Author: Julius Alagbe
Julius Alagbe
Julius Alagbe is a senior financial journalist and Editor at MarketForces Africa with nearly two decades of experience in finance, accounting, and economics reporting.He is one of Nigeria's most prolific financial market reporters, covering capital markets, monetary policy, corporate earnings, banking, telecoms, and macroeconomic developments across Africa.Julius has built a strong footprint reporting on Nigeria's leading corporates and financial services sector, including coverage of the Nigerian Exchange Group, Central Bank of Nigeria monetary operations, MTN Nigeria, GTCO, and major investment banking transactions.He regularly monitors the CBN’s open market operations, interbank FX markets, and equity market movements, providing readers with real-time intelligence on Nigeria’s financial landscape.His reporting draws on direct access to institutional research from firms including Moody’s Ratings, CardinalStone Securities, Fitch, and other leading African investment houses.Julius brings analytical depth and editorial rigour to every story, making complex financial data accessible to professionals, investors, and policymakers across Africa.Julius Alagbe is based in Lagos, Nigeria.
Auction: Interest Rate on Nigerian Treasury Bills to Rise –Firm Following a surprise increase in the Nigerian Treasury bills rate and revised auction offers for December, the market now anticipates 1 year rate to increase as the authority is set to float an ad hoc auction on Wednesday. Investment firm AAG Capital Limited, in a note, projected a higher spot rate for Nigerian Treasury bills with 364 days to maturity ahead of the midweek auction. The firm made the projection ahead of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) ad hoc treasury bills auction that will be floated for subscription with N750…
Reparations for Africans Must Transform the Systems Limiting Africa’s Future Africa entered 2025 with a historic opportunity. For the first time, the African Union has placed reparations at the center of its continental agenda, framing it as part of its wider continental theme for 2025. This commitment invites us to confront a painful past – but more importantly – to redesign the systems that continue to constrain Africa’s prospects today. To this end, reparations should correct deep structural imbalances so that Africa’s land, people and resources drive shared prosperity, not persistent inequality. Africa’s experience is distinctive. It is no secret…
Prices of Crude Oil Decline on Russia-Ukraine Peace Talks Prices of crude oil declined as diplomatic steps toward ending the Russia-Ukraine war and uncertainty over the US Federal Reserve’s (Fed) upcoming interest rate decision drove prices lower. International benchmark Brent crude was trading at $62.12 per barrel, down around 0.3% from the previous close of $62.33. The US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) also decreased by about 0.4% to $58.46, compared to $58.69 in the prior session. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met at a summit in…
Nigerian Upstream Regulator Reduces Oil Blocks Signature Bonus The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has set the signature bonus for oil blocks to between $3 million and $7 million in the ongoing 2025 petroleum licensing round. A statement by the Commission said the move was to lower the usual barriers to entry and was in line with global best practices. In 2024, the government reduced the signature bonus payable by successful bidders from around $200m to $10m. The NUPRC disclosed that an investment in deepwater would attract $10m as a signature bonus, while shallow water and onshore would attract…
Fitch Affirms Saudi Aramco at ‘A+’ with Stable Outlook Fitch Ratings has affirmed Saudi Arabian Oil Company’s (Saudi Aramco) Long-Term Foreign- and Local-Currency Issuer Default Ratings (IDRs) at ‘A+’, with stable outlooks. Saudi Aramco’s Long-Term IDRs are constrained by those of Saudi Arabia (A+/Stable), its majority shareholder, given their close links. Ratings analysts said they assess Saudi Aramco’s Standalone Credit Profile (SCP) at ‘aa+’. The Short-Term IDR of ‘F1+’ is equalised with that of the sovereign, according to the rating note. Based on its profile, Saudi Aramco is one of the largest global integrated oil producers and Saudi Arabia’s national…
Naira Trades Soft Post CBN $100 Million FX Intervention The naira traded soft at the Nigeria foreign exchange market (NFEM) on Monday following a $100 million FX intervention made by the Central Bank last week. The local currency faces pressures from increasing demand for dollars, stoked by year-end imports and some multinationals that are upstreaming US dollars abroad. FX data released by the CBN showed that the official rate touched an intraday high of N1457 per dollar, a moderate depreciation from the previous midday quote on Friday. The CBN came to market to support the naira with $100 million in…
SEC Launches Spoken-Word Isa 2025 to Engage Gen Zs, Alphas The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Monday launched the spoken-word version of the Investments and Securities Act 2025 (ISA 2025) to enhance public understanding of its provisions. The Act was signed into law by President Bola Tinubu earlier in the year. Prof. Koyinsola Ajayi, a legal practitioner in areas of Energy and Natural Resources, Banking and Capital Markets, unveiled the spoken-word rendition during the Capital Market Committee meeting in Lagos. Ajayi, who did this on behalf of the SEC, said the innovation would make the law accessible, relatable and…
2 Reasons Why Wall Street Rally Could Suffer After Fed Cuts Rates There are two key reasons why the current rally on Wall Street could suffer after the Federal Reserve cuts rates, as expected, this week, warns the CEO of global financial advisory and asset management giant deVere Group. Nigel Green’s warning comes ahead of the conclusion of the US Federal Open Market Committee meeting on Wednesday, at which it is widely expected that the Fed will cut US interest rates for the third consecutive time. US stocks sit near all-time highs after a strong run. Many investors expect the…
FG Launches N50m Venture Capital Grant for Students The Federal Government (FG) on Monday unveiled a N50 million Student Venture Capital Grant (S-VCG), aimed at promoting innovation, research excellence and entrepreneurship across Nigeria’s tertiary institutions. Speaking at the official launch in Abuja, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, said the programme represented a strategic national investment in young innovators and aligned directly with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for Education. Alausa described the S-VCG as far more than a grant scheme, noting that it was designed to identify high-potential ideas from campuses and nurture a culture of creativity…
2026: Three Tailwinds to Shape Global Investment Outlook Global investors looking toward 2026 are beginning to see a set of structural forces that are grounded in observable economic reality rather than optimism alone, affirms the CEO of one of the world’s largest independent financial advisory organisations. The year ahead, says deVere Group’s Nigel Green, is defined by three credible tailwinds. “Markets reward evidence over enthusiasm,” Nigel Green says. “As 2026 approaches, investors are increasingly distinguishing between stories and substance.” The first tailwind is the persistence of global economic growth that is broader than in recent years, even if it remains…