Business
Global Meltdown Takes toll On Nigerian Firms
The low performance of quoted companies on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) has been attributed to the global economic meltdown whose impact has just started to manifest.
Owing to the consistent depreciation of the purchasing power of Nigerians, the consumption level has dropped appreciably leading to low patronage of products and services produced by these companies.
An economist said the economic slow down is gradually taking toll on Nigerian companies.
According to him, apart from sectors that are underperforming based on the provisions they are making for exposures in their operations, other sectors which are not making provisions are still recording low returns and some losses.
His words: “What we are experiencing now goes beyond the compulsory provision required by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the National Insurance Commission of the economy. The truth of the situation on our hands is that global economic slowdown has gradually begun to creep on the companies. This has also impaired purchasing power and companies are no longer pulling the kind of turnover they used to. What this implies is that we are facing the reality of global meltdown and the earlier we realize and work to checkmate its full outburst of imminent recession, the better”.
He stressed that “Indifference and reactive measures from government will be costly at this time if the government does not stand up to curtail its movement now”.
The three companies that posted their audited results for 2008 recently all ended in losses.
First City Monument Bank’s profit after tax for instance declined by 73 per cent, sliding from N15 billion to N3.9 billion within the corresponding period of a financial year.
Guinea Insurance profit after tax also dropped by 18 per cent from N92.6 million to N75.3 million within the period.
Also, Interlinked Technologies profit after tax slumped by 108 per cent to N1.1 million against N13.1 million the previous year.
A look at the list of companies that posted their third quarter unaudited results established a similar trend. Out of 19 companies that posted their third quarter results, 11 of those results were in negative territory. The list included prominent corporate organisations like First Bank Nigeria Plc, Mobil Oil Nigeria Plc, International Breweries Plc, May & Baker Plc, UTC Nigeria Plc among others.
The loss pattern cuts across all sectors as opposed to those compelled to make provision for their bad businesses.
Business
Infrastructure Deficit, Insecurity, Limit Maritime Contribution To GDP – Expert

A Maritime stake holder, and Chairman of Sifax Group, Taiwo Afolabi, has attributed maritime industry’s minimal contribution to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to infrastructure deficit, insecurity on the nation’s waterways, low level of technology adoption, and deployment in the sector.
Afolabi made this known at the 5th Taiwo Afolabi Annual Maritime (TAAM) conference organised by the Maritime Forum of the faculty of law, University of Lagos.
Afolabi noted that other hindrances are foreign exchange bottleneck and inconsistent policies.
“These have limited the ability of the sector to contribute significantly to the country’s Gross Domestic Product GDP.
“If well harnessed, the maritime industry has the potential to become a major revenue earner for the country, particularly with the declining oil revenue.
“The lessons of the last few years as a nation should not be lost on us. The non-oil sector is increasingly becoming the mainstay of the country’s economy. We have funded our national budget in the last few years majorly without proceeds from oil but from other sectors.
“The days of our over reliance on oil is behind us now and it’s about time we focused on transitioning from an oil-dependent economy to non-oil reliance.
“The maritime sector, I can say without any fear of contradiction, will play a crucial role in this economic transitioning if more attention is committed to the industry.
“Judging by the potentials of the industry, we are of the opinion and belief that Nigeria’s maritime industry can rank among the best in the world.
“It will only take careful planning, progressive policies, generous funding, enabling environment, friendly economic policies, manpower development and massive infrastructural development”, he noted.
Business
Loans Repayment Default: DMO Exonerates Nigeria

The Debt Management Office (DMO) has refuted the claim by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) that Nigeria has defaulted in repaying its Chinese loans.
SERAP had in an earlier statement hailed the judgement that ordered the present regime led by President Muhammadu Buhari to account for how it spent $460 million obtained from China to fund the Abuja Closed-Circuit Television project which later was not implemented.
The NGO also quoted a report in its statement saying “Nigeria has failed to repay loans for which penalties stand at N41.31bn”.
But DMO in its refuttal said the statement is ‘false’ as Nigeria has not defaulted in its loan repayment.
It said, “Nigeria is fully committed to housing its debt obligations and has not defaulted on any of its debt service obligations”, DMO said on Monday.
SERAP had sued the Federal Government following a 2019 disclosure by the Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed that “Nigeria was servicing the loan”, adding that she had “no explanations on the status of the project”.
She reportedly said, “We are servicing the loan. I have no information on the status of the CCTV project”.
Giving his judgement, Justice Nwite agreed with SERAP that “there is a reasonable cause of action against the government. Accounting for the spending of the $460 million Chinese loan is in the interest of the public. It will be inimical for the court to refuse SERAP’s application for judicial review of the government’s action”.
The presiding justice also said the Minister of Finance is in charge of the finance of the country and “cannot by any stretch of imagination be oblivious of the amount of money paid to the contractors for the Abuja CCTV contract and the money meant for the construction of the headquarters of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB)”, SERAP said.
Business
CBN Names Four Firms To Print Cheques

Nigeria’s apex banking institution, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has named four local firms for the printing of cheques, excluding the Nigeria Security Printing and Minting Company (NPSMC) PLC.
The list of the approved firms for the printing of cheques was contained in a circular issued by CBN.
The circular, which was signed by the Director of Banking Services, Sam Okojere, said the approved firms include Superflux International Limited, Tripple Gee and Company, Yaliam Press Limited, and Marvelous Mike Press.
“The re-accreditation of Cheques Printers and Cheque Personalisers is in line with the relevant qualification criteria”, CBN stated.
The circular also revealed that seven banks were approved as personalisers of cheques: they are Zenith Bank Plc, Ecobank Plc, First Bank Ltd, Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc, Keystone Bank Ltd, Providus Bank Ltd and Wema Bank Plc.
It further disclosed that all accredited printers and personalisers had been duly notified and certificates issued.
The Nigeria Security Printing and Minting Company Plc is the sole printer of N200, N500, and N1000 new notes.
Nigeria Security Printing and Minting Company Plc and Euphoria Group Limited were accredited and approved on Thursday, 04 December 2014, in a letter REF: BPS/DIR/GEN/CIR/02/033.
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