economic inefficiencies. Trucks laden with cargo are often forced to wait for days, sometimes weeks, outside the ports due to poorly organized systems and inadequate infrastructure.
According to a study by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, trucks spend an average of 10 to 15 days waiting to gain entry into the ports. The congestion is not just about space; it’s a reflection of outdated processes, inefficient customs procedures, and poor traffic management. The impact is felt across the supply chain, with delays in the importation of goods, higher transportation costs, and, ultimately, higher prices for consumers. Worse still, this inefficiency creates a vicious cycle: shipping lines avoid Lagos, choosing more efficient ports like those in Ghana and Benin Republic, further reducing Nigeria’s competitive edge in global trade.
But while the challenges are evident, they are not undefeatable or insurmountable. Smart technologies, when effectively integrated into Lagos port operations, it can bring transformative changes that we all hope for.
Globally, automation is at the forefront of this transformation and that should be the goal. Automated cranes, for instance, can speed up the loading and unloading of containers, significantly reducing turnaround time for vessels.
In ports like Hamburg and Los Angeles, automated systems have helped reduce the time it takes to clear containers from days to mere hours. Lagos can adopt these technologies by introducing automated container handling systems and smart scheduling tools that ensure timely and efficient operations.
Implementing a Port Community System (PCS), which connects all stakeholders, shipping companies, customs officials, truckers, port authorities, and freight forwarders, on a single platform, would streamline communication and reduce bottlenecks.
When harmonisation of all the responsibilities of stakeholders at the port is achieved, it can improve efficiency by providing real-time updates on container status and reducing the time spent on customs clearance. A good example is the PCS in Dubai; this system can be studied for adoption.
Another promising solution is the implementation of real-time cargo tracking systems. With GPS and IoT sensors, containers can be tracked at every stage of their journey, from the port to the final destination. This visibility improves coordination between all parties involved in the supply chain, reducing the time containers spend in port and on trucks.
Smart traffic management systems can also be deployed to regulate the flow of vehicles, optimizing entry and exit routes, thus reducing delays and preventing bottlenecks. The Port of Rotterdam has long relied on smart traffic systems to streamline vehicle access, ensuring that trucks only arrive when they have a specific time slot, thereby preventing overcrowding. Lagos ports can implement similar systems, with real-time data analytics to predict and manage truck movements, ensuring smooth entry and reducing congestion outside the ports.
However, it is not just about the technology itself, effective policy reforms and infrastructure investments are also essential for realizing the full potential of these innovations at the ports. One key area of improvement is in customs procedures. In many cases, cumbersome and outdated customs processes delay goods even before they reach the port gates. A single-window clearance system, which has proven successful in ports like Hong Kong and Singapore, would streamline these processes, enabling quicker inspections and approvals. By adopting such reforms, Lagos ports can reduce the time it takes to clear goods, which in turn would help alleviate congestion.
From observations, investing in port infrastructure is another critical area. The road network connecting the ports to key commercial areas of Lagos is often clogged with traffic, making it difficult to move goods in and out efficiently.
Constructing dedicated rail routes out of the ports, implementing intelligent traffic control systems, and upgrading key port entry and exit points would reduce congestion on the road. Ports like Antwerp have demonstrated the power of such infrastructure investments in improving port access and reducing waiting times.
Similarly, Lagos ports must prioritize both physical infrastructure improvements and the adoption of smart infrastructure technologies to ensure that the city’s ports are fit for the demands of modern trade.
To make these improvements sustainable, public-private partnerships (PPPs) will be key. Given the scale of the investment required for smart technology adoption and infrastructure development, Lagos State, the federal government, and private sector stakeholders such as port operators and technology providers must collaborate to bring these solutions to life. Public-private partnerships in the maritime sector have already proven successful in other countries, such as in the Port of Melbourne, where such collaborations have enhanced operational efficiency and fostered innovation.
In conclusion the economic benefits of these improvements are immense. Not only would decongestion lead to more efficient port operations, but it would also help reduce the costs of importation, which is vital for a country like Nigeria that heavily depends on imports for goods and services.
In addition, the implementation of smart technologies would create high-tech jobs in fields such as data analytics, software development, automation, and logistics. This would not only help tackle the unemployment crisis in Nigeria but would also position Lagos as a regional hub for innovation and trade.
Ultimately, the future of the city’s ports lies in automation, innovation, and collaboration ensuring that Nigeria’s economic potential flows as smoothly as the containers through its ports. The time to act is now. Lagos, and indeed Nigeria, cannot afford to be left behind in the race for port modernization. Good Luck!
How may you obtain advice or further information on the article?
Dr Timi Olubiyi is an Entrepreneurship and Business Management expert with a PhD in Business Administration from Babcock University, Nigeria. A prolific investment coach, columnist, author, adviser, seasoned scholar, Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI), Member of the Institute of Directors, and Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) registered capital market operator. He can be reached on the Twitter handle @drtimiolubiyi and via email: drtimiolubiyi@gmail.com, for any questions, reactions, and comments. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, Dr. Timi Olubiyi and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of others.
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