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2011: Stakeholders Count Losses From Capital Market

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Operators in the Nigerian capital market will for long remember 2011 as a year the Nigerian Stock Exchange recorded persistent share price losses.

Specifically, at the close of 2011, the All-Share Index had depreciated to around 20,722.43 from the opening figure of 24,770.52 at the beginning of the year. The market capitalisation also lost about N1.65 trillion during the year.

According to report some stakeholders attributed the situation to some challenges, like inadequacy of the regulatory framework, which they said eroded investor confidence in the market.

The operators said that these challenges were also due to constant review of the interest rates, nationalisation of three commercial banks and unguarded pronouncements by the regulators, which caused further panic in the market.

Chief Executive Officer of Maxifunds Investment and Securities Limited, Okechukwu Unegbu, said that the market performed below expectations of operators in 2011.

Unegbu said that many operators and investors recorded losses as a result of the poor performance of the market and urged the regulators to urgently address the crisis of confidence and illiquidity rocking the market.

He said that the problem started during the global financial crisis in 2008 and the regulators had failed to address the problem like in other countries.

Chief Executive Officer, Pilot Finance Limited, Seyi Osunkeye, also described the performance of the market in 2011 as dismal.

He said that the market operators were disappointed at the turn of events in 2011 since a 50 per cent market growth had earlier been predicted for the year.

Osunkeye attributed the decline in the market performance to the banking sector reforms, increase in interest rates that caused movement of funds to money market instruments and liquidity crunch.

President of Progressive Shareholders Association of Nigeria (PSAN), Boniface Okezie, said that the market recorded the lowest performance in the last eight years.

Okezie said that the reforms of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) completely eroded investor confidence in the market.

He said that the market performed badly in spite of strong fundamentals of some quoted companies, adding that many equities were selling below their real value.

He pointed out that some investors had developed apathy after losing billions of naira in the three nationalised banks of Afribank, Spring Bank and Bank PHB.

President, Nigeria Shareholders Solidarity Association (NSSA), Timothy Adesiyan, said that many shareholders learnt their lessons in 2011.

Adesiyan said that he was bitter about the erosion of value of investments in the market, adding that investors would no longer rush to invest in the market.

He said also that current developments would not encourage old and potential investors to invest in the market.

The operators explained that the delisting by the NSE council of some companies created wrong impression among investors about the true state of health of the capital market.

The number of listed companies dropped from 217 in December 2010 to 201 in 2011.

The challenges gave credence to reasons offered by the Nigerian Bottling Company, United Nigerian Textile Mills and Nampak Nigeria to seek voluntary exit from the market.

In the bid to restore investor confidence in the market, the interim management of the NSE was disbanded while a new helmsman, Oscar Onyema, was appointed on April 4, 2011.

The new chief executive officer took some initiatives to restore investor confidence and enhance liquidity in the market.

Some of the initiatives included market segmentation, introduction of Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) and introduction of market makers.

Others were the introduction of new securities lending, revised listing requirements to attract new companies, revised share buy-back policy and investors clinics.

While introducing these initiatives, the NSE said that they were to serve as the pillars for long- term growth of the market.

Some of the long- term growth objectives of the market, as highlighted by Onyema, included achievement of one trillion dollar market capitalisation by 2016 and introduction of new products like options and futures.

Despite of the current challenges, the market still remains a viable tool for economic development.

However, Federal Government has been urged to hasten the forbearance stimulus being packaged for stockbrokers as a way of reviving the ailing market.

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Eazipay  Offers Zero-Interest Loans To  150,000 SMEs, Employees

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With a mission to ignite growth, encourage business continuity and help businesses and employees thrive, Eazipay is gearing up to propel the dreams of 150,000 SMEs and employees to new heights through her relief fund.
Gone are the days of financial constraints and stifled dreams. With Eazipay’s support, SMEs and employees alike can bid farewell to limitations and embrace a world of endless possibilities.
Whether it’s start up,  business expansion or personal development, Eazipay is here to make dreams come true.
The mind-blowing initiative, which  kicked off this month, would end in December, and will also offer a range of perks and benefits designed to put a smile on the faces of SMEs and employees alike.
From exclusive discounts to various advisory services and beyond, Eazipay is committed to spreading happiness and creating lasting impact in people’s lives and to the growth of businesses.
The technology company which offers products and services that range from payroll management to IT/Device management and assessments, “Eazipay isn’t just providing financial support but also unleashing a wave of growth and prosperity for SMEs and employees across the nation.
“Interested businesses and individuals can take part in this initiative directly from the Eazipay website: www.myeazipay.com”.

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SMEs Critical For Sustainable Dev – Commissioner

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The Commissioner of Finance, Lagos State, Abayomi Oluyomi, has described Small and medium Enterprises (SMEs) as a critical engine for sustainable development in any economy.
He said this recently at the 10th anniversary of the Alert Group Microfinance Bank and the opening of their new head office in Lagos.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics, SMEs accounted for about 50 per cent of Nigeria’s gross.
He commended the positive impact of the Alert MFB as it empowers SMEs in the State.
“Alert MFB in the past 10 years has been at the forefront of empowering SMEs in Lagos State, disbursing over N30bn in loans to over 30,000 individuals having small to medium businesses over that period, which is quite remarkable”, he said.
Speaking, the Group Managing Director of Alert Group, Dr Kazeem Olanrewaju, revealed that the financial institution commenced business in 2013 as a microfinance bank.
“We started this journey in 2013 and it has been expanding. Today, they have about 10 branches across Lagos. They have supported well over 30,000 clients and have disbursed over N30bn.
“The company has been profitable since the second year. Looking at the market and the available opportunity, the Alert MFB board decided to come together to establish a Microfinance Institute (MFI), which is the Auto Bucks Lenders”, Dr. Olanrewaju said.
The GMD further stated that the company was focused more on supporting businesses and small and medium enterprises.
“The loan to support business represents over 98 per cent. The consumer loans you will see are the ones given to entrepreneurs. So, the area of focus of Alert MFB and Auto Bucks Lenders is to support businesses across the country.
“With the establishment of Auto Bucks Lenders, we have the opportunity to also do business outside Lagos. So, presently, we have offices in Ogun State and Oyo State. We intend to go to every part of Nigeria to support what we are doing”, he declared.

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Retailers Explain Price Drop In  Cement Cost

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The cement market, in the last couple of weeks, has seen a significant turnaround with prices tumbling from between N10,000 and N15,000 per 50kg bag to between N7,000 and N8,000.
The sudden rise in the prices of cement and other major building materials in February this year upsets  the construction industry, especially in real estate, where many developers were forced to abandon building sites.
A recent market survey conducted by The Tide’s source in different locations across the country confirmed a price drop, ranging between N7,000 and N7,500 per bag, though BUA cement is selling for N7,500 to N7,800 per 50kg bag, depending on location.
Both entrepreneurs and major distributors who were interviewed,  explained that the price drop is due to low demand and government’s intervention.
At the peak of the price hike, the Federal Government called a meeting with major producers where it was agreed that a bag of cement should be between for N7,000 to N8,000, depending on location.
But the producers did not comply with this agreement immediately, followin which “Nigerians stopped demanding for cement; many project sites were abandoned as developers sat back and waited for the prices to come down.
“So, what has happened is an inter-play of demand and supply with price responding, which is Economics at work”, Collins Okpala, a cement dealer, told the source in Abuja.
In the Nyanya area of the Federal Capital Territory, a 50-kg bag of Dangote cement now sells for between N7,000 and N7,500, while BUA cement sells for between N8,500 and N9,500, down from between N11,000 and N12,000 respectively.
In Lagos, the product has seen significant price drop too. In Ojo area of the state, Sebastin Ovie, a dealer, told our reporter that what has happened is a crash from the January price, attributing the crash to low demand and stronger naira.
“The current price of the product is between N7,000 and N7,500 per 50kg bag, depending on the brand. This is a significant drop from the average of N12,000 which most dealers were selling in February and March”, he said.
A dealer in Agege area of the state who identified himself as Taofik Olateju, told the source that sales are picking up due to the drop in price.
He recalled that Nigerians at a point stopped buying due to the high price of the product at N15,000 per bag.
“I am sure most dealers ran at a loss then because we had mainly old stocks which we wanted to offload quickly”, he said, confirming that the product sells for between N7,500 and N8,000, depending on the brand and the demand for the brand.
Continuing, Olateju noted that “because the naira is now doing well against the dollar, it will be unreasonable for manufacturers to continue to sell the product at the old prices. I also believe that the federal government’s intervention and the threat to license more importers may have worked, leading to the reduction in price”.
In Enugu, the source reports that the product sells for between N7,200 and N7,500 depending on the brand and location.
“This is a city where the price of a 50kg bag went for as high as N12,000 and N13,000 in some cases in February and March”, Samuel Chikwendu said.
He added that the prices of other building materials, especially iron rods, have also dropped considerably which is why, he said, activities are picking up again at construction sites.
The story is slightly different in Owerri, the capital of Imo State, where Innocent Okonkwo told the source that low demand was also driving the price drop, adding that a 50kg bag was selling for N9,000 on the average in the state.
Sundry market observers are optimistic of further price reductions, but they remain cautious as manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers continue to play critical roles in setting prices for end-users.
They lamented, however, that despite Nigeria’s status as one of the largest producers of cement in Africa, the price of the product continues to rise, particularly in the face of high inflation impacting the building materials market generally.
Okpala in Abuja highlighted the variations arising from direct sourcing from manufacturers versus procurement through dealers, with traders holding old stocks selling products at prices ranging from N8,500, N8,300 to N8,000 per bag.
Lucy Nwachukwu, another dealer in Abuja, said the significance of  procurement volume in determining cement costs, noting that stability in prices has been observed over the past month, with the product retailing for between N7,000 and N7,800 depending on the brand.
In Port Harcourt also, a customer, Daniel Etteobong Effiong, said the price goes between N7500 to N8500, depending on the brand and the location one is buying from.

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