Business
Forex: Speculation, Round-tripping, Account For Naira’s Continuous Fall
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Chief Executive Officer, Confederated Facilitators Limited (CFL) Group of companies, Lai Omotola has opined that the soaring dollar to naira rate, with adverse effects on Nigeria’s economy is not being driven by market forces but by wealthy elite businessmen whom he tagged, ‘market cabals’
He bared his mind at a media parley organised by his company in commemoration of its 25th anniversary.
According to him, “I have never seen elite business people whose only business they do is to speculate on their currency. That’s the only business they do. All of them, in everything they are doing, the underlying factor is that they are speculating.
“And this is how they do it. They may have a manufacturing plant, no doubt about it. For instance, the manufacturing plant needs $10 million, so they need to buy dollars. But the truth of the matter is that nobody is investigating if their actual need is $10 million or if they need something lesser than what they say they need.
“So, most likely, they only needed $1 million, but they will collect $10 million. They will send the $1 million to their supplier, convert the remaining $9 million to Naira, and go and sell it to the black marketers. Now, when you have a gap of over N300 in the exchange rate and you are selling $9 million, you are making N270 million without having a staff or investing anywhere, but just taking dollars in and out.”
“That business is sweeter than cocaine, which is why all of them are locked into it, and that is why Naira today is moving towards N1,200 for a dollar. When this present government was floating the Naira, it was to make the difference between the Naira at the official market and the parallel market not to exceed N2. That’s the meaning of floating. But this government has forgotten that when you float the Naira, there is no dollar in the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, to back that Naira.
“And it’s a matter of demand and supply. Anything in life, if today more people are looking for a particular substance than what is available, the price of the substance would go up. It is fundamental economics. If fewer people are looking for it, the value will depreciate. That’s the issue of demand and supply. So when you now allow the Naira to float, when you don’t have enough dollars, guess those with the dollar. It’s with the market cabals, ”he said.
He added, “Nigeria’s economy is not powered by market forces. There is nothing called market forces in Nigeria’s economy. Nigeria’s economy is powered by market Cabals. Regulating the currency has moved from the hands of the CBN to the hands of the Market Cabals. Let me tell you how they operate. For instance, they know that Nigeria requires $100 million to have that floating that will keep the difference between the official rate and parallel market at N2.
“And the cabals are the ones that have the $100 million. So they will only release $50 million into the economy. Now, when you release $50 million, demand for the dollar will become much higher, and the supply will become lower, thereby influencing and increasing the price of the dollar to Naira. CBN cannot intervene because there is no dollar.
“So the market cabals always have dollars with them. And they work in circles. They have dollars with them, they are the ones supplying dollars to the market, and they make a hell of a profit from the circles. So which business can be better than that?”
He said in other nations, the need for dollars is only for raw materials, school fees payment, or other productive things. But in Nigeria, two things contribute to the need for dollars; corruption, which is bribery, and speculations.
He noted that productive need for the dollar is not up to 40 per cent, “and that is where the challenge is. How do you fight against this kind of behavioural pattern?
“So our business elites that have funded politicians to win an election that are doing this type of not too-tidy business are the ones that have held our Naira in captivity. And as long as they are in charge, it will be difficult for the Naira to gain strength against the dollar.
“The worst part of it is that if the government goes today, pump $20 billion into the economy, 80 per cent of that money will end up in their hands, and they will continue to use it in an unproductive means because they want that dollar to Naira gap to continue to exist.”
. . . As Dangote Cement, Airtel, Seplat Top Awards
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and the NGX Regulation Limited (NGX RegCo) on Friday, 17th May held the maiden corporate reporting award.
Biztellers reports that the award recognizes the top 30 most capitalized companies listed on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) for the 2022 financial reporting year.
It was gathered that the awards underscored both organization’s shared commitment to fostering transparency, accountability, and international best practices within the private sector. Evaluation criteria included financial reporting, corporate governance, and sustainability reporting.
Dangote Cement secured the top position across all three categories, earning the Platinum award alongside the best-in-class award of excellence in corporate governance. Airtel clinched the gold award, securing the second position and the best-in-class award of excellence in financial reporting for the period under review.
Seplat Energy was honored with the Silver award while also receiving the best-in-class award for excellence in sustainability reporting.
President, ICAN, Dr. Innocent Okwuosa, commended NGX RegCo for ensuring better disclosures and reporting among listed companies.
He noted that corporate reporting had evolved over the years from the time that most of its content focuses on financial reporting to when there emerged the clamour for incorporation of social and environmental disclosures.
He emphasized the evolution of corporate reporting over time, highlighting the shift from a primary focus on financial reporting to the increasing request to incorporate social and environmental disclosures, noting that “the latter has evolved and have been differently propagated including but not limited to Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) disclosure and of late sustainability disclosures”.
Dr Okwuosa added that good corporate reporting must reflect the best elements in corporate governance, financial, and sustainability reporting, highlighting that the maiden edition is limited to NGX-30 companies for ease of administration and will be extended to all the listed companies in the future.
On his part, CEO, NGX RegCo, Olufemi Shobanjo, highlighted that “without a doubt, transparency is one of the key drivers of any economy. It ensures full disclosure of information by entities and that such information is easily accessible to members of the public to make informed decisions.
“Over the years, there has been an evolution in the type and quality of information demanded, driven by heightened expectations from investors, decision-makers, and society as a whole.”
He added that “while financial reports remain at the forefront of information required by stakeholders, the concept of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) considerations has become an area of increasing interest to both public and private sector stakeholders”.
Shobanjo attributed this to the interplay between ESG and key issues such as sustainable development, corporate governance, climate change, stakeholder engagement, and community relations amongst a myriad of other issues.
“Stakeholders are beginning to demand more accountability, and companies are required to think beyond just profitability by expanding their scope to include the ethical impacts that their operations have on society or communities within which they operate,” he added.
He concluded that “as a self-regulatory organization, NGX Regulation remains committed to ensuring that the expectations of investors and other stakeholders regarding access to quality information are met.”
. . . Tinubu Lauds NNPC Ltd, Partners Over Three Commissioned Gas Projects
In line with its renewed hope agenda, the Federal Government has reiterated determination to utilize Nigeria’s abundant gas resources towards revamping her industrial growth and kick-starting economic prosperity.
Biztellers reports that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu made the assertion while commissioning three critical gas infrastructure projects executed by the NNPC Limited and its partners in Ohaji-Egbema, in Imo State and Kwale, in Delta States, on Wednesday.
The three projects commissioned include the expansion of the AHL Gas Processing Plant, the ANOH Gas Processing Plant and the 23.3km ANOH to Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben (OB3) Custody Transfer Metering Station Gas Pipeline Projects.
He said, “It is pleasing that approximately, 500MMscf of gas in aggregate would be supplied to the domestic market from these two Gas Processing Plants, which represents over 25% incremental growth in gas supply.
“In practical terms, this translates into more gas to the Power Sector, Gas-Based Industries, and other critical segments of the economy.”
The President pointed out that from the onset, his administration was clear of its intention to leverage on the virtually unlimited capacity of gas to deepen domestic gas utilization, increase national power generation capacity, revitalize industries, and create multiple job opportunities for economic growth.
He said aside the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Initiative which is aimed at moving Nigerians away from petrol and diesel as vehicular combustion fuel, significant progress has also been recorded in incentivizing gas development through Presidential Executive Orders.
While congratulating the projects partners (NNPC Limited, Sterling Oil Exploration & Energy Production Company Limited (SEEPCO) and Seplat Energy for the successful implementation of the three projects, Tinubu particularly charged the NNPC Limited to, as the national energy company of choice, sustain its relentless efforts and record more successes in the energy sector for the benefit of all Nigerians.
President Tinubu described the commissioning as a highly significant milestone for Nigeria as it demonstrates his administration’s efforts to accelerate the development of critical gas infrastructure geared at enhancing the supply of energy to boost industrial growth and create employment opportunities.
He said the projects were fully in line with the Federal Government’s Decade of Gas initiative, and his administration’s quest to grow value from the Nation’s abundant gas assets while concurrently eliminating gas flaring and accelerating industrialization.
“I wish to assure the citizenry that these are just the beginning, as the federal government is stepping up its coordination of other landmark projects and initiatives that will ensure the earliest realization of gas fueled prosperity in our country.
“Consequently, I wish to assure investors in the energy space that this is an investment enabling government and we will not relent in facilitating the ease of doing business,” the President noted.
Earlier in his address, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas) Rt. Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo highlighted the efforts of his ministry to continue to champion the utilisation of gas as a transition fuel as Nigeria moves towards achieving clean energy efficiency and security by 2060.
Ekpo commended the President for his leadership and support towards the success of the three projects.
In his remarks, the GCEO NNPC, Mele Kyari described the commissioning as a demonstration of Mr. President’s commitment and support to grow the domestic utilization of natural gas for power generation, as feedstock for gas-based industries and overall rapid industrialization of Nigeria on the back of the enormous gas resources in the country.
Kyari assured that as part of its mandate, NNPC Ltd remains committed to maintaining energy security by executing more strategic gas projects for the benefit of Nigeria.
The Nigerian Government has listed her April 2024 Savings Bonds worth N4.214 billion on the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) platform.
This was disclosed in the market bulletin signed by the Head, Issuers Regulation Department of NGX, Godstime Iwenekhai.
According to the bulletin, “Trading License Holders are hereby notified that the April 2024 Issue of the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) Savings Bonds was listed on Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) on May 13, 2024.”
Details of the Bonds include FGS April 2026, 1.228 million units valued at N1.228 billion at a coupon rate of 17.046%, while FGS April 2027, 2.986 million units amounted to N2.986 billion at a coupon rate of 18.046%.
The bonds are backed by the full faith and credit of the FGN and charged upon the general assets of Nigeria, according to the debt office.
FGN Savings Bond is issued monthly in tenors of two and three years with quarterly payment of coupons (interest) at a rate predetermined and published by the DMO every month.
The retail savings bond product was introduced by the DMO on behalf of the FGN in 2017 to democratise its activities in the bond market by making it easily accessible to Nigerians to ensure continuous development of the domestic market and bridge infrastructure deficit which has been a constraint to economic growth.
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