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First Bank Denies Reports of Otedola Takeover

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FBN Holdings Plc Friday denied claims by online media that Femi Otedola, business mogul, has acquired majority stake in the bank.

Femi Otedola

In a statement signed by Seye Kosoko, company secretary, obtained from Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX), the bank is yet to receive any notification from the individual mentioned on such acquisition.

FBN Holdings insisted it operates in a regulated environment which required notifications of significant shareholding by shareholders to the company where shares are held in different vehicles.

It further stated that the bank will always notify the appropriate agencies and authorities whenever it receives any notice of significant shareholding by the shareholder and the company registrars.

“The attention of FBN Holdings Plc has been drawn to media reports purporting that a certain individual has acquired significant shareholding interest in FBN Holding Plc, therefore making him the majority shareholder in the company.

“As a listed company, the shares of FBN Holding Plc are publicly traded and sale and acquisition of shares is expected in the normal course of business.

“We operate in a regulated environment which required notifications of significant shareholding by shareholders to the company where shares are held in different vehicles, further to which the company will notify the regulators and public as appropriate,” it added.

There are online reports that Femi Otedola, billionaire businessman, , is coming back into the capital market on a big scale a few years after he offloaded his 75 per cent stake in Forte oil which later became Ardova Plc under its new owners.

The report stated that the business mogul has allegedly acquired majority stake in FBN Holdings, which also recently had a board crisis, to take over the company.

According to reports, Otedola, is now the single majority shareholder of the first generation lender in Nigeria with the acquisition of N30 billion worth of the bank’s equities at the NGX.

In recent times, there has been an upward movement in the share price of FBN Holdings at the stock market and this has raised many eyebrows as some investors were asking what was driving the hike.

Some months ago, many were shocked when the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) sacked the boards of First Bank Nigeria Limited and its holding company, FBN Holdco, citing insider abuse and corporate governance breakdown as reasons.

The apex bank also set up interim boards, reinstalling Dr. Sola Adeduntan, ousted managing director/ chief executive.

The interim board chairman of the bank, according to CBN, will be Tunde Hassan-Odukale.

Other members of the bank subsidiary are Tokunbo Martins, Uche Nwokedi, Adekunle Sonola, Isioma Ogodazi, Ebenezer Olufowose, Ishaya Elijah Dodo, Gbenga Shobo, Remi Oni and Abdullahi Ibrahim.

The board of the holding company is chaired by Remi Babalola while the managing director is U.K. Eke.

Other members are Dr. Fatade Abiodun Oluwole, Kofo Dosekun, Remi Lasaki, Dr. Alimi Abdulrasaq, Ahmed Modibbo, Khalifa Imam and Peter Aliogo.

The change was the climax after hours of horse-trading and corporate war over the appointment of a new managing director.

The board of directors of First Bank within the period announced the appointment of Gbenga Shobo as its managing director/chief executive.

Shobo was to replace Adeduntan, who was appointed in 2016.

 

Following the appointment, the CBN made futile efforts to compel the board to reverse its decision and reinstate the ousted chief executive. The apex bank issued a query to the board when it failed to heed its advice.

CBN said the board’s move had a dire consequence for the bank and “portends significant risks to the stability of the financial system” in the query letter.

“The CBN notes with concern that the action was taken without due consultation with the regulatory authorities, especially given the systemic importance of First Bank Ltd.

“The CBN was not made aware of any report from the board indicting the Managing Director of any wrong-doing or misconduct; there appears to be no apparent justification for the precipitate removal.

“We are particularly concerned because the action is coming at a time the CBN has provided various regulatory forbearances and liquidity support to reposition the bank, which has enhanced its asset quality, capital adequacy and liquidity ratios amongst other prudential indicators,” the regulator said.

 

 


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E-Financial

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

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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.


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Nigeria’s VAT Jumps 34%, CIT Soars 48% to ₦14trn in 9M’25 – NBS

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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.

Nigeria's VAT Jumps 34%, CIT Soars 48% to ₦14trn in 9M'25 – NBS

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.


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SEC Revokes Registration of Kensington Agro Trading Limited

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

SEC Revokes Registration of Kensington Agro Trading Limited

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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