E-Financial
Financial Markets Gripped by Monday Jitters

Risk aversion intensified during early trading on Monday following reports of Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi experiencing a crushing defeat in the referendum on constitutional reforms which sparked concerns of renewed political instability in Europe.
The shocking “No” outcome was seen as negative for the Eurozone economy with Matteo Renzi’s resignation opening a path to an early general election in Italy next year. With fears mounting over the “No” camp creating further turmoil for Italian banks, the rising uncertainty could rapidly erode risk sentiments towards the Euro.
Investor’s anxiety continues to rise over Sunday’s referendum results negatively impacting Italy’s membership of the European Union with Euro weakness potentially becoming a dominant theme till year end.
The questionable unknowns concerning Italy’s future have already sparked discussions of the European Central Bank extending its bond-buying program at December’s policy meeting in a bid to reclaim some stability.
Euro bears swiftly exploited the Italian post-referendum uncertainty to send the EURUSD to fresh 21 month lows at 1.050 during Monday’s trading session.
From a technical perspective, this pair is heavily bearish on the daily timeframe as there have been consistently lower lows and lower highs. Previous support around 1.065 could transform into a dynamic resistance which encourages a further decline back towards 1.050.
Sterling Edges Higher
Sterling bulls were slightly inspired ahead of Monday’s heavily anticipated Supreme Court hearing which could determine if Parliament’s approval is required before article 50 is invoked. 2016 has been a chaotic year for Sterling with the ongoing Brexit saga haunting investor attraction towards the currency.
Although the decision for the four-day hearing is due in January, the Pound could be exposed to extreme levels of volatility as market participants systematically offload and reload positions to be on the right side of the winning Brexit trade.
Investors may pay extra attention towards the tone of the hearing with any additional signs of Theresa May invoking the article 50 in March empowering Sterling bears.
Monday’s lacklustre market reaction to the positive services data from the UK continues to highlight how the Brexit woes have seized the spotlight. U.K services rose to 55.2, growing at the fastest pace in 10 months in November but this did little to negate the Brexit fears.
Sentiment is slowly improving towards the UK economy but the ongoing Brexit dilemma that continues to install fear and uncertainty could ensure Sterling remains depressed moving forward.
Although the odds of the Bank of England adding more stimulus continues to diminish amid the improving data, Sterling still remains vulnerable against the resurgent Dollar.
From a technical standpoint, the current technical bounce on the GBPUSD could be capped around the 1.2850 resistance before bears take front once again.
Stock Markets Under Pressure
Global stocks were vulnerable to losses on Monday as the post-Italian Referendum jitters sparked a wave of risk aversion.
Asian shares struggled to maintain gains amid the risk-off with the negative momentum pressuring European markets. With the events in Italy creating further uncertainty, risk-off remains the name of the game this week. Wall Street may be open to losses if risk aversion encourages investors to flee from riskier assets to safe-haven investments.
Oil Bulls Are Back In Town
The lingering impacts of OPEC’s unanticipated market shaking production cut agreement can still be felt across the board with WTI Crude charging to fresh 17 month highs above $52 as of writing.
Sentiment towards Oil has experienced a miraculous turn around overnight with the prospects of a cap in production easing the persistent oversupply concerns.
OPEC’s smart decision to cooperate in the most critical of times may have saved the cartel its credibility with further inclines in oil expected as optimism rises over the oversupply woes being solved.
Investors may direct their attention towards the meeting on the 10th of December where OPEC will meet non-OPEC countries to finalise the global production cut agreement. The success of the pending meeting could propel WTI crude towards $55 in the medium term.
E-Financial
NRS Accredits Afri Invoice as Access Point Provider to Drive Nigeria’s Mandatory e-invoicing

Ahead of the July deadline, the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) has accredited Afri Invoice as an official Access Point Provider (APP) in a major move for digital tax compliance across Nigeria.

This sovereign endorsement thrusts the emerging fintech leader into an elite tier of technology firms trusted to handle the nation’s fiscal data infrastructure.
With the July deadline looming, this offers an opportunity for Nigerian Businesses to get adequate onboarding support.
Crucially, this landmark certification comes on the heels of Afri Invoice also recently being licensed as an official Systems Integrator by the NRS—granting the company rare dual-licensed status within the national ecosystem.
BAs Nigeria rapidly transitions to a transparent, real-time fiscal economy, Afri Invoice now serves as a fully unified, secure gateway.
With this double mandate, the platform is uniquely positioned to both seamlessly integrate legacy corporate networks and directly validate, digitally sign, and transmit automated electronic invoices straight into the central NRS Merchant Buyer Solution (MBS) infrastructure.
The NRS launched the MBS platform to combat tax evasion, boost state revenues, and mandate transaction transparency across Africas largest economy.
Operating as a centralised real-time ledger, the platform intercepts and logs B2B and B2G transactions right at the point of sale.
Speaking on this milestone, Mark Odenore, Founder of Afri Invoice, said: “This accreditation represents one of the most significant moments in Afri Invoice’s journey.
“For years, we have believed that compliance should not be a financial burden that only large corporations can afford.
“The NRS has handed us the opportunity to be the bridge connecting Nigeria’s entire business community to this new era. We view e-invoicing as a launchpad for modern corporate efficiency, transparency, and growth.”
Large taxpayers transitioned during the initial rollout phase, and the NRS is actively expanding the mandate to medium and small enterprises. Because direct connection to government servers demands rigid compliance, APPs serve as the vital intermediaries.
To earn this license from NITDA, Afri Invoice underwent extensive evaluation, proving its technical resilience, software architecture quality, OAuth 2.0 security protocols, and strict alignment with the international PEPPOL interoperability framework.
A Sovereign Endorsement for Afri Invoice is not merely a commercial credential; it is a profound operational responsibility. Inclusion in the official NRS Solutions Provider Directory means businesses can confidently deploy Afri Invoice to shield themselves from compliance risks.
For Nigerian enterprises navigating these shifting tax laws, Afri Invoice eliminates technical friction by automating the full invoice lifecycle.
The platform seamlessly handles Native ERP Integration, synchronises data across international standard formats like JSON, manages real-time data submission, digital signing, and certificate lifecycles, and provides clear audit trails and dashboards for CFOs to eliminate manual human error and speed up close cycles.
Crucially, the platform supports all NRS-mandated tax categories, quantity codes, and payment statuses, future-proofing businesses as global cross-border invoice interoperability rolls out.
Ms. Fatimata Niang, the Director of Strategy &Operations, noted: “Our architecture was engineered to the highest global standards for security, interoperability, and scale.
“Every invoice running through our system is cryptographically secured and fully traceable from the millisecond it is generated. As the mandate expands to millions of taxpayers, our infrastructure is primed to handle massive volume without compromising on speed or security.”
Afri Invoice is a premier Nigerian financial technology company building modern digital invoicing and fiscal infrastructure.
Through robust API-driven solutions aligned with NRS, NITDA, and international PEPPOL protocols, the company empowers enterprises and SMEs to achieve effortless compliance with minimal technical overhead.
E-Financial
Reps Committee Recovers N521m Unremitted VAT from CBN

House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee (PAC) says it has recovered over ₦521 million in unremitted Value Added Tax (VAT) from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

This is part of an ongoing investigation into revenue leakages and outstanding funds owed to the federal government.
Bamidele Salam, chairman of the Committee, disclosed this while providing an update on the probe into transactions conducted through the Remita platform.
According to Salam, the investigation was initiated following a resolution of the House of Representatives to examine alleged revenue leakages, non-compliance with standard operating procedures and breaches of service level agreements linked to the Remita payment platform.
He said the committee had uncovered several outstanding liabilities and led to multiple recoveries.
Salam revealed that the committee discovered that the CBN failed to remit VAT amounting to ₦521,765,134.17, representing tax deductions on fees earned from Remita transactions.
He described the recovery as evidence of the effectiveness of legislative oversight in promoting accountability and safeguarding public resources.
The lawmaker maintained that the committee would recover all outstanding funds due to the Federal Government and blocking avenues for revenue leakages across public institutions.
It added that the CBN has been directed to remit the outstanding amount into the Federal Government Treasury and provide evidence of compliance.
The Public Accounts Committee is expected to continue its hearing on the matter on Monday, June 8, 2026, at the National Assembly in Abuja.
E-Financial
CBN Imposes N100m Penalty on Dealing Bank Inadequate Processing of Forex Documents

Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has said that any authorised dealer bank the processes foreign exchange (forex) transactions without proper documentation will be fined N100 million.

In addition, the bank will pay N10 million for each transaction involved.
The sanctions are contained in the fourth edition of the Foreign Exchange Manual, which serves as a guide for participants in Nigeria’s forex market.
According to the CBN, the updated manual aims to improve compliance, increase transparency, and strengthen confidence in the foreign exchange system.
Banks are now required to obtain, verify, and keep all necessary documents before releasing foreign currency to customers.
Similar documentation requirements apply to forward and swap transactions, where proof of the underlying trade or obligation must be provided before settlement.
For import transactions, importers must continue to provide documents such as Form M, invoices, certificates of origin, packing lists, and shipping documents.
They must also submit Exchange Control Documents within 90 days after negotiating shipping documents through overseas correspondent banks.
The CBN warned that failure to meet documentation requirements will attract escalating sanctions.
A first violation will result in a 90-day suspension from forex transactions, a second violation will attract a 180-day suspension, and a third offence will lead to a one-year suspension.
A fourth violation could result in a complete ban from participating in forex transactions.
Banks that fail to report cases of default to the CBN will also face sanctions.
The apex bank further tightened reporting requirements. Institutions that submit required daily or monthly returns late will be fined N500,000, while those that fail to submit returns at all will pay a minimum of N5 million, plus an additional N500,000 daily until compliance is achieved.Afternoon Paper Subscription
The revised manual also strengthens oversight of banks’ foreign currency exposure.
Financial institutions that exceed approved Net Open Position limits will receive a warning for the first offence, a 10-working-day suspension from the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market for the second offence, and a 90-day suspension for the third violation.
The CBN also imposed sanctions on unauthorised reallocation of foreign exchange funds. Any bank found engaging in such practices will be fined N10 million per transaction and may face additional disciplinary action under the Bankers’ Committee ethics framework.
According to the CBN, the new measures are aimed at promoting transparency, strengthening market discipline, reducing abuses, and improving investor confidence in Nigeria’s foreign exchange market.
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