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FG Seeks Asset Manager for N15tn Infraco Fund

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Federal government plans to hire an asset manager for its new Infrastructure Development Company (Infraco), designed to raise as much as N15 trillion ($36.7 billion) for infrastructural projects and to accelerate growth.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo

President Muhammadu Buhari about a fortnight ago, had approved the establishment of the Infraco, a Public-Private Partnership-styled infrastructure company with an initial seed capital of N1 trillion, to tackle Nigeria’s growing infrastructure deficit.

A report yesterday by Bloomberg quoted a source as saying that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and its funding partners, the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) and Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), are seeking proposals from companies to independently manage the infrastructure company’s capital-raising plan.

The Infraco will help fund projects from roads to railways and power plants.

The fund manager will be responsible for coordinating the total equity capital and associated debt raise required by the company, according to the source.

Asset managers seeking the role must have been active in infrastructure financing.

“We need to be innovative in our approach to developing our infrastructure in Nigeria,” Mr. Godwin Emefiele, CBN governor, said in a text message sent by an official from the institution.

“We believe that Infraco will be a major game-changer in this regard.”

Already, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Boston Consulting Group, McKinsey and KPMG have expressed interest in being transaction advisers in the deal, according to the source.

Ukiri Lijadu and Co. and Kenna Partners have been appointed legal advisers, the source said.

PricewaterhouseCoopers and KPMG didn’t immediately answer calls seeking comment on Wednesday, while calls to Ukiri Lijadu and McKinsey didn’t connect. Representatives at Kenna Partners and BCG couldn’t comment straight away when called.

Nigeria plans to boost infrastructure investments to stimulate economic growth after exiting its second recession in four years in the fourth quarter.

The nation needs at least $3 trillion over 30 years to close its infrastructure deficit, Moody’s Investors Service said in a November report.

Already, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has been saddled with the responsibility of heading a steering committee to facilitate the take-off of the company.

Mr. Laolu Akande, Osinbajo’s media assistant, had said in a statement at the time that Infraco would grow to N15 trillion in assets and capital and that it would be one of the premier infrastructure finance entities in Africa to be wholly dedicated to Nigeria’s infrastructure development.

According to him, the initial seed capital for the entity will come from the CBN, the NSIA and the AFC.

Akande had stated: “The board of Infra-Co will be chaired by the central bank governor and include the Managing Director of the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority, President of the Africa Finance Corporation, as well as representatives of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, and the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning. The board will also have three independent directors from the private sector.

“To address Nigeria’s infrastructure deficit, the Buhari administration continues to explore innovative options, including through financing initiatives such as the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF), designed to cater for the second Niger Bridge, the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Expressway, and other projects.

“There is also the Road Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Scheme which is being used for the funding of the Bodo-Bonny bridges and road (with the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas, NLNG), and the Apapa-Oshodi-Oworonshoki Expressway (with Dangote Group), among others.


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PalmPay, Jumia Reward Users in Festive Campaign

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This holiday season just got a whole lot more exciting! PalmPay, one of Africa’s leading fintech platforms, operates Nigeria’s most used mobile wallet and has teamed up with Jumia, the continent’s e-commerce giant, to launch a festive campaign that’s all about convenience, rewards, and enhancing your shopping experience.

Running from December 11th to 28th, 2024, this holiday campaign is set to reward shoppers who use the new “Pay with PalmPay” feature on Jumia with cash prizes. Every purchase made using the direct payment method automatically enters participants into a draw, giving them a chance to win exciting cash rewards while enjoying the seamless shopping and payment process.

A Strategic Partnership To Enhance Digital Payments

The integration of the “Pay with PalmPay Wallet” feature on Jumia marks a major milestone in the partnership between the two industry leaders.

Speaking at the media announcement, Mr. Chika Nwosu, Managing Director of PalmPay, highlighted the broader mission driving this collaboration: “We are thrilled to join forces with Jumia to redefine convenience for shoppers. At PalmPay, our mission has always been to drive economic empowerment through accessible and user-friendly financial services. This partnership is a natural step forward in achieving that goal.”

Beyond the holidays, this partnership with Jumia m,k is a signal of bigger things to come. Mr. Chika added: “This is more than just about payments—it’s about creating value for our customers. We are excited about the opportunities this partnership will unlock in 2025, including campaigns and innovative initiatives that will further transform the online shopping landscape.”

Sunil Natraj, CEO of Jumia Nigeria, highlighted the shared vision between both companies, stating: “At Jumia, we are dedicated to creating value for our customers by ensuring a convenient, reliable, and secure shopping experience. This partnership with PalmPay strengthens our commitment to enhancing the digital payments within our platform. By integrating PalmPay, we are providing more options for customers to access affordable and quality goods with the convenience of cashless transactions.”

How to Join the Holiday Fun

Participating in the campaign is simple. When shopping on Jumia, select the “Pay with PalmPay” option at checkout, and your entry into the draw is automatic. It’s that easy!

Bonus Entry: Share a screenshot of your purchase on X (formerly Twitter) using the hashtag #PalmPayXJumia to increase your chances of winning. Additional winners will be selected from participants engaging with the campaign on Twitter.

Whether you are shopping for gifts, or gadgets this festive season, PalmPay and Jumia are making sure your experience is not only seamless but also rewarding.

To learn more about the campaign, stay tuned to the official  X accounts (formerly Twitter) of @palmpay_ng and @JumiaNigeria. for updates, announcements, and more chances to win.


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Corruption: ICPC Threatens Sanctions as 330 MDAs Fail Financial, Governance Tests

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Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC), has revealed that none of the Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), in the country complied fully with ethical standards, policies, and anti-corruption measures in the passing year.

Corruption: ICPC Threatens Sanctions as 330 MDAs Fail Financial, Governance Tests

This was following the findings from the Commission’s Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard (EICS) for the MDAs.

The Commission warned that henceforth, non-compliant MDAs will face necessary actions, including enforcement, to ensure adherence to government directives.

According to the EICS scorecard released on Thursday in Abuja by Demola Bakare, ICPC spokesperson, no MDA out of 330 MDAs that were assessed through physical deployment by ICPC teams achieved full compliance.

The EICS serves as a preventive tool used to assess and enhance the compliance of MDAs with ethical standards, policies, and anti-corruption measures.

Findings from the report indicated that no MDA achieved full compliance, while 29.55 per cent of MDAs captured attained substantial compliance, and 51.62 per cent had partial compliance.

The report also observed that 15.91 per cent showed poor compliance, while 292 per cent were non-compliant.

According to the report, common gaps included a lack of whistle-blower policies, strategic plans, and effective stock verification units, adding that many MDAs failed to conduct any forms of system studies or render financial and audit reports.

Commenting on the report, Bakare noted: “This year, 2024, the tool covered 323 responsive MDAs, with 15 MDAs non-responsive and categorised as high corruption risk.

“It is imperative to inform you that this initiative has yielded some positive and value-driven impacts, and these are, but not limited to, increased awareness and compliance with anti-corruption measures, enhanced competition among MDAs to meet criteria, and improved procurement processes and data reliability.

“The Commission recognises the MDAs with substantial compliance and will continue deploying these tools to promote integrity and accountability.

“Non-compliant MDAs will face necessary actions, including enforcement, to ensure adherence to government directives. We are certain that these efforts will continue to underline ICPC’s dedication to enhancing good governance and preventing corruption.”


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Dangote Refinery Denies Liquidity Challenges, Dismisses NNPCL’s $1Bn Loan Claim

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Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals (DPRP) has dismissed claims that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) used a $1 billion loan secured through a crude forward sale agreement to support the refinery during a liquidity crisis.

Dangote Refinery Denies Liquidity Challenges, Dismisses NNPCL’s $1Bn Loan Claim

In a statement on Wednesday, Anthony Chiejina, company’s chief branding and communications officer, said the NNPCL’s stance was a distortion of the facts.

“We would like to clarify that this is a misrepresentation of the situation as $1bn is just about 5% of the investment that went into building the Dangote Refinery,” Chiejina said.

Chiejina stated that the refinery’s decision to enter into a partnership with the NNPCL was based on the recognition of “their strategic position in the industry as the largest offtaker of Nigerian crude” and at the time, the sole supplier of petrol into Nigeria.

“We agreed on the sale of a 20% stake at a value of $2.76 billion. Of this, we agreed that they will only pay $1 billion while the balance will be recovered over a period of 5 years through deductions on crude oil that they supply to us and from dividends due to them,” Chiejina said.

“If we were struggling with liquidity challenges we wouldn’t have given them such generous payment terms. As at 2021 when the agreement was signed, the refinery was at the pre-commission stage.”

According to the statement, the agreement would have been cash-based rather than credit-driven if the refinery struggled with liquidity issues.

The refinery’s spokesman said the NNPCL was subsequently unable to supply the agreed 300,000 barrels a day of crude (bpd).

He stated that the shortfall was because the NNPPC “had committed a greater part of their crude cargoes to financiers with the expectation of higher production which they were unable to achieve”.

“We subsequently gave them a 12-month period for them to pay cash for the balance of their equity given their inability to supply the agreed crude oil volume,” he said.

“NNPCL failed to meet this deadline which expired on June 30th 2024. As a result, their equity share was revised down to 7.24%. These events have been widely reported by both parties,” he said.


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