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
NAICOM Signs MoU with BPP to Deepen Insurance Compliance in Public Procurement

The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) for collaboration and strengthening of the insurance industry, in the area of public procurement processes.

The Commissioner for Insurance, Olusegun Ayo Omosehin, welcoming the Director-General of BPP, Adebowale Adedokun, and his delegation to NAICOM for a working visit, during which the agreement was signed, highlighted the role of NAICOM as the statutory regulator charged with supervising, regulating and promoting the growth of Nigeria’s insurance industry.
He further stated that NAICOM’s current reform priorities include policyholder protection, regulatory capacity building, legal modernisation, recapitalisation, and increasing insurance penetration.
He emphasised that the collaboration would reinforce the principles of public procurement and insurance practice in Nigeria. He noted that achieving President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision of transforming Nigeria’s economy into a one-trillion-dollar economy required strong inter-agency cooperation.
He stressed that the commission’s reform objectives could not be fully realised without strategic collaboration with agencies such as BPP. The Commissioner further disclosed plans to establish a platform to monitor and verify insurance coverage for public procurement items and assured that insurance operators would strictly adhere to established rules and standards.
In his remarks, the Director-General of BPP, Adedokun, commended the ongoing transformation in the insurance industry, describing the Commission’s environment as serene and reflective of its readiness to support the Federal Government’s economic growth agenda.
Adedokun, welcomed the partnership and highlighted implementation as the critical next phase: “Signing MoU is only the beginning — what matters is delivery. BPP has moved to a fully digital submission model to speed approvals and reduce opportunities for corruption”, he stated.
E-Financial
Nigeria’s VAT Jumps 34%, CIT Soars 48% to ₦14trn in 9M’25 – NBS

Nigeria’s non-oil tax collections posted robust growth in the first nine months of 2025, with Value Added Tax (VAT) rising 34 per cent to ₦6.4 trillion and Company Income Tax (CIT) jumping 48 per cent to ₦7.72 trillion, bolstering federal revenue amid oil price volatility.

NBS
Data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed VAT climbing from ₦4.77 trillion in 9M’24, reflecting stronger domestic consumption and imports. Quarterly trends indicated a slight 1.4 per cent dip to ₦2.03 trillion in Q2’25 from ₦2.06 trillion in Q1’25, followed by a 10.66 per cent rebound to ₦2.28 trillion in Q3’25—a 28.1 per cent year-on-year gain.
In Q3’25, local VAT hit ₦1.12 trillion, foreign VAT ₦680.23 billion, and import VAT ₦479.79 billion. Sectorally, Administrative and Support Services led with 89.28 per cent quarter-on-quarter growth, trailed by Arts, Entertainment and Recreation (82.49 per cent) and Human Health (32.4 per cent). Real Estate contracted sharply by 51.33 per cent. Manufacturing dominated contributions at 25.89 per cent, followed by Information and Communication (18.77 per cent) and Mining/Quarrying (14.85 per cent).
CIT followed suit, surging from ₦5.22 trillion in 9M’24. It stood at ₦1.98 trillion in Q1’25, leaped 40 per cent to ₦2.78 trillion in Q2’25, and grew 5.7 per cent to ₦2.96 trillion in Q3’25—a 67.19 per cent year-on-year rise. Domestic CIT reached ₦1.21 trillion in Q3, while foreign CIT hit ₦1.75 trillion, underscoring multinational firms’ role.
Economists attribute the uptick to improved tax administration, digital tracking, and post-reform consumption, though sectoral disparities signal real estate headwinds. The gains support President Tinubu’s revenue diversification drive, reducing oil dependency as global crude fluctuates.
NBS data highlights non-oil taxes’ potential to fund infrastructure and social programmes, with analysts eyeing sustained momentum into 2026.
E-Financial
SEC Revokes Registration of Kensington Agro Trading Limited

Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has revoked the registration of Kensington Agro Trading Limited as a capital market operator with immediate effect.

In a public notice issued by the Commission, the regulator announced that Kensington Agro Trading Limited’s registration as a Commodity Broker/Dealer and Collateral Manager has been withdrawn, effectively stripping the company of its authority to operate within Nigeria’s capital market.
According to the notice, the revocation was carried out pursuant to the powers vested in the Commission under Section 61(6) of the Investments and Securities Act, 2025, as well as Rule 34(1) of the SEC Rules and Regulations 2013, as amended.
The SEC stated that the decision takes immediate effect and urged all stakeholders to take note of the development.
“Accordingly, commodity exchanges, the investing public, commodity traders, and all capital market stakeholders are advised to discontinue capital market-related dealings with the company,” the Commission said.
The directive means that Kensington Agro Trading Limited is no longer authorised to engage in any capital market activities under the regulatory oversight of the SEC. Market participants have been cautioned to avoid entering into transactions or maintaining business relationships with the firm in its former capacity as a registered operator.
While the notice did not specify the reasons for the revocation, such regulatory actions are typically taken in line with the Commission’s mandate to ensure compliance with extant laws, protect investors, and maintain market integrity.
The SEC, headquartered in Abuja, reiterated its commitment to upholding transparency, investor protection, and strict adherence to regulatory standards in Nigeria’s capital market.
The Commission’s action underscores its continued enforcement drive aimed at sanitizing the market and ensuring that only duly registered and compliant operators are permitted to function within the ecosystem.
Stakeholders and members of the public are encouraged to verify the registration status of capital market operators through official SEC channels before engaging in investment-related transactions.
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