E-Financial
CSCS Grows Revenue by 39.2%, Pays N3.7Billion Dividends
In keeping to its commitment of ensuring strong and sustainable returns to its shareholders, the Board of Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc has proposed a total dividend of N3.7Billion to its shareholders, reinforcing the value accretion to its equity owners, who have seen notable rise in share price of the Company over the past year.
The dividend proposal, which was announced at the Company’s 28th Annual General Meeting that took place today at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos on Friday, May 2022, was unanimously approved by elated shareholders, who commended the Executive Management for an incredible performance, despite the challenging operating environment.
The N3.7Billion dividend, which translates to 83.7% payout ratio, reflects the resilient profitability of the Company, notwithstanding the impact of lower trading activity on most Exchanges in the Nigerian capital market and inflationary pressures.
Consolidating on its diligent earnings diversification drive, the Company grew revenue from core operations and ancillary services by 39.2% to N6.4Billion from N4.6Billion in 2020, as it almost quadrupled earnings from ancillary services from N526million in 2020 financial year to N2.2Billion in 2021 financial year.
Notably, income from ancillary services contributed 33.3% and 21.5% of operating revenue and total income for the year respectively, underpinning Management’s strategy towards diversifying and strengthening the earnings fundamentals of the Company, with the ultimate objective of creating sustainable and superior wealth for shareholders and its broader stakeholders.
Addressing shareholders, Mr. Oscar Onyema OON, Chairman, Board of Directors of CSCS Plc said; “Notwithstanding the volatile operating environment and moderated capital flows, as reflected in the subdued capital market activities, the earnings fundamentals of your Company remained resilient and indeed stronger than ever.
This fact is evident in the impressive revenue growth of 39.2%, driven by stellar growth in ancillary income.
The equity market recorded one of the weakest secondary market activities in the past few years, with the average daily trade value of N3.9billion, some 10% below the trading activity recorded in 2020 financial year, explaining the tepid transaction fees.
Albeit income from ancillary services recorded a significant boost, contributing N2.2billion or 21.5% of total income in 2021FY, from N526million or 11.3% of total income in 2020FY.
This performance reinforces the capacity of the Management in delivering on the Board’s vision result of diversifying the business and enhancing the value accretion prospect to shareholders in a sustainable manner.
More importantly, my colleagues and I on the Board of your Company, are excited at the prospect for new offerings arising from strategic partnerships and new initiatives.
In our oversight role, we are working with the Management to invest relevant resources towards exploring new frontiers for growth, especially as these initiatives are expected to foster retail investor penetration and broader capital market growth.”
While commenting on the outlook for the business, the Chairman noted: “typical of a pre-election year, 2022 comes with its unique macro challenges but I am optimistic on the earnings capacity and overall resilience of our business, as we hope to consolidate on the strong foundations and extract synergies opportunities with our participants and partners in sustaining the positive trajectory of the business.
Hence, with the support of shareholders and other stakeholders, CSCS would continue to deliver superior performance and create wealth for shareholders.
In the same vein, Mr. Haruna Jalo-Waziri, the Chief Executive Officer, CSCS Plc said; “Reflecting the ingenuity of our participants and more importantly quick adoption of new remote access technologies, the Nigerian capital market remained active through the prolonged COVID-19 crisis. The collaboration of our regulator and participants has been incredible in sustaining our operational protocols and IOSCO PFMI standards.”
“Though clearing and settlement activity waned by 10.2% due to lower participation of foreign investors in the Nigerian equity market and a host of macro challenges, we are excited at the growth in our depository assets by 6.1% to N23.0trillion, reflecting new listings of securities across our multiple Exchange partners as well as issuers’ and investors’ confidence in the safety and secured accessibility of our systems.
Continuing, Mr. Jalo-Waziri said: “Despite the average inflation rate of 17.0% during the year, we sustained our cost efficiency strategy, leading to a 1.6% decline in operating expenses.
Overall, we achieved N5.8Billion and N4.4Billion Profit Before Tax and Profit After Tax respectively, underpinning the resilience of the business and commitment of my colleagues and I, in delivering on our pledge to sustainably create value for shareholders and our broader ecosystem.
“It has been twenty-five years of meritorious service, as the infrastructure for the Nigerian capital market. We have pioneered a number of initiatives and efficiencies in the market and have enjoyed the best of collaborative engagements with different stakeholders.
“Whilst we relish our progress working with other stakeholders in transforming the Nigerian capital market, we reckon there is a long way to go in bridging the gap towards our aspiration of positioning the Nigerian capital market as the hub of securities services in Africa and one of the leading capital markets, globally.
“To this end, we have reinvigorated our strategic thrust with the development of a medium-term playbook that would enhance our capabilities in executing new initiatives towards deepening the Nigerian capital market and strengthening our business growth frontiers for the mutual prosperity of all our stakeholders.”
FundQuest Financial Services Limited marked this year’s International Women’s Month with a renewed commitment to economic empowerment, hosting the inaugural FundHER by FundQuest Conference.
This initiative brought together over 100 women-led Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), providing them with actionable business insights, high-value networking, and, most importantly, access to funding.
Delivering the first keynote address, Dr. Jennifer Seidu, Principal Consultant, JV Management Consulting Limited, underscored the critical hurdles female entrepreneurs face: constrained access to funding, market expansion limitations, regulatory roadblocks, and operational inefficiencies.
She lauded FundQuest’s decisive intervention through FundHER, recognising the initiative as a timely and much-needed response to the financial inequities that women-led businesses encounter.
Joan Ediagbonya, Group Head, Brand Communication and Customer Experience at FundQuest, also reinforced these concerns with data, pointing out that while women own 45 per cent of SMEs in Nigeria, only 10 per cent have access to formal funding. Quoting Michelle Obama, she emphasised, “No country can ever truly flourish if it stifles the potential of its women and deprives itself of the contributions of half of its citizens.”
Similarly, Ms. Olubukola Olaigbe, CEO of Veedic Nigeria Limited, shared how accessing financing from FundQuest facilitated her logistics firm’s expansion, proving that with the right financial support, women entrepreneurs can achieve remarkable business growth.
Speaking on the future of FundHER, Mr. Abiodun Akinjayeju, Managing Director and CEO of FundQuest, made it clear that this initiative is here to stay. In his words; “If you educate a woman, you educate a nation; if you fund a woman’s business, you are funding the economy.”
Fidelity Bank Plc, leading financial institution, released its 2024 full-year Audited Financial Statements, reporting a 210% growth in Profit Before Tax to N385.2 billion.
According to the Bank’s results released on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) on Friday, 28 March 2025, Gross Earnings increased by 87.7% to N1,043.4bn, driven by 106.9% growth in interest and similar income to N950.6bn.
The increase in Interest Income was led by a combination of improved yield on earnings assets and 51.6% expansion in earnings base to N6.3tn. This led to a Profit After Tax of N278.1 billion, representing a 179.6% annual growth.
Commenting on the results, Dr. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, managing director/chief executive officer, Fidelity Bank Plc said, “We are delighted with our 2024 full-year (FY) performance, which showed strong growth across key revenue lines, improved asset quality, and significant traction in our strategic business segments.
“Our impressive results led to a triple-digit increase (210.0%) in Profit Before Tax (PBT), rising from N124.3bn in 2023 to N385.2bn in 2024.”
A further review of the financial performance revealed that the bank’s net interest income increased by 127.1% to N629.8 billion, driven by a high-yield environment in 2024.
To optimize its margin, the bank sustained its asset yields above funding cost by maintaining a high low-cost deposit profile at 92.6%. This led to an increase in its Net Interest Margin from 8.1% in 2023 FY to 12.0%.
Similarly, the bank continued to deepen its market share in both the corporate and retail segments, with customer deposits increasing by 47.9% from N4.0trn in 2023FY to N5.9trn. The increase was driven by strong double-digit growth across all deposit types.
The Retail Banking Business gained significant traction with savings deposits increasing by 28.8% to N1.1trn, marking the 10th consecutive year of double-digit annual growth in savings deposits.
Despite the difficult economic terrain in 2024, the bank has continued to support the real sector of the economy by increasing its Net Loans & Advances from N3.1tn in 2023FY to N4.4tn in 2024FY.
“This remarkable performance demonstrates our capacity to deliver superior returns to our shareholders. In line with our commitment to them, we have declared a final dividend of N1.25 per share, bringing our total dividend for the 2024 financial year to N2.10 per share”, explained Onyeali-Ikpe.
Having consistently paid dividends since 2006, Fidelity Bank will pay investors a total dividend of N2.10 per share for the 2024 financial year, subject to shareholders’ approval at its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 29 April 2024. The dividend will be paid on 29 April 2025 to shareholders whose names appear on the register of members as of 15 April 2025.
It will be recalled that the bank successfully completed the first phase of its capital raising exercise through a Public Offer and Rights Issue in 2024, which were oversubscribed by 237.92% and 137.73%, respectively.
The positive result is a testament to the strength of the Bank’s franchise in the capital market. A total of N175.9bn was recognized as fresh capital in 2024 financial year from the exercise, which had a positive impact on its Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) at 23.5%.
The bank plans to conclude the second phase by Q3 2025, ahead of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s deadline, which will further strengthen its capital base and reaffirm its attainment of Tier 1 Bank status in the Nigerian Banking Industry.
Fidelity Bank Plc is a full-fledged commercial bank with over 9.1 million customers who are serviced across its 251 business offices and various digital banking channels in Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
The Bank is the recipient of multiple local and international Awards, including the 2024 Excellence in Digital Transformation & MSME Banking Award by BusinessDay Banks and Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards; the 2024 Most Innovative Mobile Banking Application award for its Fidelity Mobile App by Global Business Outlook, and the 2024 Most Innovative Investment Banking Service Provider award by Global Brands Magazine. Additionally, the Bank was recognized as the Best Bank for SMEs in Nigeria by the Euromoney Awards for Excellence and as the Export Financing Bank of the Year by the BusinessDay Banks and Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards
The World Bank has approved a $500 million loan to Nigeria to support the country’s Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus Programme.
According to information obtained from the bank’s website on Sunday, the approval, which took place on March 28, 2025, marks a significant step in addressing Nigeria’s economic challenges through expanded access to livelihood support, food security services, and grants for poor and vulnerable households and firms.
The project, officially titled the NIGERIA: Community Action (for) Resilience and Economic Stimulus Program, aims to provide essential support to households affected by economic downturns and to bolster community resilience.
It also seeks to improve food security and create economic opportunities for populations most affected by recent economic disruptions.
According to the World Bank, the program represents a significant step toward addressing systemic vulnerabilities in Nigeria’s economy.
By channeling resources directly to underserved communities, the project should alleviate the burden of rising living costs while fostering sustainable growth.
The $500 million loan is not the only financial commitment Nigeria anticipates this week as two additional funding packages are in the pipeline, awaiting final approval.
One of the loans is valued at $80 million and will focus on accelerating nutrition outcomes across the country.
The second, worth approximately $552 million, is designed to enhance access to quality basic education nationwide as both projects are scheduled for final clearance on March 31, 2025.
These loans are part of the World Bank’s broader strategy to support Nigeria’s development priorities, most especially in areas such as healthcare, education, and poverty alleviation, while the institution emphasized the importance of implementing these programs efficiently to ensure maximum impact.
While the loans aim to address urgent socio-economic needs, Nigeria’s rising debt profile has raised concerns among stakeholders. Under the President Bola Tinubu’s leadership, the country has received approvals for 11 World Bank projects totaling 7.45 billion in less than two years. However, data from the Debt Management Office (DMO) reveal that only 774.99 million (about 16% of the approved amount) had been disbursed as of July 31, 2024.
This slow pace of disbursement has sparked debates about the efficiency of project execution and fund utilization
DStv Revenue Plunges as MultiChoice Loses Nearly 4m Subscribers
NCC Asks Consumers to Monitor Data Usage to Authenticate Consumption
TikTok Sale Deal Expected Before April 5 Deadline – Trump
Phone Theft: AMCODET Urges Mandatory Registration @ Point of Purchase
Questions Over House of Reps Threat to Arrest NIMC DG
Telecom2 days agoMTN, Lynk Global Make Africa’s First Satellite-to-Mobile Call
E-Financial2 days agoNigeria Gets Fresh $500m World Bank Loan for Economic Stimulus Programme
General News2 days agoSERAP Asks National Assembly to Drop Bill to Jail Nigerians who Fail to Vote
E-Business2 days agoSystemSpecs’s Subsidiary Deelaa Becomes Whatadeal
E-Financial2 days agoUninsured Depositors of Heritage Bank to Receive Liquidation Dividends In April – NDIC
Telecom2 days agoSmart Treasure Investment Team’s Initiatives Eradicate Poverty, Says Aminu
E-Business2 days agoCybersecurity Firm Says It’s Time to Back it Up, As the World Marks World Backup Day
General News2 days agoFG to Elevate Enugu Tech Festival to National Event – Minister