Business
Investors Gain N73.07bn As Equities Market Adds 0.58%
Despite weak sentiments, the Nigerian equities market closed positive last week as All Share Index (ASI) gain 0.58 per cent. Thus local bourse recorded its largest weekly gain in seven weeks.
Investors profited N73.07bn during the week, as market capitalisation closed the week at N12.74 trillion from the previous weekend’s N12.67 trillion, also representing 0.58 per cent value gain.
Consequently, the ASI of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) gained 140.07 basis points, after opening the week at 24,287.66bps to close at 24,427.73ps.
NSE indicated that the ASI opened the week bearish, with 0.07 per cent loss, and was sustained on Tuesday with increased loss of 0.39, while the market closed flat at midweek, owing to buying interests in healthcare stocks. However, on Thursday demand for Dangote Cement and MTN pushed the index 1.4 per cent, before slowing down on Friday at 0.34 per cent.
Performance index across the sectors was down, except for the NSE Industrial Goods which closed marginally 0.60 per cent higher, while the NSE Oil/Gas index led decliners after losing 4.67 per cent, followed by the NSE Insurance, Banking and Consumer goods that closed 0.80, 0.62 and 0.38 percentile, respectively.
Transactions during the week in terms of volume and value were up by 32.35 per cent and 93.95 per cent respectively as investors exchanged 1.35 billion shares worth N14.54 billion from the previous week’s 1.02 billion units valued at N7.44 billion. The week’s volume was boosted by trades in financial services, conglomerates and consumer goods stocks, especially FBN Holdings, UAC Nigeria, United Bank for Africa, Sterling Bank and Flour mills.
The best performing stocks for the week were Fidson Healthcare and Unity Bank which gained 18.11 per cent and 15.56 per cent respectively, closing at N3.13 and N0.52 per unit on market sentiment and forces. On the flip side, Prestige Assurance and International Brewery lost 14.81 per cent and 10.53 per cent respectively, closing at N0.46 and N3.40per share on profit-taking and selloffs respectively.
For the week ahead, Ambrose Omordion, Chief Research Officer of Investdata Consulting Ltd expect volatility to continue as more half-year earnings reporting season hit the market, ahead of reports from interim dividend-paying stocks in August, amidst reaction to good and bad earnings, month-end window dressing by market players and fund managers.
The United States Trade Representative (USTR) has criticised Nigeria’s import ban on 25 categories of goods, claiming that the restrictions limit market access for American exporters.
This is the effect of President Donald Trump’s tariffs introduction on goods entering the United States, with Nigeria facing a 14 per cent duty.
The USTR highlighted the impact of Nigeria’s import ban on various sectors, particularly agriculture, pharmaceuticals, beverages, and consumer goods.
The restrictions affect items such as beef, pork, poultry, fruit juices, medicaments, and alcoholic beverages, which the United States sees as significant barriers to trade.
The agency argues that these limitations reduce export opportunities for United States businesses and lead to lost revenue.
“Nigeria’s import ban on 25 different product categories impacts United States exporters, particularly in agriculture, pharmaceuticals, beverages, and consumer goods.
“Restrictions on items like beef, pork, poultry, fruit juices, medicaments, and spirits limit United States market access and reduce export opportunities.
“These policies create significant trade barriers that lead to lost revenue for United States businesses looking to expand in the Nigerian market”, the agency said .
In 2016, Nigeria implemented the ban on these 25 items as part of efforts to control imports and stimulate local production.
Some of the banned items include poultry, pork, refined vegetable oil, sugar, cocoa products, spaghetti, beer, and certain medicines.
On March 26, 2025, the Federal Government also announced plans to halt solar panel imports to encourage local manufacturing as part of its push for clean energy.
A leading agribusiness strategist and digital agriculture expert, Ayo Oluwa Okediji, has sought cooperative-driven investments in sustaining growth of poultry industry in Nigeria.
He said the poultry industry was at a defining moment and requires urgent structural reforms to secure its future and ensure long-term sustainability.
Speaking on the theme, “Strengthening Poultry Farming Through Cooperative Synergy and Strategic Investments”, at the recently concluded Oyo Mega Poultry Workshop 2025 in Ibadan, Okediji called on poultry farmers, cooperative leaders, financial institutions and policy makers to rethink the existing structure of the poultry sector.
He stressed the need to transition from fragmented, individually-driven operations to well-structured, cooperative-led enterprises capable of attracting sustainable financing and securing long-term viability.
He said, “Our poultry sector cannot thrive on individual effort alone. We need to organise ourselves into cooperative clusters, build strong governance systems and position ourselves to attract the level of investment needed to sustain this industry beyond this generation.”
Drawing on lessons from successful global cooperative models such as Rabobank in the Netherlands and Landus Cooperative in the United States, Okediji introduced the FarmClusters Poultry Model, a locally adapted solution developed by Agribusiness Dynamics Technology Limited (AgDyna), a subsidiary of AgroInfoTech Africa.
According to him, the model is currently being piloted in Oyo State in partnership with PANOY Agribusiness Limited and local poultry cooperatives.
The Rivers State Representative of the Nigeria Chambers of Commerce, Mines, Industries and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Mr. Erasmus Chukwundah, has urged palm oil farmers to consider hybrid seedlings for planting, if they must break even in palm oil business.
Chukwundah said this recently at the Free Oil Palm Business Climate Smart Best Management Practice/Assistance Training organized by Partnership Initiative In Niger Delta (PIND) for Palm Oil Farmers in Elele, Ikwerre Local Government Area.
The Rivers representative said until palm oil farmers begin to consider such hybrid oil palm seedlings, they may not meet up with the daily increasing demand of palm oil in the market.
According to him, the seedlings produce up to 30 bunches at once that ripen same time.
He said PIND decided to partner with Oil Palm Growers Association of Nigeria (OPGAN) to ensure that the message was received by the targeted audience.
According to him, palm oil remained a popular choice of industry operators as it could be converted to many other products such as vegetable cooking oil.
He also noted that products such as motor tyers, marine ropes and others are now gotten from the palm tree.
Chukwundah, who is the immediate past Director-General of Port Harcourt Chamber of Commerce, Mines, Industries, and Agriculture (PHCCIMA), further warned against use of unrecommended fertilisers in growing oil palms.
He noted that such practices could limit its export value or chances as the foreign marketers have a way of detecting such .
He reiterated the need for organic fertilizers, including poultry droppings, to enable them have a natural palm oil.
“People must reduce physical contact with palm oil production. That is why we are campaigning for hydrolic oil mills. The foreign markets are no longer interested in crude method of palm oil production”, he said.
Meanwhile, one of the farmers, Sonny Didia, who appreciated Chukwundah’s commitment towards the concern of farmers, appealed for an urgent need for loan opportunity with low interest rate in order to enable them beat the target.
King Onunwor