Business
Stockbrokers Attribute Market Growth To Impressive Q1 Results
Some capital market operators have attributed the recent rally in the capital market to impressive first quarter results of some firms.
They said in Lagos that the impressive results had increased local investors’ participation in the market.
The Managing Director of APT Securities and Funds Ltd., Malam Garba Kurfi, said that the growth was also driven by the reforms embarked on by the federal government.
According to Kurfi, the introduction of market making and prompt release of quarterly and audited results by companies have boosted investors’ confidence in the market.
The managing director of Compass Securities Ltd., Mr Emeka Madubuike, said that the market regulators and stockbrokers had ensured more transparency in transactions unlike in the past.
He said that the strong earnings of many quoted companies had made the Nigerian capital market one of the most rewarding markets in Africa.
Madubuike said that the trend would continue when more companies released their results, adding that the market would experience more activities with major development in political and economic areas.
A stockbroker with Mega Securities, Mr Emma Ndu, called for introduction of more reforms for sustainable growth of the market.
He said that there was the need for more investor education to increase participation of local investors.
Meanwhile, the NSE All-Share Index appreciated by 897.53 points or 2.49 per cent last week to close at 36,907.81 against the 36,010.28 recorded in the preceding week.
The market capitalisation rose by N285 billion or 2.47 per cent last week to close at N11.79 trillion against the N11.51 trillion achieved in the preceding week.
The price gainers’ chart indicated that Courteville Business Solutions led in percentage terms by 57.38 per cent or 35k to close at 96k per share.
Eterna followed with 45.56 per cent growth or N1.23 to close at N3.93, while UTC Nigeria improved by 41.54 per cent or 27k to close at 92k per share.
On the other hand, Okomu Oil Palm topped the losers’ chart by 49.35 per cent or N52.56 to close at N53.94 per share.
Business
Agency Gives Insight Into Its Inspection, Monitoring Operations
Business
BVN Enrolments Rise 6% To 67.8m In 2025 — NIBSS
The Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) has said that Bank Verification Number (BVN) enrolments rose by 6.8 per cent year-on-year to 67.8 million as at December 2025, up from 63.5 million recorded in the corresponding period of 2024.
In a statement published on its website, NIBSS attributed the growth to stronger policy enforcement by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the expansion of diaspora enrolment initiatives.
NIBSS noted that the expansion reinforces the BVN system’s central role in Nigeria’s financial inclusion drive and digital identity framework.
Another major driver, the statement said, was the rollout of the Non-Resident Bank Verification Number (NRBVN) initiative, which allows Nigerians in the diaspora to obtain a BVN remotely without physical presence in the country.
A five-year analysis by NIBSS showed consistent growth in BVN enrolments, rising from 51.9 million in 2021 to 56.0 million in 2022, 60.1 million in 2023, 63.5 million in 2024 and 67.8 million by December 2025. The steady increase reflects stronger compliance with biometric identity requirements and improved coverage of the national banking identity system.
However, NIBSS noted that BVN enrolments still lag the total number of active bank accounts, which exceeded 320 million as of March 2025.
The gap, it explained, is largely due to multiple bank accounts linked to single BVNs, as well as customers yet to complete enrolment, despite the progress recorded.
