Business
Thailand Coup d’état leaves Foreign investors on High Alert
BANGKOK — Foreign investors are on high alert after the Thai military’s declaration of a coup d’état Thursday, fearing more violence could disrupt their business operations and erode the country’s appeal.
The declaration of a coup comes amid seven months of political uncertainty that have weighed on Thailand’s economy and its industries.
In its first annual contraction since 2011, Thailand’s real gross domestic product shrank 0.6% in the first quarter from a year ago. Meanwhile, automobile sales and production continue to plunge, leading to thousands of layoffs in one of Thailand’s leading industries.
“People are shocked and surprised” by the coup, said Marc Spiegel, vice chairman of the Joint Foreign Chambers of Commerce in Thailand, which represents 29 chambers of commerce with 8,500 member companies. “They are wondering: Can I go to work? Can I do business in Thailand?”
Many manufacturers are sitting tight.
Japanese camera maker Nikon Corp., which makes around 90% of its digital single-lens reflex cameras in Thailand, said political upheavals in the kingdom don’t usually affect production facilities. If airports get shut down, however, there could be an impact on logistics, a Nikon spokesman in Tokyo said.
Toyota Motor Corp. and Ford Motor Co. said the declaration of a coup hasn’t affected auto production, although the companies are closely monitoring the political situation.
The long-term danger is that, without a functioning government in Thailand, foreign investors can’t get their projects approved, and they may turn to other countries to invest, analysts say.
“How long can you keep taking a punt that Thailand is going to get itself sorted out?” said Steve Wilford, director of global-risk analysis at consulting firm Control Risks. “This situation is pushing the country toward recession.”
Thailand has had 18 coups since the end of absolute monarchy in the 1930s, the latest in 2006.
Foreign investors have begun preparing emergency measures like evacuation routes in recent months, business-risk experts said, but whether they halt production and pull people out of the country will depend on whether violence erupts because of the coup.
The Japanese Chamber of Commerce in Bangkok said that so far, it has received no reports of members planning to pull Japanese nationals out of the country.
“It’s not like coups in other countries,” said Yoshito Kato, the chamber’s member coordinator, who said he’d already experienced two coups in his 13 years in Thailand. “There’s not so much danger for foreign nationals.”
The 1,552 members of the chamber include Japanese firms in the automotive, electronics and metalworking industries, many serving car makers like Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co., which see Thailand as their manufacturing hub in southeast Asia.
The political uncertainty is hitting Thailand’s auto industry particularly hard as consumers pull back.
Jessada Thongpak, a Bangkok-based analyst for IHS Automotive, expects up to 30,000 auto workers, or 6% of the industry, to be laid off if the political crisis continues through the end of the year.
Thailand’s auto industry already laid off about 10,000 people in May, an auto-industry trade group said Thursday, after grappling with weak demand and falling production due to the political impasse and the end of the government’s stimulus for first-time car buyers.
“Thailand’s slowing economy and delayed investment projects are largely to blame for the layoffs,” said Kovit Wongkolkitsilp, secretary-general of the Auto Parts Industry Club.
In April, Thailand’s auto production fell more than a quarter from a year earlier to 126,730 cars while sales declined more than a third to 73,242 cars.
– WALLSTREET JOURNAL
Business
NGX Market Cap Falls to ₦163.65trn As All-Share Index Drops
The Nigerian equities market closed Friday’s trading session on a negative note, with the All-Share Index declining by 0.38 per cent to close at 252,113.41 points.
According to the Nigerian Exchange Group’s Daily Market Snapshot for Friday, September 25, 2026, equity market capitalisation stood at ₦163.65 trillion, representing a 0.01 per cent decline.
ALSO READ: NGX Invest Expands Primary Market Access with WhatsApp Subscription Channel
The fixed-income market capitalisation also fell by 0.01 per cent to ₦58.74 trillion, while the market capitalisation of Exchange-Traded Products (ETPs) declined by 2.15 per cent to ₦57.77 billion.
Meanwhile, the top five gainers were led by a stock that rose 10 per cent to close at ₦17.60, followed by CMFC, which gained 9.76 per cent to ₦3.26. Briscoe rose 9.74 per cent to ₦10.70, ABC Transport gained 9.68 per cent to ₦5.10, while Royal Exchange increased by 9.09 per cent to ₦1.08.
The figures were contained in the NGX Daily Market Snapshot released at the close of trading on Friday.
Business
NCDMB Woos Chinese Manufacturers
More than 100 Chinese original equipment manufacturers are being wooed for investment, technology and manufacturing capacity to aid growth in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) made the disclosure through its Director, Project Certification and Authorisation Division and Senior Technical Adviser to the Executive Secretary, Austin Uzoka.
This was detailed in a statement issued by the Board which stated that Uzoka was representing the Executive Secretary, Felix Ogbe, at the 15th China Shale Oil and Gas Summit in Chengdu, China, where he made the disclosure.
READ ALSO: NIPCO Moots $3bn Gas Project with Local Construction
According to Ogbe, the board was seeking to move the relationship between Nigerian oil and gas operators and Chinese manufacturers beyond the conventional buyer-seller model to investment, manufacturing, technology transfer and integration into global supply chains.
He said the Nigerian Oil and Gas Content Development Act (NOGCDA) guaranteed patronage for oil and gas equipment manufacturing facilities established in Nigeria, adding that such investments could also provide access to opportunities across the Gulf of Guinea.
“We are looking beyond the traditional buyer-seller relationship. What can we build together? We want Chinese companies to see Nigeria not simply as a market for their products, but as a strategic investment destination, a platform for manufacturing and technology development, and a gateway to opportunities across the wider African market,” he said.
He highlighted the Nigerian Oil and Gas Park Scheme (NOGPS) as a platform for Chinese original equipment manufacturers to establish manufacturing, assembly and service operations in Nigeria.
He said the scheme would provide opportunities for technology transfer, technical arrangements and the integration of Nigerian businesses into the supply chains of Chinese companies.
The ES also identified China’s capabilities in manufacturing, engineering, technology and energy infrastructure as areas that could support Nigeria’s industrial development.
“China has developed tremendous capabilities in manufacturing, engineering, technology and energy infrastructure. We want to explore how those capabilities can be connected with the opportunities that exist in Nigeria, for mutual benefits,” he added.
Nigeria’s local content policy had evolved from increasing Nigerian participation in oil and gas projects to a broader industrial development agenda focused on manufacturing, technology ownership and global competitiveness, he pointed out.
“Nigeria’s local content journey has evolved significantly since the local content law was enacted in 2010. What began primarily as an effort to increase Nigerian participation in the oil and gas industry has developed into a broader industrial development agenda focused on building capabilities, deepening manufacturing, promoting technology ownership and positioning Nigerian businesses to compete within regional and global markets,” he observed.
The engagement formed part of Nigeria’s participation in the 15th China Shale Oil and Gas Summit, held from September 20 to 23 at the Chengdu Century City International Conference Centre.
The summit, themed ‘Empowering Efficient and Green Development via Intelligent Technologies, Innovating to Lead the Shale Oil and Gas Revolution’, provided a platform for Nigerian oil and gas stakeholders to showcase investment opportunities in manufacturing, technology and oil and gas services.
According to the NCDMB, several Chinese OEMs expressed interest in exploring business relationships with Nigerian companies and participating in the country’s growing oil and gas manufacturing ecosystem.
In her closing remarks, the General Manager, Midstream, PCAD, Ms Lekoma Phimia, urged stakeholders to build on the connections established at the session to develop commercially viable and sustainable business relationships.
The NCDMB also used the exhibition to provide prospective investors and industry players with information on Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, local content opportunities and avenues for establishing operations in the country.
The board said the Chengdu engagement was part of efforts to expand Nigeria’s international industrial connections and advance the objectives of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act (NOGICDA).
It added that its focus was to move the local content agenda from participation to capability, manufacturing, and ultimately technology ownership and regional competitiveness.
Business
NIPCO Moots $3bn Gas Project with Local Construction
NIPCO Group has announced plans to develop a Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (FLNG) project in Nigeria, with the proposed development estimated to require more than $3bn in investment.
This statement was made at a press conference on Thursday by the Managing Director of NIPCO Group, Nagendra Verma, who said the proposed project would have an envisaged LNG production capacity of approximately three million tonnes per annum, subject to the outcome of feasibility studies, regulatory approvals and a final investment decision.
READ ALSO: Dangote to Support Two Million Women with Refinery IPO Share Ownership
Verma said the project, which would mark NIPCO’s entry into the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) sector, was being considered for locations in the Escravos area of Delta State and the Akwa Ibom region.
“This proposed development is envisaged to comprise an FLNG facility along with associated marine and export infrastructure with the potential to serve both the international LNG market and growing domestic LNG demand in Nigeria. The proposed project is presently envisaged to produce LNG unified LNG of approximately 3 million L per annum, 3 million metric tons per annum. The proposed development is expected to represent a significant investment currently estimated in excess of $3bn.
“The final location shall be determined subsequent to the ongoing feasibility study. We are looking at strategic locations that will facilitate access to upstream gas resources, LNG processing, marine transportation and both international and domestic markets,” he said.
According to him, NIPCO had been evaluating the proposed FLNG project for the past six to nine months and was currently undertaking preliminary technical, commercial and feasibility assessments.
“We are considering various development concepts, technology solutions, financing structures and commercial options with a view to establishing a technically robust and commercially sustainable project,” Verma said.
He said the proposed development would comprise an FLNG facility alongside associated marine and export infrastructure, with the potential to serve international LNG markets as well as Nigeria’s growing domestic gas demand.
“The project is presently envisaged to have an LNG production capacity of approximately three million tonnes per annum.
“However, this remains subject to the outcome of the ongoing feasibility and technical studies, project economics, regulatory approvals and final investment decisions,” he said.
Verma said NIPCO was also evaluating the shipping and logistics infrastructure required to support both export and domestic LNG supply.
The Managing Director said the ongoing assessment covers upstream gas supply and reserves, FLNG technology and configuration, LNG production capacity, marine and export infrastructure, domestic LNG supply opportunities, shipping and logistics requirements, project economics and financing structure.





