Economy
Invest to secure your future, SEC advises security personnel
Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, yesterday, advised military and other security personnel in the country to begin to take steps towards making crucial investments that would help guarantee their financial security in the near future. Speaking at a one-day enlightenment outreach for officers of the armed forces, police, and other para-military agencies, on the investment initiatives in the capital market, and how to protect their sundry investments, Acting Director-General of SEC, Ms Mary Uduk, said the focus of the security operatives should not only be on maintenance of peace and security of the country. She said, “This is because without a peaceful environment, no sustainable economic development can be achieved. While you continue to work for the peace and security of our dear country, you must also work for the peace and security of your financial future. I am happy to inform you that the capital market has a number of products and platforms that can guarantee these.”
She noted that SEC was making efforts at addressing financial literacy and empowerment gaps within the society, adding that this is expressed in the various financial inclusion and literacy initiatives it is currently undertaking in collaboration with other stakeholders.
According to her, “I wish to commend your interest to learn how to build wealth in a secured and protected environment. While some of us will invest for today, most I believe will take the benefits deep into their retirement years when the energy to work is lost but the benefits of investments will continue to trickle in, to ensure relative financial security even at old age. We also have other initiatives arising from our ten year Capital Market Master Plan which protects investors and also bring confidence to the Capital Market, such as the e-Dividend mandate. When people invest in the capital market, they expect returns, they expect to make money. One of it is to be able to protect your dividend and get your dividend as at when due.”
She further said, “Others are the multiple subscriptions. In the past, people subscribe for shares and bond in many different names; some as many as six different names. Because of that they are not able to get the benefit of investing in the Capital Market. For instance, a bank account has only one name with only one BVN. So if you have different names that are not your real name, and your share certificate does not carry those names, and the bank the does not recognise those names, you are not able to get the dividends of investing in the market. Therefore, we have given the market a window of opportunity for people that engage in multiple subscriptions to come and regularise those holdings that they have and consolidate them to be able to get the benefits of investing in the Capital Market.
“We also have the National Investor Protection Fund, NIPF, that protects investors arising from problems that Capital Market operators go through other than those of them that are brokers, because brokers own are covered by that of the NSA” she said. She said the commission is now very closely, supervising the capital market operators to ensure that investments of investors are not violated, misused or mismanaged in any way, adding that a framework had been set up where it monitors operators regularly. In his remarks, Director, Head of Market Development Department, Mr. Edward Okolo, said One of the thing that keeps others away from the Capital Market is basically the lack of understanding and the opportunities to acquire the needed knowledge to help in making informed decisions about their financial wellbeing and growth. “It is this opportunity that we have brought to you this morning and we believe you will take advantage of it to ensure that going forward, you are better able to manage your finances to the extent of knowing what investment portfolio will help build your wealth in a sustainable manner,” he added.
The Arab Africa Trade Bridges (AATB) Program and the Federal Republic of Nigeria formalized a partnership with the signing of the AATB Membership Agreement, officially welcoming Nigeria as the Program’s newest member country. The signing ceremony took place in Abuja on the sidelines of the 5th AATB Board of Governors Meeting, hosted by the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The Membership Agreement was signed by Eng. Adeeb Y. Al Aama, the CEO of the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) and AATB Program Secretary General, and H.E. Mr. Wale Edun, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Federal Republic of Nigeria. The Agreement will provide a strategic and operational framework to support Nigeria’s efforts in trade competitiveness, promote export diversification, strengthen priority value chains, and advance capacity-building efforts in line with national development priorities. Areas of collaboration will include trade promotion, agribusiness modernization, SME development, businessmen missions, trade facilitation, logistics efficiency, and digital trade readiness.
The Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, called for deeper trade collaboration between African and Arab nations, stressing the importance of value-added Agribusiness and industrial partnerships for regional growth. Speaking in Abuja at the Agribusiness Matchmaking Forum ahead of the AATB Board of Governors Meeting, the Minister said the shifting global economy makes it essential for African and Arab nations to rely more on regional cooperation, investment and shared markets.
He highlighted projections showing Arab-Africa trade could grow by more than US$37 billion in the next three years and urged partners to prioritize value addition rather than raw commodity exports. He noted that Nigeria’s growing industrial base and upcoming National Single Window reforms will support efficiency, investment and private-sector expansion.
“This is a moment to turn opportunity into action”, he said. “By working together, we can build stronger value chains, create jobs and support prosperity across our regions”, Edun emphasized. “As African and Arab nations embark on this journey of deeper trade collaboration, the potential for growth and development is vast. With a shared vision and commitment to value-added partnerships, we can unlock new opportunities, drive economic growth, and create a brighter future for our people.”
Speaking during the event, Eng. Adeeb Y. Al Aama, Chief Executive Officer of ITFC and Secretary General of the AATB Program, stated: “We are pleased to welcome Nigeria to be part of the AATB Program. Nigeria stands as one of Africa’s most dynamic and resilient economies in Africa, with a rapidly expanding private sector and strong potential across agribusiness, energy, manufacturing, and digital industries. Through this Membership Agreement, we look forward to collaborating closely with Nigerian institutions to strengthen value chains, expand regional market access, enhance trade finance and investment opportunities, and support the country’s development priorities.”
The signing of this Agreement underscores AATB’s continued engagement with African countries and its evolving portfolio of programs supporting trade and investment. In recent years, AATB has worked on initiatives across agribusiness, textiles, logistics, digital trade, export readiness under the AfCFTA framework, and other regional initiatives such as the Common African Agro-Parks (CAAPs) Programme.
With Nigeria’s accession, the AATB Program extends it’s presence in the region and adds a key partner working toward advancing trade-led development and fostering inclusive economic growth.
Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the 2026–2028 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), a key fiscal document that outlines Nigeria’s revenue expectations, macroeconomic assumptions, and spending priorities for the next three years. The approval followed Wednesday’s FEC meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu at the State House, Abuja. The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu made this known after the meeting.
The Minister said the Federal Government is projecting a total revenue inflow of N34.33 trillion in 2026, including N4.98 trillion expected from government-owned enterprises. Bagudu said that the projected revenue is N6.55 trillion lower than earlier estimates, adding that federal allocations are expected to drop by about N9.4 trillion, representing a 16% decline compared to the 2025 budget.
He said that statutory transfers are expected to amount to about N3 trillion within the same fiscal year. On macroeconomic assumptions, FEC adopted an oil production benchmark of 2.6 million barrels per day (mbpd) for 2026, although a more conservative 1.8 mbpd will be used for budgeting purposes. An oil price benchmark of $64 per barrel and an exchange rate of N1,512 per dollar were also approved.
Bagudu said the exchange rate assumption reflects projections tied to economic and political developments ahead of the 2027 general elections. He said the exchange rate assumption took into account the fiscal outlook ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The minister said that all the parameters were based on macroeconomic analysis by the Budget Office and other relevant agencies. Bagudu said FEC also reviewed comments from cabinet members before approving the Medium-Term Fiscal Expenditure Ceiling (MFTEC), which sets expenditure limits. Earlier, the Senate approved the external borrowing plan of $21.5 billion presented by President Tinubu for consideration The loans, according to the Senate, were part of the MTEF and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP) for the 2025 budget.
The spot rate on Nigerian Treasury bills has been increased by 146 basis points by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) following tight subscription levels at the main auction on Wednesday. The spot rate on Treasury bills with one-year maturity has now surpassed Nigeria’s 16.05% inflation by 145 basis points following a recent decision to keep the policy rate at 27%.
The Apex Bank came to the primary market with N700 billion Treasury bills offer size across standard tenors, including 91-day, 182-day and 364 day maturities. Details from the auction results showed that demand settled slightly above the total offers as investors began to seek higher returns on naira assets despite disinflation.
Total subscription came in at about N775 billion versus N700 billion offers floated at the main auction. The results showed rising appetite for duration as investors parked about 90% of their bids on Nigerian Treasury bills with 364 days maturity. The CBN opened N100 billion worth of 91 days bills for subscription, but the offer received underwhelming bids totalling N44.17 billion.
The CBN allotted N42.80 billion for the short-term instrument at the spot rate of 15.30%, the same as the previous auction. Total demand for 182 days Nigerian Treasury bills settled at N33.38 billion as against N150 billion that the authority pushed out for subscription. The CBN raised N30.36 billion from 182 days bills allotted to investors at the spot rate of 15.50%, the same as the previous auction.
Investors staked N697.29 billion on N450 billion in 364-day Treasury bills that was offered for subscription. The CBN raised N636.46 billion from the longest tenor at the spot rate of 17.50%, up from 16.04% at the previous auction.
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