Dangote Industries Limited (DIL) has formally listed its N300 billion Series 1 and 2 bonds issued under the Dangote Industries Funding Plc during a grand listing ceremony at both the FMDQ and the Nigeria Exchange Limited (NGX) in Lagos.

Olakunle Alake, Group Managing Director of Dangote Industries Limited told investors during the listing ceremony that the bonds were primarily for part-financing the Group’s 650,000 bpd refinery project.

He explained that the decision of the Company to issue bonds to raise the required capital for part-financing the refinery project was to encourage the participation of  Nigerians in the financing of the project.  He noted that the bonds remain the largest aggregate local currency bond issuance within a calendar year by any corporate organization in the history of the capital markets.

Mr. Alake noted that following very rigorous internal assessment, the management concluded that tapping the local capital markets was inevitable, considering the sheer scale of the project being developed, as well as the existing market volatility.

He said that while the Dangote Group is not new at raising funds in the local capital markets, being a first-time issuer at the holding company level presented a fresh challenge for the Company.  However, the challenge was one the management was willing to embrace to ensure the desired outcome was achieved.

According to him: “Today, we are delighted to have completed the largest aggregate local currency bond issuance by a corporate in the Nigerian capital markets within a calendar year. The proceeds from the Series 1 and 2 bond issuances were dedicated to part-financing the Dangote Petroleum Refinery Project which is the initiative by the Group to establish an Integrated Petrochemical Complex, and the largest Single Train Petroleum Refinery in the World.”

Alake recalled that the DIL recorded another first through the N187 billion series 1 bonds (under the N300 billion programme, being the largest corporate bond ever issued in the history of the Nigerian capital markets and the management was pleased to have set the remarkable milestones, showcasing the depth, resilience and liquidity of the domestic capital markets, whilst reflecting the strong credit quality of the issuer, despite the current global market volatility.

Left-Right: Chief Executive Officer of FMDQ, Bola Onadele Koko; Group Managing Director, Dangote Industries Limited, Olakunle Alake and Chief Executive, Stanbic IBTC Capital Ltd, Funso Akere, during the Listing Ceremony of the Dangote Industries Funding Plc’s Bonds at FMDQ, in Lagos.

He said: “The bonds issuances were well received by the market and recorded participation from a wide range of investors including domestic pension funds, asset managers, insurance companies, and high net-worth investors.

Indeed, the reception of the market was buoyed by the strategic importance of the project and its expected impact on the Nigerian economy. Overall, we strongly believe the success of the Series 1 and 2 bond issuances further demonstrates investor confidence in our credit story and the appreciation of the work done by the Group across several key sectors that are crucial to the development of Nigeria and the continent at large.”

Alake pointed out that his Company was not new in the business of listing securities on NGX. “We are therefore conversant with all the listing requirements and promise to be prompt and up to date in that regard.  We count on the cooperation and support of NGX and the stockbrokers to meet this important investors’ objective.”

The DIL Group Managing Director assured that the company would remain resolute in the Nigerian and African story and continue to demonstrate commitment, as one of the foremost pan-African conglomerates, through investments in projects and initiatives that directly improve the quality of lives of Nigerians. “Indeed, these are very exciting times for us as a business, and so we would continue to welcome opportunities to work with stakeholders in the domestic capital markets towards accelerating the economic activities across Africa, whilst maximizing stakeholder returns.

Also speaking at the event, the lead Issuing House for series 1 of the bonds and the Chief Executive Officer, of Standard Chartered Capital & Advisory Nigeria Limited, Mrs. Yemisi Deji-Bejide, expressed appreciation of her organization to the management of the DIL for reposing so much confidence in Standard Chartered by entrusting it with the responsibility.

She said: “Every time we gather at FMDQ for the listing ceremony of an issuance by the Dangote Group, it is always a record milestone. Early in 2022, we issued a bond for Dangote Cement which was the largest corporate bond issuance at the time,  and little did we know that a few months down the line, the Group will comfortably break that record.

Left-Right: Chief Executive Officer, Standard Chartered Capital & Advisory Nig. Ltd, Yemisi Deji-Bejide; Chief Executive Officer of FMDQ, Bola Onadele Koko; Group Managing Director, Dangote Industries Limited, Olakunle Alake and Chief Executive, Stanbic IBTC Capital Ltd, Funso Akere, during the Listing Ceremony of the Dangote Industries Funding Plc’s Bonds at FMDQ, in Lagos.

Mrs. Deji-Bejide described the success of the transaction as a strong testament to the fact that Investors strongly believe in Dangote Group’s credit story and are willing to continue to support the growth of the business. Also, she said it demonstrated the depth of the Nigerian capital markets and resilience, despite all the volatility in the global markets and the macro headwinds.

“Lastly and most importantly, investors are keen to support impactful infrastructure projects in Nigeria, as the proceeds of the bond are being used to fund the largest single train refinery in the world”, Mrs. Deji-Bejide added.

Meanwhile, at the Nigeria Exchange Limited where the symbolic gong ceremony was held to commemorate the listing, the Group Managing Director for DIL, Mr. Alake, who was represented by the DIL Group

Chief Finance Officer, Mallam Mustapha Ibrahim thanked the investor community for their support for the transaction as well as our various advisors and stakeholders.

He also commended the Nigeria Exchange Limited (NGX) for its unwavering support throughout this entire process of issuing and listing the bonds as well as their continued commitment towards deepening the Nigerian capital markets.

Olushola Okunlade Writes

NGX Group of Companies plans to celebrate 2023 International Women’s Day and Ring the Bell for Gender equality.

NGX Group of Companies recognises that investing in women’s empowerment in the workplace, marketplace, and community is of strategic importance to business growth and sustainability.

For this reason, NGX Group has chosen to celebrate IWD as part of the global UN SSEI event hosted by over 80 securities exchanges in collaboration with the UN Global Compact, UN Women, IFC, and WFE (the “Global Partners”).

The theme of this year’s celebration is ‘Embrace Equity’ and it seeks to celebrate women’s achievements, raise awareness about discrimination and take action to drive gender parity. To this end, our 2023 IWD celebration would build on the global theme, Embrace Equity.

Date: Wednesday, 8 March 2023
Time: 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm (WAT)
Venue: Zoom & Live streamed on YouTube

Participants are to register to attend: bit.ly/ngx-iwd-2023

Olushola Okunlade Writes

Few days to go before Nigeria’s highly anticipated general elections, domestic investors in the local bourse are scooping up positions in stocks, shunning potential risks from the impacts of voter’s choices.

Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) All-Share Index (ASI) is up 5.80% already in 2023 as of market close on 20 February 2023, maintaining a bullish run from September 2022. Data from NGX revealed that this has been a result of the outsized participation from domestic investors, who currently occupy 84% of total transactions conducted on the Exchange.

Foreign participation in the local bourse has so far moderated in recent years due to issues around forex liquidity and monetary policy, placing their turnover at 16% according to the December 2022 edition of the Domestic and Foreign Portfolio Investment Report of the Exchange. Analysts have commented that this is in due part a result of unimpressive yield in fixed-income securities, pushing investors to buy up fundamentally strong stocks with attractive dividend yields.

Historically, the market has typically experienced volatility during election season with some notable years, particularly the 1999 election – which saw change from military rule – and 2015 election – which saw the first incumbent defeat at the polls – experiencing declines pre-election. The positive domestic investor sentiment, according to analysts, has been driven mostly by strong earnings releases and dividend payouts announced by companies in the wake of earnings season. However, some have advised cautious trading as the 2023 elections approach but maintained their positive outlook on dividend yields and capital appreciation in bellwether stocks.

An analyst with Parthian Securities, Azeezat Awonuga, whilst commenting on the market with CNBC Africa said that investors are poised to hunt for gains in the stock market as the fixed income yields have moderated in recent times. “As we anticipate earnings from the banking sector which comprises about 60% of the volume in the market and also form the bulk of the fundamentals, positive earnings will push investors to plow more funds into the market,” she stated.

Another investment research analyst from Investment One Capital Management Limited, Akosile Oluwasanmi noted to Channels that uncertainties around the elections and the cash crunch in the economy could dampen investor sentiment into taking profits but positive corporate earnings could also see investors increasing their positions.