E-Financial
AG, CBN Plug N126Bn Loss with Treasury Single Account
Chief Olu Falae, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, has said that one of the ways to enthrone fiscal regime in the country is to stop a regime where government agencies and parastatals are allowed to operate accounts with commercial banks.
According to him, the ideal thing is to have a situation where all funds meant for ministries, department and agencies [MDAs] are kept with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from where the MDAs will withdraw to fund their operations and projects.
“I am speaking from a position of knowledge because I have been there before and I know that it is possible to operate these accounts under the CBN without any bottleneck as some people may want us to believe. What is happening now is that people will lodge huge sums belonging to government at various levels in commercial banks and after a time they will withdraw the interest accrued from these lodgements that in most cases runs into billions of naira. To me that is part of corruption”.
According to reports, while Falae’s proposition is valid, his declaration did not take into cognizance the fact that the rules of engagements have since changed within Government. One of the cardinal components of the Federal Government’s Economic Reform Programme (ERGP) that commenced in 2004 is the implementation of a Treasury Single Account [TSA] for the Federal Government, an initiative that is more comprehensive, and goes well beyond what Chief Falae envisioned.
TSA is a unified structure of government bank accounts that gives a consolidated view of government’s cash resources, based on the unity of cash and treasury.
It is a centralized cash position of the treasury, where the revenues of all MDAs are consolidated and all cash outflows (payment and transfers) are executed in a single account within the custody of the CBN.
Championed by the Office of Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF), and the CBN, TSA initiative commenced in January 2012 after rigorous planning and extensive stakeholders’ engagement.
According to documents released by the CBN, objectives of TSA are to help government unify banking arrangements; assist the federal government in the efficient utilization of government funds for approved projects; promote transparency and accountability in government operations; and reduce the amount, and cost of government borrowing by maximising the use of available government resources to deliver projects.
CBN sources confirmed that the success of TSA was predicated on the highest political support it enjoyed from Nigeria’s number one citizen. President Jonathan in his 2014 New Year address to the nation affirmed that TSA project would be completed in 2014.
“We shall complete the deployment of the three electronic platforms in 2014 – namely, the Treasury Single Account (TSA), the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) and the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) – which are all geared towards improving efficiency and transparency in our public finances. Through these reforms, we have already saved about N126 billion in leaked funds and intend to save more,” President Jonathan said.
TSA has two main parts namely, the payment of salaries, suppliers, taxes and the collection of independent government revenues.
While the payment side of TSA commenced in January 2012, the collection side would start nationwide in January 2015. With the activation of the payment side of TSA in January 2012, the processing of payment transactions by MDAs which hitherto was done largely via manual mandates to DMBs or the CBN are now processed electronically in line with the CBN National Payments Strategy Vision (NPSV) 2020 initiative and the recent CBN circular on end-to-end electronic payments.
Under the TSA initiative, all government payments are routed from GIFMIS to CBN’s Payment Gateway to effect e-payments into the accounts of individual or corporate beneficiaries in DMBs, micro finance banks [MFBs] and primary mortgage institutions [PMIs], thereby creating a fully automated payment and collection process for the Federal Government.
E-Financial
First Securities Brokers Empowers Nigerians to Trade in the Stock Market with the Launch of FirstInvest App
First Securities Brokers, one of Nigeria’s leading stockbroking firms and a subsidiary of FirstHoldCo Plc, is pleased to announce the official launch of the FirstInvest App, an innovative mobile investment platform designed to make stock market investing simpler, faster, and more accessible for Nigerians.
The FirstInvest App offers investors a seamless digital experience, enabling them to open and manage their investment accounts, monitor their portfolios, and trade equities listed on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) directly from their mobile devices.
Designed with both new and experienced investors in mind, the platform combines convenience, security, and ease of use to help users make informed investment decisions anytime and anywhere.
As Nigeria continues to embrace digital financial services, the FirstInvest App reinforces First Securities Brokers’ commitment to driving financial inclusion and expanding access to wealth creation opportunities through technology.
Speaking on the launch, Fiona Ahmed Ahimie, Managing Director of First Securities Brokers, said: “The launch of the FirstInvest App represents another significant milestone in our digital transformation journey and our commitment to delivering innovative investment solutions to our clients.
“We understand that today’s investors value convenience, speed, and accessibility. FirstInvest has been developed to provide exactly that: a secure and intuitive platform that empowers individuals to participate confidently in the capital market from wherever they are.”
She added: “Our goal is to remove the traditional barriers associated with investing by placing the power of timely investment and decision making in the stock market directly in the hands of Nigerians. Whether you are taking your first investment step, actively managing your portfolio or just evaluating your investment, FirstInvest provides the tools and flexibility needed to support your financial aspirations.”
The app delivers a range of features designed to enhance your investing experience, including: Secure digital account opening and onboarding, Real-time access to investment portfolios, Buy and sell Nigerian equities with ease, User-friendly trading interface, Secure transaction processing, Convenient access to market information and investment opportunities.
The launch of FirstInvest aligns with First Securities Brokers’ broader strategy of leveraging technology to improve customer experience while supporting the growth of retail participation in Nigeria’s capital market.
First Securities Brokers remains committed to providing trusted investment advisory services, innovative financial solutions, and exceptional customer service, helping clients build and preserve wealth across generations. The FirstInvest App is now available for download on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.
The next currency crisis could accelerate the shift of the roughly $315 billion global stablecoin market into a digital-dollar alternative for citizens in emerging economies, notably in regions like sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America.
As local fiat currencies face devaluation and high inflation, citizens and businesses are increasingly utilizing smartphone-based stablecoins (such as USDT and USDC) as hedges and primary mediums of exchange.
According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the rapid adoption of dollar-linked digital assets—particularly in countries heavily affected by inflation like Nigeria—poses significant risks to monetary sovereignty.
With up to 95% of surveyed individuals in some African markets preferring to receive payments in stablecoins over local fiat, the rising volume of these decentralized, cross-border channels weakens domestic currency demand and dilutes the effectiveness of local monetary policy.
IMF observed in a report titled “Stablecoins in Nigeria: A Growing Cross-Border Channel” noted that the widespread use of stablecoins poses risks to monetary sovereignty, particularly as more individuals and businesses turn to digital dollar-linked assets for savings and transactions.
Nodding in agreement is Future Investment Initiative Institute (FII Institute), a non-profit organisation run by the Public Investment Fund, Saudi Arabia’s main sovereign wealth fund.
FII Institute said that central banks face structural challenges.
And according to the institute, when citizens move savings out of national banks and into private digital wallets, conventional capital controls lose their grip.
Institutions like the Bank for International Settlements warn that interest-bearing stablecoins compete directly with domestic-currency deposits, complicating financial oversight and making smartphone-based transfers incredibly difficult for authorities to monitor.
In Nigeria, Naira depreciation has pushed users toward dollar-stablecoins, according to report by Gino Matos in cryptoslate.com.
A stablecoin is a type of cryptocurrency designed to maintain a steady value by pegging its price to a reserve asset, such as a fiat currency (e.g., the U.S. dollar) or a commodity (e.g., gold).
They act as a bridge between traditional money and the digital asset world, providing the speed of crypto without the extreme price swings of assets like Bitcoin.
Federal government has reopened three federal government of Nigeria (FGN) bond issues valued at N1.2 trillion for subscription as part of efforts to raise long-term funds from the domestic debt market.
The Debt Management Office (DMO), which announced the offer on Tuesday, said the three reopened bond issues are each valued at N400 billion.
According to the DMO, the first offer is the January 2035 FGN Bond, a 10-year reopening, carrying an interest rate of 22.60 per cent per annum.
The second is the May 2028 FGN Bond, a 15-year reopening, with a coupon rate of 15.45 per cent per annum, while the third is the June 2037 FGN Bond, a 20-year reopening, also valued at N400 billion.
The office said the bond auction is scheduled for July 20, while successful subscriptions will be settled on July 22.
It explained that the bonds are offered at N1,000 per unit, with a minimum subscription of N50 million and additional investments in multiples of N1,000.
For the reopened bonds, the DMO said successful bidders would pay a price based on the yield-to-maturity that clears the auction, in addition to any accrued interest on the instruments.
Interest on the bonds will be paid every six months, while the principal will be repaid in full on the respective maturity dates.
The DMO reaffirmed that FGN bonds are backed by the full faith and credit of the Federal Government and constitute obligations chargeable on the general assets of the federation.
It added that the bonds qualify as trustee investment securities under the Trustee Investment Act and enjoy tax exemptions for eligible investors, including pension funds, under the Company Income Tax Act and Personal Income Tax Act.
The bonds are listed on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) and FMDQ Securities Exchange and also qualify as liquid assets for banks in computing their liquidity ratios.
FGN bonds are long-term debt instruments through which investors lend money to the Federal Government in exchange for periodic interest payments and repayment of the principal at maturity.
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