Stock market investors traded 3.214 billion shares worth N76.348 billion in 64,156 transactions on the floor of the Exchange during the week.

This is compared to 3.794 billion shares valued at N119.394 billion that exchanged hands last week in 89,636 deals.

Consequently, the value of transactions traded by investors on the Exchange dropped by 56.4 per cent.

Meanwhile, market opened for four trading days during the week as the Federal Government declared Friday, June 6 and Monday, June 9, as public holidays to commemorate 2025 Eid-el-Kabir celebration.

The Financial Services led the activity chart with 2.313 billion shares valued at N52.241 billion traded in 27,326 deals.

This contributed 71.96 per cent and 68.43 per cent to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively.

The ICT industry followed with 301.996 million shares worth N5.026 billion in 4,137 deals.

The third place was the Consumer Goods Industry, with a turnover of 144.538 million shares worth N5.632 billion in 8,093 deals.

Trading in the top three equities namely Fidelity Bank Plc, Legend Internet Plc and Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc accounted for 1.545 billion shares worth N34.446 billion in 4,939 deals.

This contributed 48.06 per cent and 45.12 per cent to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively.

The NGX All-Share Index and Market Capitalisation appreciated by 2.57 per cent to close the week at 114,616.75 and N72.275 trillion respectively.

Similarly, all other indices finished higher with the exception of NGX ASeM Index which closed flat.

Fifty-three equities appreciated in price during the week, lower than 56 equities in the previous week.

Forty-three equities depreciated in price, lower than 44 in the previous week, while 52 equities remained unchanged, higher than 48 recorded in the previous week.

The top five decliners for the week are: Associated Bus Company, Julius Berger, Legend Internet, Livestock Feeds and E-Tranzact International as they lost 55k, N18.50, 82k, N1.15 and 80k respectively.

Oando Plc, Lasaco Assurance Plc, Multiverse Mining, Cornerstone Insurance and First Holdco were the top five gainers for the week, as they grew in 25.77 per cent, 21.62 per cent, 20.39 per cent, 19.51 per cent and 17.60 per cent respectively.

The companies gained N11.65, 56k, N1.55, 64k and N4.40 respectively.

The May 2025 Issue of the Federal Government of Nigeria,Savings Bonds were listed on the Nigerian Exchange Ltd on Thursday

L-R: Saheed Adiamo, Unit Head, Strategic Investments, Access Bank; Roland Siller, Chief Executive Officer, DEG; Roosevelt Ogbonna, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Access Bank; Elizabeth Oguegbu, Group Head, Financial Markets and Funding, Access Bank; Uche Onichabor, Team Member, Project and Structured Finance, Access Bank, and Sotochi Ekeocha, Team Member, Strategic Projects and Funding, Access Bank, at the signing of a USD 100 million senior loan facility to support Nigerian MSMEs, small corporates, and women-led businesses, held on the sidelines of the Africa CEO Forum in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire… recently.
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Access Bank Plc has successfully closed a USD 100 million senior loan facility with a consortium of Development Finance Institutions (DFIs), led by the German DFI DEG – Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH, and supported by FinDev Canada, Amsterdam-based asset manager ILX, as well as Austrian DFI OeEB, Oesterreichische Entwicklungsbank AG. This significant financing will support privately-owned MSMEs, small corporates, and family-owned businesses across Nigeria, with a particular focus on promoting female entrepreneurship and economic empowerment.

At least 30 per cent of the facility will be dedicated to gender lens investing in the spirit of the 2X Challenge, ensuring that women-owned and women-managed businesses are prioritised. This initiative is crucial in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, where supporting women entrepreneurs and MSMEs can drive job creation and contribute to reducing inequality.

Roosevelt Ogbonna, Group Managing Director of Access Bank Plc, commented on the partnership, said, “At Access Bank, we remain steadfast in our commitment to driving economic transformation and fostering inclusive growth across all the countries we operate. This partnership not only strengthens our ongoing efforts to empower women in business but also reinforces our support for Nigeria’s MSME sector, which plays a pivotal role in the country’s economic development. Through strategic collaborations like this, we continue to enhance opportunities for underserved communities, and we look forward to building on this success to impact even more lives across Africa.”

This facility marks the fourth collaboration between DEG and Access Bank Group, but it is also the first time in their eight-year partnership that DEG’s has acted as the lead arranger. DEG’s investment in the deal amounts to USD 25 million, strengthening the long-term relationship between the two institutions.

Also, Roland Siller, CEO of DEG shared his thoughts on the partnership, stated that, “This financing marks a major step in our ongoing commitment to supporting inclusive growth in Africa. By partnering with Access Bank, we are not just empowering women entrepreneurs and strengthening MSMEs but also investing in the future of Nigeria’s economy. This collaboration, which has blossomed over the last eight years, goes beyond just providing funding and speaks to our shared commitment in creating sustainable, long-term opportunities that foster job creation and innovation. At DEG, we are focused on helping businesses in developing and emerging markets thrive, offering not just financial support but also advisory services that help them scale and succeed. Our work with Access Bank is a clear example of how we can build stronger economies through impactful, sustainable investments.”

In 2024, Access Bank made significant social and environmental impact across the continent, touching millions of lives and earning multiple industry accolades. Through various corporate social investment initiatives in education, entrepreneurship, health, and the environment, the Group reached over 21 million individuals across Africa. Through its W-Initiative, the Bank disbursed loans to over a million women-led SMEs, advancing financial inclusion and gender empowerment.

At the Africa CEO Forum, leaders from across the continent gathered to discuss the critical role of private sector-led growth in the development of African trade and market integration under the topic “Fast-tracking African Integration: The Private Sector Imperative”. The session, which was one of the highlights of the 2-day event in Abidjan, saw Roosevelt Ogbonna, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Access Bank, join Wamkele Mene, Secretary General of the AfCFTA, and Samaila Zubairu, President & CEO of Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), in a powerful conversation focused on the opportunities and challenges for Africa in the face of shifting global trade dynamics.

The panellists were united in their belief that Africa’s transformation hinges on the development of regional value chains, the scaling of intra-African trade, and the need to build both financial and infrastructural capacities that will enable economic integration. In his remarks, Ogbonna underscored the potential for the continent to reframe its narrative and urged African nations to embrace their strengths.

He stated, “Years ago, if you told someone something was made in China or Taiwan, it was often seen as inferior. Fast forward 30, 40 years, and now ‘Made in China’ is a symbol of quality, and ‘Made in Taiwan’ commands respect globally. The difference? These countries built a strong domestic market that allowed them to scale, build proficiency, and innovate. Africa is no different. We have everything we need, from abundant raw materials and vast natural resources, to a youthful population and fertile land. There is no reason why Africa has not yet transformed itself into the powerhouse we know it can be. Africa has what it takes to win, and my charge remains the same as I gave during our inaugural Africa Trade Conference in South Africa: Buy Africa, it’s not inferior!”

Mene and Zubairu echoed Ogbonna’s sentiments, with Mene highlighting the tangible steps taken to drive integration, such as the introduction of the e-Tariff Book and the AfCFTA Adjustment Fund. Zubairu emphasized the critical need for synergy between public and private investment to address Africa’s infrastructure gaps and finance its development priorities.
The discussion also focused on the barriers preventing the scaling of intra-African trade, notably the lack of adequate logistics and transport infrastructure. The Pan-African Payments and Settlement System (PAPSS) was highlighted as a potential game-changer in unlocking new cross-border trade opportunities by facilitating smoother payments and transactions.

Ogbonna reinforced the importance of private sector involvement in regional trade, particularly for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). “Africa’s MSMEs are the backbone of its economy,” he said, “yet they face a trade finance gap of around $120 billion. Financial institutions must innovate to close this gap and provide the liquidity these businesses need to grow and scale.”

As Africa continues to explore new avenues for trade and investment, Ogbonna’s message resonated with the audience: the time is now for Africans to believe in Africa, invest in Africa, and transform the continent into the economic powerhouse it is destined to be.