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Unlocking Opportunities in Nigeria’s Gold Market

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Gold - Investors King
  • Unlocking Opportunities in Nigeria’s Gold Market

As the federal and state governments continue to seek ways to diversify their revenues, experts believe that opportunities in the gold value chain should be unlocked, writes Nume Ekeghe

Gold remains one of the world’s most coveted commodities, based on its rarity and malleability. In 2001, the precious commodity’s average price was $US 271 and by 2017 it had jumped to almost $US 1,257.

Countries with largest estimated reserves are Australia, South Africa, and Russia. Currently, China is the world’s leading producer of gold, followed by Australia and Russia.

Also, Nigeria isn’t lacking of gold. Actually, the country has a thriving underground gold economy that if regulated, could unlock the as the gold market Centre of Africa. Despite the mostly informal structure of the gold market, Nigeria has one of the largest economies, the largest population in Africa, and is a top contender for the largest emerging market for luxury goods in Africa.

The lustre and luxury items visualised at the mention of gold is part of a long value chain that Nigeria does not participate in. Maru gold (gold from Maru Zamfara) is identified on sight by gold merchants in the gold souks of Dubai. Mumbai, Valenza and Arezzo Gold districts feel the groan of the Nigerian Foreign currency crunch when their Nigerian customers spend less.

Cotonou smuggling paths continue to thrive and create an undocumented supply of gold to Dubai and Asia.
But the emergence of the Nigerian gold purchase scheme and the development plan for an internationally certified gold refinery in Nigeria creates an opportunity for an intervention in a critical sector that would promote economic growth and reduce unemployment. According to experts, harnessing opportunities in the gold sector would boost Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and promote non-oil exports.

Therefore, to sustain this development, Nigeria would need to reconsider its view on gold – the issues and ownership of gold as a commodity mined, recycled, and imported as a financial instrument, scientific product and as a potential instrument for economic warfare make it a matter of national security and importance.

Furthermore, experts stressed that developing the gold value chain would drive innovation, stimulate the economy, and generate income for government coffers.

Also, they pointed out that Nigeria could become a gold economy irrespective of whether it mines gold or not. India, UAE, Singapore, Italy, Switzerland, Turkey and London are renowned world gold markets without the classification of gold mining countries.

West African Value Chain

While world gold mine production has been declining, West African gold production has been growing. In 2011, West Africa became the hub of African gold mining when the total production of gold from West Africa overtook South Africa’s gold production. Out of the 15 ECOWAS countries, Cape Verde, Benin and Togo are the only countries without notable gold reserves. However, Benin and Togo are notable for gold trade.

All other ECOWAS countries have either significant documented gold reserves, internationally listed gold mining companies or significant footprint of artisanal gold mining. The recently released World Bank 2018 figures now have Ghana as the leading producer of gold in Africa. West Africa is becoming synonymous for gold.

At a June 2019 stakeholders’ session in Lagos between the private sector and the Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, Aliko Dangote iterated that activities of smuggling from the Benin Republic route is killing manufacturing in Nigeria and that it would be difficult for a country to survive with Benin Republic as a neighbour.

A recent World Bank report on smuggling showed that about N1.45 trillion worth of goods is smuggled into Nigeria annually through Benin Republic. With Benin and Togo having 0% royalty on gold, neighbouring countries will find it almost impossible to prevent major royalty revenue leakages and counteract gold smuggling.

Dangote’s warning coupled with Ghana’s new status echoes the major premise for the solution towards the development of the gold value chain in West Africa – issues of different trade and monetary policies across the ECOWAS region must consistently support the development of the gold sector.

A report by Reuters titled: ‘Gold worth billions smuggled out of Africa,’ had revealed that most of the gold traded out was not recorded in the exports of African states.

Backed with confirmation from several trade economists that large amounts of gold are leaving Africa with no taxes being paid to the states that produce them, evidence points to this being a higher concern in countries and areas with large artisanal mining.

Although artisanal mining organisation and formalisation is part of the process needed towards regulating and developing the gold economy of the region, fiscal trade and monetary policy harmonisation are vital for the development of a gold market in West Africa.

Ghana, which has become Africa’s biggest gold producer, shares borders with Togo, one of the top gold exporting countries of Africa with abysmal records of production.

It is true that Ghana wears the cap for gold production, Cote D’Ivoire is the present favourite destination for gold mining investment and Nigeria pulls the strings for trade volumes, but as far as developing the gold value chain, no West African country can succeed on its own as it would take a regional effort to build a sustainable gold economy and make West Africa a gold market.

According to the Managing Director of Kain Smith Trade & Co Limited, Mrs. Nere Teriba, the Nigerian narrative on gold is advancing from “gold exploration and mining to gold market and economy.”

She said the planned Gold West Africa conference was focused on developing the gold value chain in the region towards establishing West Africa as a gold market centre.

The development of the gold value chain in Nigeria has strong dependencies on gold, trade and monetary policies across ECOWAS and the geographical region of Sub-Saharan Africa, she added.

“Economic and sustainable solutions towards artisanal gold mining, trading, refining and creating gold products and markets can only be achieved when public and private stakeholders in the gold sector of West Africa jointly create the eco-system for the gold economy to thrive above ground,” she added.

The co-host, of the conference, Mr. Kolade Apata, said: “For the folks who are fortunate enough to attend the conference, they will quickly realise the investment opportunities available with the launch of the Gold Refinery. For example, Nigeria could easily become the jewellery and gold trading hub in West Africa.”

Is the CEO and Founder of Investors King Limited. He is a seasoned foreign exchange research analyst and a published author on Yahoo Finance, Business Insider, Nasdaq, Entrepreneur.com, Investorplace, and other prominent platforms. With over two decades of experience in global financial markets, Olukoya is well-recognized in the industry.

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Banking Sector

CBN Assures Nigerians of Bank Deposits’ Safety Amid Online Disruptions

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Amid growing challenges of maintenance delays and internet disruptions being faced by many of the commercial banks in Nigeria, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has assured depositors and other clients that their money is intact.

Reassuring the public of its unwavering commitment to ensuring the stability and reliability of the Nigerian financial system, the apex bank asked Nigerians not to panic, stating that it remains dedicated to fostering a secure banking environment where depositors can be fully confident in the safety of their funds.

In a statement signed by Hakama Sidi Ali, Acting Director, Corporate Communications, CBN, the apex bank noted that it recognises the crucial role confidence plays in banking operations and wants to affirm that all deposits in Nigerian banks are secure.

Ali said the CBN is actively ensuring that banks adhere to established regulations and best practices to maintain the integrity of the nation’s financial system.

According to him, regular stress testing is conducted to identify potential vulnerabilities, helping to ensure that the financial institutions are resilient.

He added that the CBN has implemented Early Warning Systems that proactively detect and address emerging risks, allowing the bank to provide timely solutions to any foreseen issues.

The statement pointed out that the bank’s approach to Risk Based Supervision ensures that it focuses its regulatory efforts on institutions that may pose the highest risk to the financial system.

“This targeted strategy allows it to maintain a robust oversight mechanism while promoting the overall health of the banking sector,” it stated.

Ali disclosed that the CBN has established a Memoranda of Understanding with the various countries where Nigerian banks’ subsidiaries are located, adding that the collaboration enhances regulatory coordination and ensures that the nation’s banks operate within a safe and sound framework in accordance with banking regulations, both domestically and internationally.

He further assured bank customers that the CBN remains dedicated to fostering a secure banking environment where depositors can be fully confident in the safety of their funds.

The statement revealed CBN’s plans to continue to monitor and adapt strategies to safeguard the financial interests of all Nigerians and stakeholders in our financial system.

Investors King had reported that customers of Zenith Bank recently expressed their frustration over difficulties with online banking transactions.

Just like other banks, Zenith Bank witnessed online service disruptions and maintenance delays for hours as its customers experienced hitch in sending, receiving money and viewing their balance on their bank apps.

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Banking Sector

Unity Bank, CashToken Rewards Promo Produces New Millionaire

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A Unity Bank customer, Mr. Amadi Chinmenem Gift Chike, has emerged as the latest winner of One Million Naira in the ongoing Cash Rewards Promo by Unity Bank Plc and CashToken Rewards Africa.

CashToken Rewards Africa is a Cash-Reward-as-a-Service company that rewards customers for their patronage and loyalty.

Mr. Amadi, a customer from Unity Bank’s Aba Road Branch, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, won the cash prize after completing qualifying transactions on Unity Bank’s digital banking channels including Unifi, *7799#, and on his Unity Bank-issued Verve card. Through these transactions, he received CashTokens, which entered him into the weekly national consumer draw, where he was selected as the lucky winner of the N1 million prize.

The grand prize winner, Mr. Amadi is the second customer to claim the N1 million grand prize in the rewards promo, which commenced in November 2023. Since the launch, Unity Bank customers have collectively won over N6 million in cash rewards.

Unity Bank and CashToken Rewards promo offers guaranteed instant cash rewards and life-changing opportunities for loyal customers who transact on any of the Bank’s electronic payment platforms, including the Unifi mobile banking application and the *7799# USSD platform. Every card transaction earns customers CashTokens, which qualify them for the weekly national consumer draw, with prizes ranging from N5,000 to N100 million.

Presenting the cheque to the winner in Port Harcourt, Unity Bank’s Regional Manager for Port Harcourt/Uyo Region, Mr. Etop Ikpe, congratulated the winner and reiterated the Bank’s commitment to building a sustainable loyalty platform for customer engagement and satisfaction.

He said, “We are happy to see another one of our loyal customers win a substantial cash prize through the Unity Bank and CashToken Rewards Promo. This initiative aligns with our mission to reward customer loyalty while providing a seamless and rewarding banking experience. As we continue to innovate and enhance our digital banking platforms, we are committed to creating more opportunities for our customers to benefit from their relationship with Unity Bank.”

In his reaction, an elated Mr. Amadi said, “This is a reward for my steadfastness. I have been banking with Unity Bank for a long time and I am really happy to win the cash prize. I commend the bank for the initiative and Unity Bank has always come through in keeping their promises both in terms of service delivery and meeting expectations of customers.”

Also commenting on the development, Simi Adeoye, Chief Business Development Officer for CashToken Rewards Africa, added: “We are proud to partner with Unity Bank in bringing life-changing opportunities to their customers through our Cash-Reward-as-a-Service model. We aim to make every transaction meaningful by turning regular banking activities into chances for customers to win significant rewards. We congratulate Mr. Amadi on his win, and we look forward to creating more millionaires as the promo continues. Mr. Amadi just like other beneficiaries can easily cash out his win by dialling *6700#, following the prompt and transferring his wins directly to his Unity Bank account.”

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Banking Sector

Zenith Bank Enhances E-Channel Services for Customers

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Zenith Bank, one of Nigeria’s leading financial institutions, has restored improved services across its electronic transaction channels, ensuring customers have seamless access to banking services.

In a statement released on Thursday via its X handle, the bank confirmed that customers can now conveniently conduct transactions across various platforms following a recent upgrade. These enhancements follow temporary glitches caused by routine IT maintenance aimed at optimizing service delivery.

Zenith Bank reiterated its commitment to providing improved services and highlighted the various channels available for customer transactions, including:

– Zenith Bank Debit, Credit, and Prepaid Cards
– Automated Teller Machines (ATMs)
– Point of Sale (POS) Terminals
– Zenith Bank Mobile App
– Internet Banking Platform
– Zenith Agents nationwide for agent banking

Customers are also encouraged to visit any of the bank’s branches across the country for in-person transactions.

Zenith Bank reassured further improvements in service delivery following the IT infrastructure upgrade. Customers with bulk payments and salary requests are encouraged to present payment mandates at any Zenith Bank branch nationwide for expedited processing.

Zenith Bank remains dedicated to enhancing customer experience and ensuring reliable banking services across all platforms.

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