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Nigeria’s Currency Faces 15% Devaluation Following President-elect’s Inauguration

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New Naira Notes

Nigeria is expected to devalue its local currency, the naira, by approximately 15% following the inauguration of President-elect Bola Tinubu on May 29. This decision comes as Africa’s largest economy seeks to restore stability and boost its foreign exchange reserves.

Nigeria currently operates under a multiple exchange rate system, with a tightly controlled official rate that limits access for businesses and individuals. This has resulted in a surge in demand for foreign currency on the unregulated black market. To tackle this issue, Tinubu has pledged to review and optimize the naira system, which he has described as “somewhat arbitrary” in his election manifesto.

The Central Bank of Nigeria has maintained the naira at a rate of approximately 460 per dollar since the beginning of the year as a measure to contain inflationary pressures. However, this has led to a widening gap between the official and parallel markets, reaching nearly 60%. Recognizing the need for greater flexibility in the exchange rate regime, experts anticipate an upward adjustment of the naira to around 530 per USD after Tinubu’s inauguration.

Financial analysts have been pricing naira forward contracts with an expected depreciation of around 21% over the next three months. Furthermore, a survey conducted by Bloomberg last year revealed that investors and analysts also predicted a naira devaluation following the election of a new president.

A currency devaluation is expected to help alleviate the severe imbalances currently affecting Nigeria’s foreign exchange and trade markets. It will provide some relief for businesses grappling with limited access to foreign currency, ultimately promoting economic growth and stability.

Several factors support the need for this devaluation. First, there are expectations that inflation may peak in the coming months, which would ease pressure on the central bank to artificially maintain a low exchange rate for the sake of price stability. Second, Nigeria’s international reserves have dwindled to an almost two-year low of $35 billion, which could face further pressure from growing debt servicing costs and weaker oil prices. Historically, when the reserves approach the $30 billion mark, the central bank tends to revise the exchange rate upward, as observed in previous instances such as August 2017, March 2020, and February 2021.

As Nigeria prepares for the inauguration of President-elect Tinubu, the anticipated 15% devaluation of the naira is seen as a significant step toward addressing the nation’s economic challenges. The adjustment aims to restore balance to the foreign exchange market, boost trade, and create a more conducive environment for businesses to thrive. While the devaluation may introduce short-term uncertainties, it is expected to pave the way for long-term economic growth and stability.

Is the CEO/Founder of Investors King Limited. A proven foreign exchange research analyst and a published author on Yahoo Finance, Nasdaq, Entrepreneur.com, Investorplace, and many more. He has over two decades of experience in global financial markets.

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Banking Sector

Excitement as Zenith Beta Life Promo Returns With Season 3

Zenith Bank Plc has launched the third season of its hugely successful “Zenith Beta Life Promo” to reward its customers with gifts from June 1, 2023, to May 31, 2023. 

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Zenith Bank - Investors King

Zenith Bank Plc has launched the third season of its hugely successful “Zenith Beta Life Promo” to reward its customers with gifts from June 1, 2023, to May 31, 2023. 

Within this period, twenty bank customers of Zenith Bank will be chosen through a bimonthly raffle draw, each receiving gifts valued at NGN150,000. Five lucky customers will also win a cash prize of NGN500,000 during the quarterly draws.

The promo is open to both existing and new Zenith Bank customers, who can qualify with the following criteria:

* Open a Zenith Bank account and maintain a minimum deposit of NGN5,000 throughout the promotional period;

* Apply for and collect a Zenith Bank Card, which can either be virtual or physical; and

* Download and register on the Zenith Bank Mobile App, or sign up for *966# EazyBanking.

Commenting on the promo, the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive of Zenith Bank Plc, Dr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu, said, “The Zenith Bank Beta Life Promo, now in its third season since it began in 2020, is our way of giving back to our customers and expressing our gratitude for their steadfast loyalty and support for the Zenith brand. It’s also a testament to our reputation as one of the most customer-centric financial institutions in the country, as this promo has allowed us to reward our customers throughout the federation with gifts over the past two seasons.”

During the Zenith Bank Beta Life Season 2 Promo, 480 customers of Zenith Bank received gifts worth NGN150,000 in the bimonthly draws. Furthermore, 20 customers received gifts valued at NGN500,000 each in the quarterly draws. Cumulatively, the gifts distributed during this season amounted to an impressive total of NGN82 million.

Zenith Bank continues to set itself apart within the Nigerian financial services sector through outstanding service offerings, unique customer experiences, and robust financial indicators. The bank remains a dominant player in the digital realm, consistently pioneering the deployment of innovative products, solutions, and a variety of alternative channels that ensure transactions are convenient, quick, and secure.

Among a plethora of awards, Zenith Bank was named Best Commercial Bank, Nigeria and Best Innovation in Retail Banking, Nigeria in the International Banker 2022 Banking Awards, Retail Bank of the year, for three consecutive years from 2020 to 2022, at the BusinessDay Banks and Other Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards and Bank of the Decade (People’s Choice) at the ThisDay Awards 2020.

 

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Banking Sector

Fidelity Bank Announces 2nd Edition of Fidelity International Trade and Creative Connect (FITCC)

Building on the resounding success of the maiden edition of the Fidelity International Trade and Creative Connect (FITCC) in London, UK last November, leading financial institution, Fidelity Bank Plc, has announced plans to host the second edition of the trade expo in Houston, Texas in the United States of America.

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Fidelity Bank MD - Mrs Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe

Building on the resounding success of the maiden edition of the Fidelity International Trade and Creative Connect (FITCC) in London, UK last November, leading financial institution, Fidelity Bank Plc, has announced plans to host the second edition of the trade expo in Houston, Texas in the United States of America.

Tagged FITCC Houston, the event would hold on Wednesday, 18th and Thursday, 19th October 2023 at the George R. Brown Convention Center, 1001 Avenida de las Americas, Houston, Texas 77010.

Situating the critical role FITCC plays in the bank’s export trade strategy, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Fidelity Bank Plc, Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe stated that, “Fidelity Bank is very much invested in supporting export trade and has consistently demonstrated this by the interventions and innovations that we bring to the space. Beyond the instrument of financing, some of our key interventions in the space revolve around business management capacity development with initiatives like the Export Management Programme (EMP) which we host in partnership with the Lagos Business School and the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) and market access development initiatives like FITCC.”

To promote Nigeria’s non-oil exports and facilitate integrations to global supply-chain networks, FITCC Houston will host leading businesses, entrepreneurs, investors and regulators operating in the commodity, service, creative, fashion and FinTech sectors in Nigeria and the United States. The participants would explore partnership, co-creation and foreign direct investments opportunities.

Participating businesses will benefit from curated market access engagements, investment and partnership opportunities, extended brand exposure before a global audience as well as speaking and networking opportunities amongst a long list of benefits in FITCC Houston.

Interested businesses and participants are encouraged to register for the conference at www.fidelitybank.ng/fitcc .

Fidelity Bank is a full-fledged customer commercial bank operating in Nigeria with over 8million customers serviced across its 250 business offices and digital banking channels. The bank was recognized as the Best Payment Solution Provider Nigeria 2023 and Best SME Bank Nigeria 2022 by the Global Banking and Finance Awards. The bank has also won awards for the “Fastest Growing Bank” and “MSME & Entrepreneurship Financing Bank of the Year” at the 2021 BusinessDay Banks and Other Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards.

 

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Banking Sector

Wema Bank Plc Announces Dividend Declaration and Director Appointments at 2022 AGM

Wema Bank Plc recently held its highly anticipated Annual General Meeting (AGM) on May 31, 2023, in a fully electronic format.

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Wema Bank - Investors King

Wema Bank Plc recently held its highly anticipated Annual General Meeting (AGM) on May 31, 2023, in a fully electronic format.

During the meeting, several crucial resolutions were presented and subsequently passed, marking significant milestones for the bank.

One of the most notable resolutions was the declaration of a dividend. The shareholders unanimously approved a dividend payout of 30 kobo per ordinary share of 50 kobo each. The dividend, stemming from the bank’s profits in the Financial Year ended December 31, 2022, will be paid to members on the company’s register as of May 9, 2023, after the deduction of the appropriate Withholding Tax.

Also, the AGM witnessed the ratification of a new Director’s appointment. Mr. Tunde Mabawonku was unanimously appointed as an Executive Director of the bank, bringing his wealth of experience and expertise to the organization.

In addition, the AGM addressed the re-election of Directors retiring by rotation. Shareholders unanimously voted for the re-election of Mr. Abubakar Lawal, Mr. Adeyemi Adefarakan, and Prince Olusegun Adesegun as Non-Executive Directors on the Bank’s Board.

Another significant resolution passed at the AGM involved the authorization of Directors to determine the remuneration of the auditors. The shareholders unanimously empowered the Board of Directors to fix the fees payable to the Bank’s Auditors.

Additionally, the election of members of the audit committee was a vital aspect of the AGM. The shareholders elected Professor Oyelakin Samuel Awobode, Mr. Ogbonna Joe Anosikeh, and Mrs. Omobola Esther Osijo as the shareholders’ representatives to the Bank’s Statutory Audit Committee.

Meanwhile, Mr. Abubakar Lawal and Mrs. Bolarin Okunowo were chosen as the Board’s representatives on the Committee.

Lastly, the AGM approved the directors’ fees for the financial year ending December 31, 2022. The Directors’ annual fee was fixed at N62,000,000.00, with the Chairman receiving N9,500,000.00 and Non-Executive Directors each receiving N7,500,000.00. Additionally, a sitting allowance of N300,000.00 was approved for the Chairman and N250,000.00 for other directors for the 2023 financial year. These fees reflect the bank’s commitment to fair and competitive compensation for its leadership team.

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