Connect with us

Business

Market Operators Call For Margin Loans’ Absorption

Published

15 years ago

on

Some capital market operators on Thursday said the Federal Government’s intervention in the financial sector could only be effective if the contentious issue of margin loans was addressed.

Margin loans are loans taken by investors to buy stocks in the capital market. The loans are taken to take advantage of a prevailing situation to position themselves in the market.

Some of the loans have gone bad because of the crisis on the Nigerian Stock Exchange which has led to slide of stock prices.

The market operators said in separate interview in Lagos that the outstanding margin loans should be absorbed by the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) to ensure more liquidity in the market.

Alhaji Rasheed Yussuf, the Chairman of Association of Stock Broking Houses of Nigeria, suggested that the Federal Ministry of Finance should support AMCON to address the issue of margin loans.

He advised that government should consider margins loans as the non-performing loans of banks that were absorbed by AMCON.

He said that absorption of margins loans by AMCON would provide more liquidity to the market since prices of equities would never appreciate without adequate liquidity in the market.

Mr Oladipo Aina, the Chief Executive Officer of Signet Securities Ltd., said that the market capitalisation of the Nigerian Stock Exchange was affected by the de-listing of shares of some of the troubled banks.

Aina said that the capital market, being the barometer of the economy, needed government’s intervention.

He said that the operators would review their position papers for the Federal Government to accommodate opinions of other stakeholders on the way forward.

Aina said that the government’s intervention in the financial sector was only being felt in the banking sector and advised that the gesture should be extended to the capital market.

He said that investors’ expectations were high when AMCON was established..

Aina said that investors should be educated on the rudiments of the market, adding that investment in the capital market should be for long-term because of the domination by the equity sector.

He said that it would take the market a long time to get back to the boom of the pre-crisis era.

The Chief Executive Officer, APT Securities and Funds Ltd., Malam Garba Kurfi said that the impact of activities of AMCON in the financial sector had not been felt in the capital market as it had remained bearish.

“I do not see much impact of the bail-out in the market, except in the bonds market,” Kurfi said.

We recall that AMCON recently said it would stop absorbing banks’ bad loans from Oct. 31 and that by then it would have acquired N2.78 trillion face value of non-performing loans from 21 banks at the cost of N1.16 trillion.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Business

Association Woos Govt, Coys On  Boat Operators  Employments

Published

2 weeks ago

on

June 12, 2026

By

The leadership of Bonny Maritime Boat Association has called on Rivers state Government and oil companies operating in the state to provide sustainable employment to unemployed boat Operators.
The Association also want the government, companies and other relevant employers of labour to provide trainings for boat Operators to enhance their skills
Safety Officer of the Association, Comrade Kingdom Kingsley made this known in  a  telephone interview with  The Tide.
He noted that most of the boat Operators and owners plying Bonny route lacks jobs due to the fleets of boats introduced by Bonny Road Transport that had taken over the passengers to the Island
He noted that passengers are no longer patronizing boats owned by the Association, thereby rendering the operators redundant
“Most of our operators can not afford to feed their families due to no jobs, we don’t want to indulge in crime, government should fix our members with  sustainable jobs to take care of their immediate needs”
He called on oil companies operating in the state to engage their skilled boat Operators in their companies to reduce the sufferings faced by the Association.
The Safety Officer called on the state government  to made funds available to unemployed youths in the state to start up business than roam the streets.
He noted that provision of funds to youths would reduce crime rates and reposition their mindsets for a better life
“The  youths of Rivers state are suffering, have no job to feed their families, thereby indulging in criminality daily”
“The youths need empowerment,  jobs,  recreational facilities and better things of life as citizens of this Nation”, Kingsley said.
CHINEDU WOSU
Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Continue Reading

Business

FG Approves $1 Bn AFCFTA Credit Facility For Nigerian Exporters

Published

2 weeks ago

on

June 12, 2026

By

The Federal Government has approved a whooping $1bn credit facility to support Nigerian exporters and small scale businesses to take advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in order to boost production, competitiveness and intra-African trade.
The $1bn AfCFTA Adjustment Fund Credit Facility is also expected to address some of the financing gap being faced by Nigerian exporters and enhance the competitiveness of African businesses within the continental market.
The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole, disclosed this  during the second quarter 2026 meeting of the AfCFTA Central Coordination Committee held in Abuja.
According to a statement issued by the ministry’s Head of Press and Public Relations, Obilor-Duru Okechi, Oduwole said the financing facility represented a major opportunity for Nigerian businesses seeking to expand operations, modernise production processes and increase exports to African markets.
The statement partly read, “?The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to accelerating Nigeria’s export-led growth agenda under the African Continental Free Trade Area, unveiling opportunities for businesses to access a US$1 billion AfCFTA Adjustment Fund Credit Facility aimed at boosting production, competitiveness, and intra-African trade.”
She noted that despite the progress Nigeria had made in implementing the continental trade agreement, many local businesses continued to face obstacles that limited their ability to take advantage of the single African market.
?
“Many businesses still face challenges relating to export documentation, certification, standards compliance and market access,” the minister said.
She explained that the Federal Government was addressing these bottlenecks through enhanced trade facilitation measures, simplified AfCFTA guidance tools, stakeholder engagement programmes and stronger collaboration with institutions such as the Nigeria Customs Service and the Nigerian Export Promotion Council.
Oduwole stressed the need to strengthen Nigeria’s legal and regulatory framework by domesticating key AfCFTA protocols, particularly the Digital Trade Protocol, to position the country as a major player in Africa’s growing digital economy.
The minister also highlighted some of the gains recorded in Nigeria’s AfCFTA implementation efforts.
According to her, the expansion of Nigeria’s Air Cargo Corridor Initiative to Rwanda, increased collaboration with development partners and private sector players, as well as sustained engagement with state governments, were helping to deepen awareness and participation in the continental market.
In her welcome address and first-quarter update, the National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office, Mrs Patience Okala, provided details of the financing initiative.
Okala said the $1bn AfCFTA Adjustment Fund Credit Facility was targeted at large African businesses with a minimum financing capacity of $10m.
She revealed that the National AfCFTA Coordination Office was working closely with fund managers to facilitate access for eligible Nigerian companies and had begun assembling a pilot group of businesses to ensure that Nigeria maximised the opportunities provided by the facility.
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Continue Reading

Business

NIWA Harps On  Avoidance Of Leaking Boats

Published

2 weeks ago

on

June 12, 2026

By

The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has advised Nigerians against boarding boats that require constant bailing of water in the interest of their safety.
 NIWA Area Manager for Cross River and Ebonyi, Mr Stanley Onuoha gave this warning in an interview with Newsmen in Calabar.
Onuoha who spoke on waterway
safety, said that passengers should take responsibility for their safety by inspecting boats before embarking on any journey.
According to him, repeated scooping of water from a boat is a clear indication that the vessel may be leaking.
“If you are entering a boat and see people using a bailer to remove water, it is the first signal that the boat is leaking,” he said.
He urged passengers to check the integrity of boats, including seating arrangements and other visible safety features.
The Manager restated the importance of using safety jackets, saying that damaged jackets may fail during emergencies.
He further said that passengers should ensure that safety jackets were appropriate for their body sizes in order to guarantee effective flotation.
 Onuoha reiterated the need for passengers to fill manifests before departure to aid accountability during emergencies.
The NIWA official further advised travellers to monitor weather conditions and avoid boarding boats when the weather is unfavourable.
According to him, poor weather conditions can trigger strong tidal waves capable of affecting small boats commonly used on inland waterways.
He said that waterway journeys should be embarked upon between 6.00a.m and 6.00p.m for clearer visibility.
Onuoha said  the Authority had continued to sensitise riverine communities to the need for safety precautions during waterway journeys.
He stated that sustained awareness campaigns and enforcement measures had contributed to safety waterway safety in Cross River.
CHINEDU WOSU
Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Continue Reading

Trending