After delivering a solid return of 42% in 2017 and gaining a further 16% in January 2018, Nigerian equities have exited their positive run and moved into negative territory. On August 16, 2018 the All-Share Index (ASI) declined by 8.3% year-to-date, compared to a gain of 35.6% in the same period of 2017. The index was still up 8.5%, until the end of the first quarter of 2018. However, the following…
Naira-denominated bonds dominate the public debt profile of the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN). Data from the Debt Management Office (DMO) show a stock of N8.9trn ($28.8bn) at the end of June 2018, equivalent to 11% of GDP in 2017. They also represent 73% of FGN naira debt and 47% of total FGN debt. The bonds are sold monthly at DMO auctions and traded in an active secondary market. Their maturities…
Financial inclusion remains one of the biggest challenges for Nigeria’s banking sector, with companies, public bodies and international specialists all investigating ways to bring more people into the formal sector. The target for the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is an 80% inclusion rate by 2020, up from 41.6% in 2016. Most of the debate so far has been focused on mobile money platforms. These have…
Foreign portfolio investment (FPI) has risen to become the main growth driver of capital inflows to Nigeria. Supported by strong expansion in money market instruments and bonds, FPI inflows recorded double-digit growth in both 2017 and the first half of 2018. While this suggests there is positive investor sentiment and confidence in Nigeria’s ongoing macroeconomic recovery, FPI outflows have also…
With a tax collection rate of roughly 6% of GDP, Nigeria’s tax revenues are lower than its regional peers. The government is working on several fronts to boost its take. The stated goal is to more than double that ratio by 2020, which will involve long-term policy reforms as well as targeting foreign direct investment. Additionally, it is not yet clear to what extent the authorities will solicit…
Although the Nigerian economy has continued to achieve positive growth as it recovers from the oil price shock and the 2016 recession, more remains to be done to achieve economic diversification. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the economy grew by 0.8% in 2017, compared to a contraction of 1.6% in 2016, driven primarily by a recovery in international oil prices and increased domestic…
With Nigeria’s economy growing again in 2018, policymakers are now in a position to move from avoiding problems to making structural changes. One potential change could be the unification of the various exchange rates for the country’s currency, the naira. The multiple rates now available are a legacy of the past years of crisis, which delivered a long-desired, market-based price discovery option…
One of the reforms that will have the most impact on the economic climate of Nigeria when it eventually comes into operation are the proposed changes to the corporate landscape through the long overdue amendment of the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) with the new CAMA Bill, 2018. The act is the principal law governing corporate law in Nigeria. The last time any major substantive re-touch…
The drive to increase government revenue through tax collection will not likely abate in the years to come as revenue from oil, which the government had been heavily depended on in the past is constantly declining. The government has further confirmed this position in recent times through its tax amnesty programmes and other policies. The Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS)…
Nigeria’s e-commerce sector holds considerable potential for future growth, with sales set to double between 2016 and 2020. In recent years major African e-retailers have established operations in the country, with Zinox Technologies’ recent acquisition of Konga highlighting the sector’s growth potential and attractiveness to foreign investors. However, these companies face considerable…
