Nigeria | Darkness Looms Over Nigeria as Delta Attacks Cut Power

Nigeria |  Darkness Looms Over Nigeria as Delta Attacks Cut Power

LAGOS, Nigeria, Capital Markets in Africa: Unless President Muhammadu Buhari, 73, can subdue armed militants attacking gas facilities that supply the nation’s power plants, his plans to remedy an electricity shortage he called a “national shame” in his inauguration speech a year ago, will be stillborn. In March, Buhari said he would increase power generation by 2,000 megawatts this year and raise it by 2019 to 10,000 megawatts, double this year’s peak in early February. Then militants…

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Opportunity | Nigeria Telecommunications Industry Grows Despite Economic Woes

Opportunity | Nigeria Telecommunications Industry Grows Despite Economic Woes

LAGOS, Nigeria, Capital Markets in Africa: Growth in Nigeria’s telecommunications industry picked up in the three months through March even as the economy shrunk for the first time in more than a decade, according to a government report. Telecommunications expanded 5 percent in the first quarter, compared with 3.5 percent in the three months through December, and contributed 8.8 percent to gross domestic product, the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics said in a report on Thursday. The economy contracted by 0.4…

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Foreign Exchange | As Nigeria Dithers on Naira, Foreign Companies See Funds Trapped

Foreign Exchange | As Nigeria Dithers on Naira, Foreign Companies See Funds Trapped

LAGOS, Nigeria, Capital Markets in Africa: As Nigeria’s policy makers dither on plans to loosen capital controls and let the naira weaken, foreign companies such as Nampak Ltd. of South Africa and British Airways Plc are battling to get their money out of the country. Nampak, Africa’s biggest producer of beverage cans, is considering currency swaps that would enable the Johannesburg-based company to repatriate money trapped due to the shortage of foreign exchange in Nigeria, its chief executive officer said….

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Nigeria Said to Plan Bond Investor Meetings in London Next Week

Nigeria Said to Plan Bond Investor Meetings in London Next Week

LAGOS, Nigeria, Capital Markets in Africa: Nigerian officials are meeting bond investors in London next week, according to a person familiar with the matter, as the government considers tapping international debt markets to help finance its record budget deficit. Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun will head the meetings on June 7, which have been arranged by Standard Chartered Plc, according to the person, who asked not to be identified because he’s not authorized to comment publicly. Abraham Nwankwo, head of…

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Nigerian Equity Markets | 31 May 2016: Stocks Tumble on Panic Selling …NSE-ASI down 4.3%

Nigerian Equity Markets | 31 May 2016: Stocks Tumble on Panic Selling …NSE-ASI down 4.3%

LAGOS, Nigeria, Capital Markets in Africa: The Bullish trend in the Nigerian equities market was reversed as the All Share Index plunged 4.3% amid profit taking and FX uncertainty following the Democracy Day Speech. After touching a year high of 28,902.25 points on Friday, the benchmark index tumbled to 27,671.08 points today, sending YTD return (-3.4%) back to the negative region. Market capitalization also shrank N425.6bn settling at N9.5tn. Today’s sharp decline was broadly driven…

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Buhari Gives Nigeria Central Bank Go-Ahead on Flexible Naira

Buhari Gives Nigeria Central Bank Go-Ahead on Flexible Naira

LAGOS, Nigeria, Capital Markets in Africa: Faced with an economy nearing recession and inflation at the highest in almost six years, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has backed down on his refusal to allow the naira to weaken. Buhari has given the central bank the go-ahead to introduce a more flexible exchange-rate system even as he remains opposed to devaluation of the naira, said Garba Shehu, his spokesman. “The president is opposed to devaluing the naira, he has said…

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Nigeria Records First Trade Deficit in at Least Seven Years

Nigeria Records First Trade Deficit in at Least Seven Years

LAGOS, Nigeria, Capital Markets in Africa: Nigeria recorded its first quarterly trade deficit in at least seven years in the three months through March as exports of crude oil dropped, adding to the nation’s economic distress. The trade balance of Africa’s largest economy swung to a deficit of 184.1 billion naira ($925 million) from a revised surplus of 364.6 billion naira in the previous quarter, the Abuja-based National Bureau of Statistics said in an e-mailed statement on Tuesday….

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