Business

NSE Transactions Resume On Positive Note …As Index Up By 1.31%

Published

8 years ago

January 31, 2018

The Tide source reports that market index rose by 572.72 points or 1.31 per cent to close at 44,306.48 against 43,733.76 last Friday at the Nigeria Stock Exchange.
Also, the market capitalisation which opened at N15.691 trillion inched N191 billion to close at N15.882 trillion.
According to our source, the market performance was contrary to market analysts’ expectations having predicted that the market would nosedive due to month-end portfolio rebalancing.
An analysis of the price movement table showed that the market growth was driven by Dangote Cement gaining N7.90 to close at N268 per share.
Stanbic IBTC followed with N1 to close at N45, while UACN added 60k to close at N17.60 per share.
Forte Oil grew by 60k to close at N50, while Eterna Oil increased by 43k to close at N5.89 per share.
On the other hand, Guinness topped the losers’ chart with a loss of N2 to close at N110 per share.
Nigerian Breweries trailed with N1.80 loss to close at N150, while Dangote Sugar Refinery shed N1 to close at N20.95 per share.
Flour Mills was down by 50k to close at N30.90, while Guaranty Trust Bank declined by 30k to close at N48.70 per share.
However, the volume of shares traded dropped by 39.32 per cent with an exchange of 573.35 million shares valued at N5.88 billion achieved in 6,756 deals.
This was in contrast with 944.86 million shares worth N7.13 billion transacted in 8,166 deals on Friday.
FCMB Group drove the activity chart, trading 169.12 million shares worth N547.03 million.
Access Bank followed with an account of 42.53 million shares valued at N553.48 million, while United Bank for Africa traded 39.52 million shares worth N513.68 million.
Honey Well Flour exchanged 33.66 million shares valued at N91.50 million, while Zenith International Bank sold 32.84 million shares worth N1.02 billion.
They said it that the new share pricing regime would allow share prices to trade as low as one kobo and boost inflow foreign investments.
The experts, in separate interviews with the newsmen in Lagos, said that the method would also enable investors to categorise stocks on the NSE.
The new pricing method started on Monday, January 29.
Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State Prof. Sheriffdeen Tella, said that the NSE must of necessity update its pricing method from time to time for trading to be transparent.
He said that for any stock exchange to attract foreigners to participate in its trading and invariably in the economy, it must adhere to global best practices.
Tella said that the method must be well implemented to leave no one in doubt about a particular stock.
The Head of Banking and Finance Department, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Dr Uche Uwaleke, said that inflation and depreciation of the naira had made the new pricing method imperative.
Uwaleke said that the NSE needed to be in conformity with global best practices in terms of rules and regulations.
He, however, called for proper implementation of the new method to achieve the desired results.
Our source reports that Mr Abimbola Babalola, NSE Head of Market Surveillance and Investigation, said that the new method was “aimed at improving liquidity, narrowing spreads and ensuring that all price-improving transactions had material impact.”
Babalola said the new rules would effectively remove the current rule which placed minimum allowable price for any stock to trade at its nominal value, irrespective of the market forces.
He said that as a result, stocks would be under new groupings and pricing rules and that price of every share listed on the NSE would be determined by market forces.
According to him, Group A, shall consist of large-cap equities that are priced at N100 per share or above for at least four of the last six trading months, or new security listings that are priced at N100 or above.
Group B, shall consist of medium-priced equities that are priced at N5 per share or above, but less than N100 per share for at least four of the last six months, or new security listings priced at N5 per share or above at the time of listing.

Business

Boat Mishap Kills Pastor, Wife And Church Members In Brass Water

Published

2 days ago

May 18, 2026

The Tide

A boat accident in Bayelsa state has killed a serving Pastor, Wife and other church members along Brass waterways

The sad incident happened at Odioama in Brass local government area of Bayelsa State when the Pastor, wife and members of his church were in a programme.

?Tide confirmed that the lifeless body of the Pastor’s wife has been found and deposited in a mortuary while the remains of her husband ,the Pastor is yet to be recovered

as search party are still ongoing.

Although the real cause of the boat Mishap is not yet known as at the time of this report, our Correspondent gathered that the identities of the Pastor, wife and church members were not disclosed to the public.

The mishap, Tide gathered occurred on Friday morning when the church members were on a boat transit

The Bayelsa State government and the state police command are yet to issue official statement’s on the sad accident

By: CHINEDU WOSU

Business

Rivers Workers Seek Scrapping Of Contributory Pension Scheme

Published

2 days ago

May 18, 2026

The Tide

The Rivers State Council of Nigeria Civil Service Union has called on the State Government to urgently scrap the contributory pension scheme, describing it as unfavourable to long-serving civil servants in the state.

Chairman of the union, Chukwuka Osuma, said this in an interview with newsmen in Port Harcourt, recently.

Osuma said the current pension structure has continued to worsen post-retirement hardship for workers.

He noted that the contributory pension scheme had failed to provide adequate retirement security for workers who had spent many years in service, especially those approaching retirement age.

According to him, civil servants who had served for more than 20 years were among the worst affected under the scheme, insisting that many retirees could no longer cope with prevailing economic realities.

He also informed that the Union has made moves to showcase their concerns, pleading with Governor Siminalayi Fubara to abolish the pension policy and introduce a more favourable arrangement for affected workers.

“The union was not opposed to pension reforms, the contributory scheme should only apply to newly employed workers or those with fewer years in service”, he said.

Osuma explained that workers who had already spent decades in the civil service ought to remain under a more secure pension structure capable of guaranteeing stability after retirement.

The labour leader further noted that inflation and the rising cost of living had continued to erode the value of retirement savings, thereby increasing the suffering of pensioners across the country.

He also appealed to the state government to consider extending the years of service in the civil service from 35 to 40 years and the retirement age from 60 to 65 years.

Osuma argued that such adjustment had become necessary in view of present-day economic realities and changing conditions in the workplace.

The unionist also reviewed that similar policies had already been adopted in some sectors and jurisdictions, expressing optimism that the State could also implement the reforms for the benefit of workers.

He however, commended Governor Fubara for approving an N85,000 minimum wage for workers in the state, noting that the amount was above the national benchmark of N70,000.

Osuma also acknowledged the government’s efforts in the area of workers’ promotions and bonuses, but insisted that pension reforms and extension of years of service remained critical to the long-term welfare and stability of civil servants in Rivers State.

By: King Onunwor

Business

FG Begins South-West Tour To Promote New Cooperative Bank

Published

1 week ago

May 13, 2026

The Tide

The Federal Government has launched the South-West zonal engagement and ministerial advocacy tour on the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria share capital mobilisation, sensitisation and cooperative sector digitalisation.

Reports say the initiative was launched through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.

According to reports, the advocacy tour, organised by the ministry’s Federal Department of Cooperatives, began on Monday in Lagos.

Speaking at the event, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security and Supervising Minister of Cooperative Affairs, Dr Aliyu Abdullahi, said the initiative was part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Abdullahi described the exercise as a strategic effort to reposition the cooperative sector as a key driver of inclusive economic growth, financial inclusion, enterprise development, food security and national prosperity.

“Today represents a defining moment in our collective determination to reposition the cooperative sector as a major driver of inclusive economic growth, financial inclusion, enterprise development, food security and national prosperity,” he said.

The minister noted the modern cooperative movement in Nigeria originated in the South-West following the 1934 Strickland Report, which led to the enactment of the Cooperative Societies Ordinance of 1935.

According to him, the decision to commence the sensitisation and share capital mobilisation tour in the region is symbolic, as it marks a return to the roots of cooperative development in the country.

Abdullahi said the advocacy tour was a direct outcome of resolutions reached at the 8th Regular Meeting of the National Council on Cooperative Affairs held in Abuja in March 2026.

He said the council approved the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme, a comprehensive framework designed to strengthen the cooperative sector and align it with the administration’s goal of building a one-trillion-dollar economy.

“The reform programme focuses on seven strategic pillars, including governance reforms, cooperative financing and the establishment of the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria, digitalisation, capacity building, value chain development, inclusion of youths, women and persons with disabilities, and strategic partnerships,” he said.

He said the establishment of the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria and the digitalisation of the cooperative sector were the two major transformational initiatives under the programme.

“The Cooperative Bank of Nigeria is aimed at rebuilding a strong cooperative financial system capable of supporting cooperators, farmers, artisans, traders, SMEs, youths, women and persons with disabilities with accessible and affordable financial services,” he said.

Abdullahi emphasised that the proposed bank would be government-enabled but not government-funded.

“Government is not establishing the bank as an owner, nor will it rely on Treasury Single Account funds.

“The role of government through the FMAFS is to provide policy support, stakeholder coordination, regulatory facilitation and an enabling environment under the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme,” he said.

Also speaking, the Lagos State Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Mrs Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to cooperative sector transformation.

She described cooperatives as critical tools for promoting inclusive growth, grassroots productivity, food security, financial inclusion and community wealth creation.

Ambrose-Medebem said Lagos State would continue to support reforms and collaborate with stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme (2025–2030).

“Together, let us build a cooperative ecosystem that is modern, transparent, digitally enabled, financially inclusive and globally competitive.

“Let us build cooperatives that not only mobilise savings, but also mobilise prosperity,” she said.