Author: Julius Alagbe

Brent Steady as Markets Weigh Russian–Ukrainian Peace Talks Brent crude oil steadied on Monday as markets weighed the prospects of a possible peace deal in Ukraine and the likelihood that the US could lift sanctions on Russian oil exports. Traders chart showed Brent crude is stable, hovering around its previous daily close at $61.90. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) Oil price advances on Monday, early in the European session. WTI trades at $58.13 per barrel, up from Friday’s close at $57.90. US announced that, following peace plan talks held in Geneva, Switzerland, aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war, the parties had…

MPC: Analysts Eye CBN Interest Rate Cut as Inflation Tempers Broadstreet analysts and Nigerian private sector financial market participants anticipated a sharp reduction in the policy rate as the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) begins its final meeting for 2025. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is expected to cut benchmark interest rate as the country’s headline inflation softens since its last monetary policy committee meeting in Sept. The market, investment firms’ project monetary authority to axe benchmark interest rate below 27% after 50 basis points cut in September. Anchored on macro indicators, economists at Cordros Capital Limited said the development…

SMDF, ORDF, Partner to Develop Mining Finance Framework The Solid Minerals Development Fund (SMDF) says it is partnering with the Ores Reserves Development Forum (ORDF) to develop a mining finance framework aimed at addressing the difficulties miners experience in accessing finance for their operations. The Executive Director of SMDF, Hajiya Fatima Shinkafi, made this known in a statement by her Technical Adviser, Mr Abdulmajeed Amussah, on Monday in Abuja. Amussah said financing has been identified as one of the major challenges affecting the sector due to limited investor confidence in geological and project data, which the SMDF and ORDF was…

Raising the Bar: Ayoola Gilbert Sets New Agenda for Stronger Shareholder Advocacy The Ibadan Zone Shareholders’ Association, comprising Ekiti, Kwara, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Oyo States has ushered in a new era with the election of Mr. Ayoola Gilbert Olufemi as its 8th Chairman during the Association’s combined 31st–33rd Annual General Meeting held on November 20, 2025. Gilbert, a long-standing member and respected voice within the Association, is known for his calm leadership style and firm commitment to investor protection. His emergence, according to members, reflects years of steady contribution, professionalism and deep understanding of shareholder activism. In his acceptance…

Tech Fair: Zenith Bank Empowers African Innovators with N140m Zenith Bank Plc empowers African innovators with N140 million cash prize at the conclusion of its tech fair. The bank said a total cash prize of N140 million has been awarded to the African innovators to scale their transformative solutions after a keenly contested hackathon. The startups staged their pitches at the Fifth Edition of the Zenith Tech Fair, themed “Future Forward 5.0: Tech for Success – Innovate, Adapt, Accelerate” held last week at the Eko Convention Centre, Eko Hotels & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos. The 2025 edition of the Zenith…

CBN Sells $250mn to Defend Naira as FX Pressures Increase The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) sells $250 million in multiple transactions to authorised dealers and banks as part of an effort to strengthen the local currency, the naira, at the official foreign exchange market. The naira has been facing strong selloffs in the recent past week, and the local currency lost N14 in one week despite significant FX intervention by the Apex Bank. The CBN injected $250 million to authorised dealer banks, withdrawing the equivalent naira volume as demand for greenbacks outpaced naira requests. In its market update, Cordros…

Equities Investors Lost N2.09trn in Nigerian Stock Market Equities investors recorded another weekly loss as selloffs wiped off N2.09 trillion from the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) market capitalisation. This week, the Nigerian equities market extended its bearish trajectory, slipping below the 145,000 threshold to close at 143,722.62 points and registering a 2.24% week-on-week decline. The downturn persisted on the back of an intensified profit-taking activities, a pattern that has become more pronounced as investors rebalance their portfolios ahead of year-end according to Cowry Asset. Market analysts said the wave of selling pressure resulted in a notable contraction in market capitalization, which…

NUPRC Chief Woos Investors with Transparent Oil Licensing Round The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has promised to deliver a transparent 2025 oil licensing round to boost investment in oil and gas sector. The bid portal would go live on its website on Dec. 1, 2025. Mr Gbenga Komolafe, Chief Executive of the commission, said this when the management team of the Ludoil Energy of Italy visited NUPRC corporate headquarters in Abuja. In a statement, Komolafe said the licensing round would feature two stages, explaining that first would be the technical phase and then those who scale through would…

Nigerian Eurobonds Yield Falls as Nov. 2025 Due for Redemption Nigerian Eurobond yields fell at the international debt market as foreign portfolio investors increased their portfolio holdings amidst the near redemption of sovereign external borrowing notes. The Debt Office raised $2.85 billion from the external market to support Nigeria’s 2025 budget deficit, and some analysts said the action was initiated as part of an effort to redeem a borrowing note that will expire in November. The rally suggests the market has priced in near-zero default risk as the country’s reforms begin to yield results with about $47 billion in gross…

Nigerian Treasury Bills Yield Drops to 16.89% after Auction Investors increased bets on Nigerian Treasury bills in the secondary market, reflecting sustained demand for the naira assets after the midweek main auction. The average yield declined below 17% due to post-auction trading reactions. Activities closed on a positive note as investors with failed bids returned to the secondary market to boost their portfolio holdings.  The bargain hunting dragged yields across the belly and long end of the curve lower ahead of a possible interest rate cut. The Central Bank conducted a Treasury bills auction where N700 billion was the offer…