Business
Operators Predict Better Days For NSE In 2016
Some capital market operators yesterday predicted that the Nigerian stock market would witness a rebound with proper implementation of the proposed 2016 budget by the Federal Government.
They told newsmen in Lagos that market growth and development would be tied to the budget and government’s commitment to diversifying the economy.
The Managing Director, APT Securities and Funds Ltd, Malam Garba Kurfi, urged government to pursue economic and monetary policies that would bring back both foreign and local investors to the market.
Kurfi said that government should look for other sources of revenue, noting that the market had lost over N2 trillion so far because of the country’s mono product with oil as the major source of revenue.
“We are optimistic that market will experience improved performance in 2016 and government should be the first driver by ensuring proper implementation of the budget.”
“Most of the companies are trading below their fair value currently because of uncertainties in the economy,” Kurfi said.
He said that government should show more commitment to the market through the introduction of friendly policies and tax incentives to boost investors’ confidence and woo in more investors.
On the sectors that would drive the equities market, Kurfi predicted that the with government’s determination to curb insurgency in the North East, the building materials sector would witness increased activity.
He said that there would be a high demand of building materials with a lot of construction work expected in the north-east.
Kurfi added that expectations of fuel subsidy removal would boost activities in the oil and gas sector., The Managing Director, Investment One Stockbroking International Ltd, Mr Oluwole Awe, attributed the lull in the market to the insurgency in the North East, the general elections, fall in global oil price and declining foreign exchange reserves.
Awe stated that poor economic performance in Europe and Asia, weak corporate performance and the weak Naira contributed to the market development.
He called on market regulators, government and operators to ensure transparency, good corporate governance and strong investor protection to enhance confidence in the nation’s economy.
Awe added that diversification of the nation’s economy was paramount for meaningful growth and development.
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.