Business
Analysts React To 2016 Budget Signing
Wares displayed during a Small and Medium Scale Enterprises fair in Lagos last Monday.
As President
Muhammadu Buhari finally assented to the controversial 2016 budget, some analysts have expressed divergent views on the issue.
The analysts, who bared their minds in an interview with The Tide in Port Harcourt said the federal government should judiciously implement the budget to its letter in order to revive the dwindling economy of the country.
According to them, the signing into law of the N6.06 trillion budget was long over-due, despite its controversy and issues of padding, and commended the president for standing his ground against such fraudulent manipulations.
They noted that as the administration is out to fight corruption, let transparency and accountability be their watchword, in order to justify the change mantra.
Pastor Stephen Atamuno-Osi said the masses are impressed with the signing of the budget which was long expected and what we are waiting is the fast implementation for things to improve in the country.
Atamuno-Osi wants the implementation be immediate since the change agenda depends on the budget, and commended President Muhammadu Buhari as the masses await its full implementation for the country to move forward.
Another analyst, Randy Okoloma expressed delight with the signing into law of the 2016 budget tagged “Budget of Change” by the President, Muhammadu Buhari, but noted that the controversy and processes that the budget passed through were not in the best interest of the nation.
According to him, there should be strict monitoring and implementation of the budget to avoid misappropriation as the present administration is out to ensure corruption in Nigeria becomes a thing of the past, adding, “let the government and the various ministries and agencies present quarterly report on how funds allocated to them were utilised and expended”.
Another analyst, Ephraim Okonko Igbanam said the masses were disappointed over the delay in signing the 2016 budget into law almost a year after, saying that it has lost its credibility and value.
“I think it is no longer news that the 2016 budget had finally been signed by the President, because the controversy and irrelevant issues raised on it have made the whole thing look childish, and people are afraid if it will be implemented accordingly”, he lamented.
In his own reaction, Charles Ikkennam however noted that with the signing of the budget, the economy of the country would improve and the people would soon heave a sign of relief.
Collins Barasimeye
Cornerstone of Financial Services
A survey of more than 1 000 global finance leaders undertaken by digital payment network Ripple shows that 72% of respondents believe they need to offer a digital asset solution to remain competitive.
According to Ripple, leaders from the banking, fintech, corporate and asset management sector have made it clear that the “digital asset revolution is happening now”.
“Digital assets are quickly becoming a cornerstone of financial services, underpinned by progressive regulation, growing interest from Tier-1 banks, a steady consumer shift from banks to fintech providers, and booming stablecoin adoption,” Ripple says.
The survey was conducted in early 2026 and the findings released in March.
Stablecoin Boon or Bane?
Ripple has experienced significant success in the stablecoin sector since launching its Ripple USD (RLUSD) stablecoin in 2024.
With a market cap of $1.56 billion, it is considered a major regulated player in the market.
No doubt the platform was pleased to learn through its own survey that financial leaders were most bullish about stablecoins.
Roughly three-quarters of respondents believed they could boost cash-flow efficiency and unlock trapped working capital.
Ripple noted that finance leaders were thinking about stablecoins as more than “just a new way to execute payments”; instead, they viewed them as effective tools for treasury management.
In March 2026, Ripple began testing a new trade finance model built around RLUSD in a bid to increase the speed of cross-border payments.
The pilot initiative, developed alongside supply chain finance company Unloq [https://unloq.com], is running on the XRP Ledger inside a testing framework developed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
The Asian city-state is one of the platform’s biggest growth markets.
The idea behind the project is to see whether stablecoin-based settlement can streamline trade finance, too often hampered by reliance on intermediaries and slow reconciliation.
The only potential drawback is that if the initiative takes off, the Ripple to USD price could be negatively affected.
Ripple has always championed its native XRP token as a bridge asset, the “middleman” in the process of a financial institution turning dollars in the US into pounds in the UK, for example.
Ripple converts dollars into XRP and then back into pounds.
If RLUSD can do exactly the same thing, questions will be asked about XRP’s relevance.
That is a bridge Ripple will have to cross if it gets to that point.
Tokenisation Partners
Another interesting finding from Ripple’s survey is that most banks and asset managers are seeking tokenisation partners to help execute their strategies.
Some 89% of respondents said digital asset storage and custody were top priority. “Token servicing/lifecycle management also ranks highly for banks at 82%, while asset managers place greater emphasis on primary distribution at 80%,” Ripple found.
The survey also revealed that just more than half of fintechs and financial institutions want an infrastructure provider that can offer a “one-stop-shop solution”. This rose to 71% among corporate financial leaders.
Ripple attributes this to institutions and firms wanting uncomplicated, cohesive systems.
Infrastructure Rules
In its final analysis, Ripple says companies across the board are looking for partners and solutions that are “secure, compliant, battle-tested and that enable growth and execution”.
“The message is clear: infrastructure decisions made today will shape competitive positioning tomorrow.”
No surprise that this is precisely where Ripple is placing much of its focus.