Business
Honda, Nissan aim to merge by 2026 in historic pivot (Reuters)
Honda and Nissan are in talks to merge by 2026, they said on Monday, a historic pivot for Japan’s auto industry that underlines the threat Chinese EV makers now pose to the world’s long-dominant legacy car makers.
The tie-up would create the world’s third-largest auto group by vehicle sales after Toyota and Volkswagen (VOWG).
It would also give the two companies scale and a chance to share resources in the face of intense competition from Tesla (TSLA.O), and Chinese rivals, such as BYD.
The merger of Honda, Japan’s second-largest automaker, with Nissan, its No. 3, would be the biggest reshaping in the global auto industry since Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and PSA merged in 2021 to create Stellantis (STLAM.MI) in a $52-billion deal.
Smaller Mitsubishi Motors was also considering joining and would make a decision by the end of January, the companies said.
The chief executives of all three held a joint press conference in Tokyo.
“The rise of Chinese automakers and new players has changed the car industry quite a lot,” said Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe, citing technological trends of electrification and autonomous driving.
“We have to build up capabilities to fight with them by 2030, otherwise we’ll be beaten.
“The two companies would aim for combined sales of 30 trillion yen ($191 billion) and operating profit of more than 3 trillion yen through the potential merger, they said.
They aimed to wrap up talks around June 2025 before setting up a holding company by August 2026, when shares of both companies would be delisted.
Honda, which has a market capitalisation of more than $40 billion, roughly four times that of Nissan, will appoint the majority of the company’s board, they said.
Combining with Mitsubishi Motors would take the Japanese group’s global sales to more than 8 million cars. The current No. 3 is South Korea’s Hyundai and Kia.
Business
NAICOM Revokes Nigeria Reinsurance’s Licence, Freezes Operations Over Capital Shortfall
Banire directed banks, financial institutions, policyholders and members of the public not to honour any instruction relating to the company except those issued by him or persons expressly authorised by him.
The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) has revoked the operating licence of Nigeria Reinsurance Corporation for failing to meet the statutory Minimum Capital Requirement (MCR) and appointed Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Dr. Muiz Banire, SAN, as Receiver/Provisional Liquidator to wind up the company’s affairs.
The appointment took effect on August 3, 2026, following the cancellation of the company’s certificate of registration by the insurance regulator.
In a public notice dated August 4, 2026, Banire said NAICOM appointed him, in exercise of its statutory powers, to oversee the receivership and liquidation of Nigeria Reinsurance Corporation (RR-002).
In the notice, the company’s licence was revoked after it failed to comply with the prescribed Minimum Capital Requirement applicable to its category of licence within the stipulated compliance period, in accordance with the Nigerian Insurance Industry Reform Act (NIIRA) 2025 and other extant laws, regulations and guidelines.
Banire said his appointment authorises him to immediately trace, recover, secure and take possession of the company’s assets, collate and settle its liabilities in line with the NIIRA 2025, liaise with NAICOM on matters relating to the liquidation, and submit periodic reports to the Commission.
Banire directed banks, financial institutions, policyholders and members of the public not to honour any instruction relating to the company except those issued by him or persons expressly authorised by him.
Source: ThisDay
Business
NDIC begins paying depositors of 46 closed microfinance banks
NDIC Managing Director and Chief Executive Oludare Sunday confirmed the development at a retreat for members of the House of Representatives Committee on Insurance and Actuarial Matters in Lagos on Wednesday.
The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) has started reimbursing depositors affected by the closure of 46 microfinance banks nationwide.
NDIC Managing Director and Chief Executive Oludare Sunday confirmed the development at a retreat for members of the House of Representatives Committee on Insurance and Actuarial Matters in Lagos on Wednesday.
” Payments are ongoing, and over 700,000 Heritage Bank customers have already received their insured funds through BVN-linked accounts.
“We have started paying depositors of those banks, and gradually we intend to cover all the insured depositors,” he said,” he said.
Following the revocation of the 46 MFB operating licences, the CBN subsequently appointed the NDIC as provisional liquidator of the failed financial institutions.
Business
Naira Exchange Rates Thursday, August 5
BLACK MARKET RATES
US DOLLAR (USD) Buy ₦1,420 Sell ₦1,425
GREAT BRITISH POUND (GBP) Buy ₦1,900 Sell: ₦1,915
EURO (EUR) Buy ₦1,585 Sell ₦1,600
CANADIAN DOLLAR (CAD) Buy ₦1,020 Sell ₦1,080
SOUTH AFRICAN RAND (ZAR) Buy ₦75 Sell ₦90
UAE DIRHAM Buy ₦350 Sell ₦370
CHINESE YUAN Buy ₦190 Sell ₦205
GHANA CEDI (GHS) Buy ₦95 Sell ₦110
WEST AFRICAN CFA Buy ₦2, 300 Sell ₦2, 400
CENTRAL AFRICAN CFA Buy ₦2,150 Sell 2,250
AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR Buy ₦800 Sell ₦900
Commercial Bank Exchange Rates
Access Bank
Currency Sell
USD / NGN ₦1378.00
Fidelity Bank
Currency Sell
USD / NGN ₦1370.00
GBP / NGN ₦1869.78
EUR / NGN ₦1604.54
Sterling Bank
Currency Buy Sell
USD / NGN ₦1350.00 ₦1385.00
GBP / NGN ₦1795.89 ₦1884.00
EUR / NGN ₦1536.93 ₦1618.33
ZAR / NGN ₦82.34 ₦86.99
Official CBN Exchange Rates
US DOLLAR (USD) ₦1,363.85
GREAT BRITISH POUND (GBP) ₦1,837.38
EURO (EUR) ₦1,575.25
SWISS FRANC (CHF) ₦1,686.26
JAPANESE YEN (JPN) ₦8.65
CHINESE YUAN (CNY) ₦202.05
WEST AFRICAN CFA (XOF) ₦2. 39
WEST AFRICAN UNIT ACCOUNT (WAUA) ₦1,859.53
SAUDI RIYAL (SAR) ₦363.12
SOUTH AFRICAN RAND (ZAR) ₦83.35
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