Author: Gilbert Ayoola
Gilbert Ayoola is the Chairman of Ibadan Zone Shareholders’ Association. He is an investment expert with years of experience that cut across the Nigerian capital market.He has deep knowledge of the Nigerian economy, tracking the performance of listed companies, banking and finance, and government policy.With 20+ years of experience working with numbers across African financial markets, Gilbert delivers reports on corporate earnings and airs opinions on banks' activities and other money market players.He conducted extensive financial analyses of Nigerian Exchange’s Top 30-listed companies with depth and dexterity that match global best practices.Gilbert Ayoola is based in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria
Stanbic IBTC ETF30 Extends Market Dominance, Rises by 126% Stanbic IBTC ETF30 continued its impressive upward trajectory over the past four weeks, firmly securing its position as the market’s most dominant and best-performing exchange-traded fund. Anchored on a diversified basket of underlying blue-chip equities, the fund has consistently attracted significant inflows from institutional portfolio managers and high-net-worth investors seeking both liquidity and alpha-enhancing exposure. The ETF has delivered a remarkable 125.92% price appreciation, rebounding sharply from its 52-week low of N525 and trading well above its 50-day moving average of N600.85. With a 52-week high of N1,152.80, the instrument has…
Ellah Lakes Rallies on Positive Investors Sentiment The Nigerian equities market ended trading on Friday, November 28, 2025, on a strong and optimistic footing, closing the month in positive territory as renewed investor confidence continued to drive activity across key sectors. Among the standout gainers was Ellah Lakes Plc, which recorded 5.32% uptick, finishing the session at N13.85, up from its previous opening price of N13.15. This momentum-driven advance reinforced the stock’s growing relevance on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX), where it has steadily maintained liquidity and consistent tradability. Ellah Lakes’ current price performance remains noteworthy, especially when viewed against its…
NCR Plc: Uncertainties Cloud Earnings Outlook NCR Nigeria Plc’s Q3 2025 scorecard underscores a company navigating a disciplined turnaround, recovering from prior years of losses through board-driven resilience, operational refinements, and renewed market positioning. While the topline and balance sheet show clear signs of strengthening, profitability metrics reveal lingering structural pressures that demand cautious investor interpretation despite upbeat sentiment on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX). The company recorded revenue growth from N1.32bn to N1.40bn, signalling sustained demand recovery across its core service lines. However, cost of sales rose sharply from N1.05bn to N1.18bn, diluting margin leverage. Yet gross profit expanded significantly,…
Banking Sector Enters Defining Phase as Recapitalisation Clock Ticks As the year winds to a close, Nigeria’s financial landscape is navigating one of its most consequential transitions in over a decade. The Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) recapitalisation deadline has become a litmus test for industry resilience, one that is already separating the well-positioned from the merely hopeful. So far, only 16 banks have successfully met the CBN’s stipulated capital thresholds, a milestone that underscores both the growing stability within the upper tier of the sector and the uphill climb still facing the remainder. For the banks yet to comply,…
Inflation Eases, Market Softens: Nigeria’s Mixed Signals to Investors Nigeria’s macro landscape recorded a welcome shift as headline inflation eased further to 16.05%, down from 18.02% the previous month. The deceleration driven by softer food and energy costs strengthens the narrative that price pressures are gradually cooling after months of strain on households and businesses. Yet this macro improvement has not translated into market optimism. After briefly touching 151,000 basis points, the NGX All-Share Index has slipped to around 145,159 basis points, with declines cutting across major sectors. The banking sector has taken the sharpest hit as investors lock in…
Renewed Momentum for Nigeria’s Oil & Gas Sector Following Conoil-TotalEnergies Historic Production Pact Nigeria’s oil and gas sector received a transformative boost from Paris following the signing of a landmark production contract between Conoil and TotalEnergies. The agreement, sealed at TotalEnergies’ global headquarters in La Défense, Paris, brought together two of the industry’s most influential leaders: Dr. Mike Adenuga Jr. (CSG), Chairman of Conoil, and Mr. Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman/CEO of TotalEnergies. This strategic collaboration signals a new era of upstream expansion, resource optimisation, and investment inflows into Africa’s leading oil-producing nation. For capital-market participants, the development carries implications that extend…
Access Holdings Employee Share Vesting: What It Means for the Group, Investors Access Holdings Plc, the parent company of Access Bank and one of Africa’s biggest financial services groups, recently made an important move that caught the attention of market watchers and investors alike. The Group announced that it has given 689 of its employees shares in the company under its Restricted Share Performance Plan (RSPP) a reward and motivation scheme designed to align staff performance with the company’s long-term success. Under this plan, a total of 41.82 million ordinary shares of Access Holdings were vested (that is, officially handed…
Nigeria’s Digital Payment System Reaches a Defining Milestone Nigeria’s journey toward a fully integrated digital financial ecosystem has reached a defining moment. On Friday, November 7, 2025, the country achieved a historic breakthrough with the first live transaction on the National Payment Stack (NPS) a unified digital payment infrastructure designed to reshape how money moves across Nigeria’s financial system. The transaction, executed between PalmPay and Wema Bank, was processed in milliseconds and settled instantly. This marks the first real-world test of the NPS, a system built to ensure interoperability, faster settlements, and reduced transaction costs across all financial platforms. This…
Standard Chartered’s Minimum Balance Policy: A Shift with Far-Reaching Implications In a bold and controversial move that has generated significant discussion across Nigeria’s financial landscape, Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria has announced a new policy that will reshape its retail banking operations. Beginning February 2026, the bank will no longer provide services to customers with balances below N7.5 million, effectively phasing out small retail depositors. Accounts that do not meet this threshold by the stated deadline will be closed automatically. This development marks a decisive departure from traditional mass-market banking, signalling the institution’s strategic refocus towards high-net-worth and affluent clientele. The…
Nigeria’s Eurobond: A Strategic Market Move Amid Political Crosswinds Nigeria’s latest foray into the international capital market with its $2.35 billion Eurobond issuance represents a critical moment for the nation’s fiscal and economic trajectory. Despite geopolitical tensions and domestic reform challenges, the planned Eurobond could serve as a barometer for investor sentiment toward Africa’s largest economy and a signal of how global markets perceive its reform commitments. The Federal Government (FG) of Nigeria’s Eurobond programme of $2.25 billion comes as part of a broader strategy to shore up external reserves, manage debt maturities, and bridge fiscal gaps amid still-elevated global…