INVESTMENT analysts in the capital market have expressed optimism on the possibility of shares of Unilever Nigeria Plc, Seplat Petroleum Development Company, and Eterna Plc performing well this year and recommended them for a buy.

WOMEN, today, are accepted as pillars of the smallest economic unit, the family. From them, great people, both male and female, have been birthed. This shows that women are forces to be reckoned with in terms of nation-building and economic development. However, the special qualities possessed by women have been downgraded and played to a minor key due to ignorance on the part of most and lack of concern or appreciation by others. Hence the establishment of structures of inequality against women, as opposed to men, has come to generate the phenomenon of gender disparity. 

I expect the sub sector to be stronger in implementing the financial inclusion strategy for Nigeria and this would be done through the agent banking model. I expect that the association would be able to put in place and implement our own agent banking strategy that would enhance the sub sector into achieving its financial inclusion strategy. I expect more engagement with government agencies that have economic empowerment programmes for our target market, the economically active poor.

Mallam Garba Kurfi is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of APT Securities. In this interview, he said that foreign investors who were selling off their stake from the equities market prior to the presidential election on February 23, due to election jitters have started coming back to the market. He also called for reconstitution of the Board of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Excerpts:

THE equities market may witness a mixture of bargain hunting and sell pressure this week with bears set to dominate the market yet again, capital market operators have said.

THE steady decline in interest rates on treasury bills, TBs, offer in the primary market since last month is expected to continue this week when the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, roll over N48.6 billion worth of maturing bills.

THE Raw Materials and Research Development Council, RMRDC, weekend, said the aims and objectives of Manufacturing Equipment Expo, NME, are being met as companies in Nigeria are now using locally available raw materials and fabricated machineries.

UNION Bank recently hosted the quarterly general meeting of the Financial Markets Dealers Association, FMDA, in Lagos.

STANDARD Bank of South Africa, the parent company of Nigeria’s Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc, has called on African businesses to leverage the growth opportunities offered by the changing geopolitical realities triggered by Brexit and the trade tension between the United States and China.

SHAREHOLDERS as well as other stakeholders of some insurance companies will have to exercise longer patience waiting for the 2018 full year financial results as many of the companies came under the burden of implementation of the International Financial Reporting Standard 9, IFRS9, in the 2018 financial year as against initial scheduled period of 2020.