Business
Transcorp is delivering on promise to give Nigerians access to country’s growth potential – Tony Elumelu
LAGOS – With interests from hotels, agriculture, and real estate to power generation and oil exploration, Transcorp, the rapidly transforming conglomerate is providing ordinary shareholders a uniquely diversified opportunity to share in Nigeria’s burgeoning economy.
Following major acquisitions in power and agribusiness, new initiatives in its hotel and tourism business and the commencement soon of production from its existing oil block, Transcorp shareholders are already reaping rewards, with the stock one of the strongest recent performers on the NSE. The extraordinary turnaround in the Company’s business was highlighted in a recent letter to shareholders by the Chairman of Transnational Corporation of Nigeria (Transcorp) Mr. Tony Elumelu, CON.
Giving an update on the recent rights issue by Transcorp, Elumelu noted that the company has already made significant progress in key sectors of its business; a development that is already impacting positively on the company’s share price which closed at N3.00 on Friday last week, up from 50 kobo not more than two years ago.
According to Elumelu, Transcorp, has since the conclusion and listing of the rights issue, made several important business decisions which will have significant impact on its fortunes. Some of the strategic initiative outlined by the Chairman, include the completion of the acquisition of 100% equity stake in the 1000MW capacity Ughelli Power Plc through its subsidiary – Transcorp Ughelli Power Ltd (TUPL). TUPL paid $300m (N48.3 billion) for the complete ownership of the plant. On November 1, 2013, TUPL successfully took over ownership and physical possession of the plant and plans to raise the output from the current 160MW to at least 1,500MW over the next 3 to 5 years.
“With a dedicated pipeline supplying gas to the plant and an existing off-take agreement with the Bulk Electricity Trader, the returns profile of this investment is compelling. The potential impact of the investment on Transcorp’s fortunes is also significant” he said. “Perhaps most importantly, Transcorp will become one of the leading providers of a robust and sustainable electricity supply into the Nigerian domestic market.”
Further significant progress was shown with the signing of an agreement with Hilton Worldwide to commence the development of a 300 room five-star hotel in Ikoyi, Lagos. This project, which will commence in Q12014 and complete in 30 months, according to Elumelu, will be undertaken through Transcorp’s subsidiary, Transnational Hotels and Tourism Services Limited. The hotel is the first of eight new internationally-branded hotels Transcorp plans to build over the next few years.
Just as the Ikoyi project is getting off the ground, Transcorp, he revealed, has also completed the acquisition of a site in Port Harcourt for the development of another 300 room five star hotel. “We expect to sign the management agreement in first quarter of 2014 and commence construction by the second quarter,” Elumelu stated in the letter.
Whilst targeting expansion, Transcorp is not forgetting flagship hotel brand, the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja. The company has commenced the renovation and upgrade of Nigeria’s premier five-star hotel. The exercise will include; “a dramatic transformation of our existing facilities, the addition of a 5,000 seat capacity conference facility and 200 serviced luxury apartments to the hotel, firmly cementing our position as the destination venue in the Nation’s capital, Abuja.”
In agribusiness, Transcorp is producing orange, mango and pineapple concentrates from the Teragro-Benfruit plant in Makurdi, Benue State. The plant in October 2013, received the ISO 9001:2008 (Quality Management System) and FSSC 22000:2005 (Food Safety Management System) certifications indicating that its products and processes meet the highest global standards.
“We plan to significantly increase the size and scope of this business. Teragro is the only juice concentrate producer in Nigeria and we are creating a fully integrated agro-allied business, ensuring that value added processing occurs here in Nigeria.”
Another important highlight of the Elumelu communication to shareholders is the news of the production date for Transcorp’s existing oil block, OPL 281, which he said will be expected to begin production before the end of 2014. “This marks a significant progress in the company’s oil and gas strategy” he stated.
Elumelu thanked Transcorp’s more than 300,000 shareholders for their support and assured them of further opportunities ahead, stressing that that the Board and Management will not relent in positioning Transcorp as a true vehicle for popular participation in Nigeria’s bright future and prosperity. “We have put in place a world class management team and are committed to developing the synergies between our natural resources portfolio and our power interests, creating an integrated energy approach that directly links Nigeria’s natural resource wealth to the daily needs of our people”.
Transnational Corporation of Nigeria plc (Transcorp) was incorporated on 16 November 2004, with the objective of creating a truly Nigerian conglomerate with the ability to compete successfully on a global scale. Its portfolio of businesses are in the hospitality, agriculture and energy sectors of the Nigerian economy include Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja; Transcorp Hotels, Calabar; Teragro Commodities Limited, operator of Teragro Benfruit juice concentrate plant- Nigeria’s first-of–its-kind juice concentrate plant; Transcorp Ughelli Power Limited and Transcorp Energy Limited, operator of OPL281.
The Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation has uncovered financial irregularities amounting to ₦514 billion in the 2021 operations of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd).
The revelations were contained in a comprehensive audit report highlighting non-compliance and internal control weaknesses within Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) during the 2021 financial year.
READ MORE: Powerful 6.8-Magnitude Earthquake Hits China, Dozens Killed
Breakdown of Infractions
The audit detailed four major financial discrepancies within NNPCL:
“Irregular Deductions: A total of ₦343.64 billion was deducted from domestic crude oil sales at source without proper documentation.
“Sinking Fund Deposits: ₦83.66 billion, categorized as miscellaneous income, was retained in a sinking fund account.
“Unauthorised Refinery Deductions: ₦82.95 billion was deducted from federation revenue purportedly for refinery rehabilitation.
“Unsubstantiated Payments: ₦3.75 billion was flagged for transactions related to petrol sales that lacked proper verification.
The Auditor-General’s report stated that these financial activities violated the 1999 Constitution and the Financial Regulations Act of 2009, underscoring significant lapses in compliance with statutory guidelines.
According to the report, NNPCL generated ₦484.73 billion from domestic crude oil sales in March and May 2021.
However, ₦343.64 billion was deducted for various purposes, including “Value Shortfall,” “Strategic Stock Holding Cost,” and “Pipeline Maintenance.”
The deductions were made unilaterally by NNPCL without adequate documentation or justification.
Additionally, the report flagged ₦50 billion of the net payable amount for May 2021 as unaccounted for, creating a significant gap in the federation’s revenue.
“Audit observed from the review of NNPC SAP payment record for March and May 2021 payments that the sum of ₦484.73bn was the gross amount generated for the sale of domestic crude for the months of March and May 2021.
“The sum of ₦343.64bn from the gross amount was unilaterally deducted from the gross domestic crude sales as NNPC Value shortfall, Strategic Stock Holding Cost, Crude Oil and Products Pipeline Losses, as well as the pipelines maintenance and management costs.
“The details of each of the cost components deducted were not provided for audit review. Hence, the reasons for the deductions could not be justified by the management.”
On the unremitted ₦50 billion from May 2021, the report noted: “In the month of May, the net payable that could have been remitted ought to have been ₦127.075bn, but only the sum of ₦77.075bn was remitted, leaving an unremitted balance of N50bn to the Federation Account, which has remained unaccounted for.”
The report attributed these anomalies to weaknesses in NNPCL’s internal control systems, warning of the risks they pose to public funds.
It read, “The above anomalies could be attributed to weaknesses in the internal control system at NNPC, now NNPC Ltd. This is a potential loss of Federation revenue, diversion of public funds, or misapplication or misappropriation of funds.”
The success of the maiden edition of the Lagos Shopping Festival (LSF), Africa’s first 72-hour non-stop commerce and entertainment event has been credited to the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
This is the view of Managing Director/Chief Strategist of Chain Reactions Africa Ltd, Israel Jaiye Opayemi, one of the main organisers of the event.
According to Opayemi, though Chain Reactions Africa conceptualised the event, the festival could be rightly described as the Governor’s baby and owes its success to his leadership. “Firstly, the Lagos Shopping Festival could not have come to fruition if the Governor did not buy into our audacious plan when we first presented the idea to him during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. Secondly, it was the Governor’s exemplary leadership of the project as its Chief Marketing Officer which attracted the buy-in of key sponsors like Zenith Bank, Tolaram Group, First Bank Plc, and Guinness Nigeria Plc,” Opayemi revealed.
ALSO READ: Tinubu Okays Bulletproof SUVs, Medical Benefits, Others For Retired Army Generals
While the duo of Zenith Bank and First Bank provided their bank on wheel platforms for buyers at the Lagos Shopping Festival, they also supported the Vendors with special Point of Sale Machines with which to process payments from buyers. The banks were also seen marketing their diverse banking products to guests within the shopping arena.
For Tolaram, it was a time to support the citizens and give back to society. Guests at the Lagos Shopping Festival were freely given some of the products of the group such as PowerOil, Indomie and Kellogg’s packaged into goodie bags and given out to prospective buyers at the shopping arena. The Children’s Arena was however activated by Indomie with the children entertained by Santa Claus within a well-equipped arena manned by the Indomie Brands team and the Lagos State Safety Marshalls. The children were daily treated to free Indomie meals daily and given various gifts to go home with.
On its part, Guinness Nigeria came through as the real life of the Nigerian party by organizing product sampling activation for the teeming guests at the festival using brands such as Singleton, Johnnie Walker, Ciroc, Don Royale and Captain Morgan to deliver pleasant experiences to guests aside from Guinness and Malta Guinness.
While unveiling the identity of the festival last month, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu had thanked the management of Zenith Bank Plc, Tolaram Africa Group, Guinness Nigeria Plc and First Bank of Nigeria for supporting the idea of a Lagos Shopping Festival, describing it as a value addition on the state’s tourism calendar and the overall efforts to grow the State’s GDP. The Governor further said, “I must specially acknowledge your pioneering sponsorship role. It is easy for a corporate sponsor to jump on the sponsorship band wagon of an already established festival and fund it. But you are supporting the maiden edition of this Lagos Shopping Festival with us. The competition is watching you now. Do not build this brand with us and yield the space for the competition to take over. I do hope you would all commit long term to this brilliant initiative.”
On his part, Girish Sharma, CEO Guinness Nigeria Plc, expressed enthusiasm for the initiative. “Lagos is the commercial heartbeat of Nigeria and Africa’s entertainment capital, and the Lagos Shopping Festival captures its essence. We see opportunities in this initiative because it is a creative fusion of commerce and entertainment. This partnership reflects our dedication to fostering economic opportunities and support the nation’s vibrant entertainment industry.”
A first-of-its-kind, the festival was a convergence of commerce and entertainment, bringing together buyers and sellers in the MSME ecosystem, and hordes of fun-seekers who were entertained with thrilling performances by A-list entertainers, including Adekunle Gold, Wande Coal, Teni, Young Jonn, BNXN, Ayo Maff, SB Live and EmmaOMG. The list also included some of Nigeria’s most sought after DJs such as DJ Neptune, DJ YK Mule, DJ Baddo while Gbenga Adeyinka the 1st and Larry J dished out rib-cracking comedy performances.
Held from 23rd to 25th Day of December 2024, at the iconic Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan Stadium, Lagos, the Lagos Shopping Festival saw thousands of fans throng the main venue and select Lagos malls during the three-day period to bag the latest bargains from local and top global brands.
The Nigerian Naira experienced mixed movements in the foreign exchange markets on Monday, as it depreciated to N1,665 per dollar in the parallel market, down from N1,660 per dollar recorded over the weekend.
In contrast, the official exchange rate saw the Naira appreciate to N1,534.56 per dollar, improving slightly from N1,535 per dollar last Friday, according to data released by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
RELATED NEWS: Naira Weakens Against Dollar Amid FX Shortages
This reflects a marginal gain of 44 kobo in the official Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market (NFEM).
As a result, the gap between the parallel market rate and the NFEM rate widened to N130.44 per dollar, compared to the N125 per dollar margin recorded over the weekend.
Los Angeles Wildfires: Death Toll Climbs As Firefighters Battle On
At Least 15 Killed In Myanmar Junta Air Raid On Market
President Tinubu Arrives In UAE For Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
Joint Security Team Rescues Four Kidnapped Victims In Sokoto
EFCC Summons Okoya Brothers Over Viral Video Allegation
![Gospel Singer, Moses Bliss Announces Engagement [Photos]](https://biztellers.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/IMG_20240119_143217_400_x_300_pixel-80x80.jpg){kind=tracking}
Moses Bliss, Wife Celebrate Arrival Of First Child
OSSG Raises Alarm Over Murder Plot By APC Chieftain
NCC, SMEDAN, NAICOM, SEC, Others Set for SUPERNEWS SMEs Conf June 13
Sahara’s Tonye Cole resigns from GPHCDA
Niger Delta Avengers: President Buhari Reads riot Act …considers the carrot and stick option
Oando opens ultra-modern petrol station in Lagos
