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Regulator, Market Operators Mull e-IPOs

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A committee comprising of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Nigeria Stock Exchange (NSE), Central Securities and Clearing System(CSCS), and six other organisations have been set up to work out the modalities involved in issuing Electronic Initial Public Offers (e-IPOs) in Nigeria’s financial markets.

 

e-IPO is an application based and browser based software that facilitates online offerings to the public on a private company’s stock. Such company can thus raise money by going public through a cost-effective and comprehensive benefit that an E-IPO offers.

 

Mary Uduk, the ag. the director general of the SEC, said that the e-IPO committee was set up in Lagos last week during the first Capital Market Committee (CMC) Meeting.

 

Other organisations involved in the e-IPO deliberations include, Association of Issuing Houses of Nigeria (AIHN), Association of Stock Broking Houses of Nigeria (ASHON), Institute of Capital Market Registrars (ICMR), Capital market Solicitor Association(CMSA), Fund Managers Association of Nigeria (FMAN), and Nigerian Interbank Settlement System (NIBSS).

 

According to Uduk, globally, capital markets are moving towards e-IPO and the Nigerian Capital Market is working to adopt this trend.

 

Uduk who briefed pressmen alongside Messrs Isiaku Bala Tilde, Ag. Executive Commissioner, Operations; Henry Adekunle Rowlands, Ag. Executive Commissioner Corporate Services; Reginald Karawusa, Ag. Executive Commissioner, Legal and Enforcement on the resolutions of the CMC meeting, said the issue of increase in delistings by public companies was highlighted, and recognised as a threat to the growth and development of the market.

 

In a bid to curb the trend the Ag. DG noted that “In view of the fact that quite a number of them are highly capitalized companies. We are expecting the committee on listings would come up with strategies to attract new listings.”

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Towards further strengthening of the capital market, Uduk explained that the extension of a forbearance window to investors on multiple subscriptions and forbearance for shareholders with multiple accounts, will last till September 2018. “Registrars have acknowledged that investors have started coming forward but there are challenges in the process.

 

The CMC deliberated and recommended the appropriate Technical Committee to seek input and come up with recommendations to address the challenges. Therefore, we encourage all affected investors to come forward and take advantage of the window before the new deadline.” Speaking on Direct Cash Settlement (DCS), Uduk that out of 5.1 million accounts with the CSCS, only 1,191 have Direct Cash Settlement (DCS) subscriptions and only 15 out of 18 settlement banks have contributed to the DCS initiative.

 

“Considering the fact that DCS will instill confidence in the market, there is the need for all parties involved in the process to work harder to achieve a 100% migration.” She said.

 

On the issue of commodities market, Uduk said “The Technical Committee working on developing a vibrant commodities market for Nigeria presented its report at the meeting. The report will be exposed to the public to elicit comments and inputs from all stakeholders.

 

She added that “the Technical Committee on Non-Interest capital market reported that the first sovereign sukuk was issued in 2017 and about 1,600 retail investors invested N5 billion on the instrument.

 

The next level of engagements is to work with supra-national entities (such as IFC, AfDB), state governments, institutions (such as Federal Mortgage Bank, NMRC) to include sukuk options in their capital investment plans.

 

“The Technical Committee on E-dividend registration reported that the total approved mandates currently is about 2.5 million translating into 466,000 unique investor accounts. The deadline for the free E-dividend registration was 31 March 2018 and that has not changed. The new direction of the industry is that bank managers along with registrars will charge a token sum of N150 per mandate.

 

The Commission also warned the public to exercise extreme caution with regards to crypto currencies as a vehicle of investments, as part of its investor protection mandate.

 

The warning was particular, especially as none of the persons, companies or entities promoting cryptocurrencies has been recognized or authorized by SEC or by other regulatory agencies in Nigeria to receive deposit from the public or to provide any investment or other financial service within or outside Nigeria.

 

Other deliberations and outcome at the CMC meeting include an update of the Commission’s database for registration and functions of Capital Market Operators (CMOs), which can be found on the SEC website, the issuance of a new set of Registration Certificates to operators without expiry dates, made available at the SEC’s head office and Lagos Zonal Office and the commencement of the distribution of electronic annual accounts of public companies.

 

On financial inclusion, the Ag. DG mentioned that the Commission is working with National Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) to institute a stand-alone capital market curriculum for basic and senior secondary education in Nigeria. “To this end, Trade Groups made commitments at the meeting to support this initiative.”

 


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E-Financial

Lagos State Appoints MoneyMaster as Payment Partner for “Ounje Eko” Programme

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“Ounje Eko”, the food price discount initiative of the Lagos State Government, has appointed leading payment service bank, MoneyMaster Payment Service Bank Limited (MMPSB), as its collaborator in the bid to ensure ease of payments at the market.

MoneyMaster is one of the Central Bank of Nigeria-licensed Payment Service Banks (PSBs) to promote financial inclusion across Nigeria.

Under the partnership, MMPSB will apply its cutting-edge payment solution to engender easy payment and reconciliation in order to make   the experiences of Lagosians who will be getting their food supplies from the markets pleasurable. Its payment solution is also all-encompassing and ensures real time value to payment destinations.

The mobile bank was appointed as the collection and payment partner for “Ounje Eko” Food Markets programme which is a government initiative serving the five divisions of Lagos State. Consequent on this, MoneyMaster Payment Service Bank will collect payments in 57 LCDAs in the state.

The partnership gives credence to the quality of payment solutions that MoneyMaster is reputed for in its services to its growing business clientele in private and public sectors.

 


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E-Financial

CBN, EFCC Probe Banks, Firms over Alleged Forex Racketeering

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Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), is investigating irregular foreign exchange transactions and forward contracts valued at approximately $2.4 billion.

CBN, EFCC Probe Banks, Firms over Alleged Forex Racketeering

The  inquiry follows an extensive audit by Deloitte, which scrutinized $7 billion in dollar debts accumulated under the bank’s previous leadership.

In the aftermath of the 294th Monetary Policy Committee meeting in Abuja, Yemi Cardoso, governor of CBN,  disclosed to journalists that the investigation, supported by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, among other security bodies, aims to clarify the legitimacy of these FX allocations identified as problematic by the audit.

“It was determined that a number of these transactions did not qualify…they were outright illegal. The law enforcement agencies are now looking into those transactions that as far as we are concerned, are not valid to be paid,” Cardoso detailed, emphasizing the unlawful nature of these forex deals.

The crux of the investigation lies in the audit findings that a significant portion of the scrutinized transactions lacked proper documentation and, in many instances, were deemed outright illegal.

However, the unfolding investigation has raised concerns within the organized private sector, with some entities contemplating legal action against commercial banks for unresolved forex bids.

Despite these tensions, Governor Cardoso reassures that the foreign exchange market remains open and transparent, inviting stakeholders to address their forex needs through the official channels.

Furthermore, Cardoso clarified the distribution of fertilizers to farmers as a one-off measure and not indicative of a shift back to direct interventions by the CBN, underscoring a commitment to strategic, regulatory governance rather than direct market involvement.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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CBN Urges Banks to Expedite Action on Recapitalisation

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Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has directed deposit money banks in the country to expedite action to increase their capital base from the current ₦25bn.

CBN Urges Banks to Expedite Action on Recapitalisation

Olayemi Cardoso, governor of CBN

Olayemi Cardoso, governor of CBN, stated this during the apex bank’s 294th meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) on Tuesday in Abuja, when the MPC hiked the interest rate by 22.75% to 24.75%.

The apex bank chief said the MPC examined developments in the banking sector and expressed satisfaction that the industry remained stable. The committee, however, said to guard against risk, commercial banks in the country should accelerate their recapitalisation efforts.

Cardoso said, “The MPC also reviewed developments in the banking system and noted that the industry remains safe, sound, and stable. The committee thus called on the bank to sustain its surveillance and ensure compliance of banks with existing regulatory and macro-potential guidelines.

“The MPC also enjoined the banks to expedite actions on the recapitalisation of banks to strengthen the system against potential risks in an increasingly globalised world.”

 

 

 

 


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