Business
MAN Raises Concerns About Astronomical Charges Imposed By Financial Reporting Council on Private Companies
For publicly quoted companies, the maximum payment earlier was N1 million per annum. Now, that amount is hiked to N25 million.
The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has expressed grave concerns over the implementation of certain provisions of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (Amendment) act, particularly those relating to charges on non-listed entities, like most members of MAN.
The Director-General of MAN, Segun Ajayi-Kadir, said that these provisions, as currently implemented, pose significant challenges to the manufacturing companies, the majority of whom are non-listed entities and are categorized under the current definition of Public Interest Entities (PIEs) of the said Act.
For instance, a new section 33 introduced under the FRCN Amendment Act, 2023 mandates annual charges for non-listed entities, calculated as a percentage of their annual turnover (maximum being 0.05% of the annual turnover for companies with turnover of more than N10 billion).
For publicly quoted companies, the maximum payment earlier was N1 million per annum. Now, that amount is hiked to N25 million!
Quite incredibly, for non-listed companies, who were previously excluded, there is no cap, and it is linked to the turnover, irrespective of whether the company is profitable or not.
The FRCN Amendment Act, 2023, Section 33 Clause 3, imposes heavy penalties on a person or an entity failing to pay annual dues with 10% of the annual due for every month of default cumulatively until payment, liable to sanctions prescribed by the Council for any default of its agents, officer or personnel engaged in the financial reporting process for failure to comply with the provision of the act and in case of chief executive officer to a penalty as may be prescribed by the Council, or on conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months.
The strict penalties and possible conviction to imprisonment could be construed as having the nature of a criminal law. Generally, non-payment of fees/dues typically results in other penalties or fines, and imprisonment provisions are applicable only in cases where non-payment is seen as an act of defiance or fraud.
The Section 34 of the Principle Act stipulates that the proceeds of the Fund established under Section 33 of the Act is to be applied for the expenditures of the Council, which incentivizes excessive generation of revenue and makes collection of the fees purely for administrative purposes.
Criminalizing non-payment of dues/fees, the utilization of which is more administrative in nature, makes the FRNC Amendment Act, 2023 a draconian law with no choice left for the entities to contest the charge, but to comply and pay the dues.
Ajayi-Kadir further posits that this is a direct assault on the government’s commitment to ease of doing business.
Apart from the reservations against its application to private companies, the astronomical increase for listed companies, the excessive charge on non-listed companies turnover, particularly for loss-making companies, and the commencement of implementation at this difficult time for manufacturers and other businesses amounts to yet another form of aggravated tyranny of regulation.
The investments in the productive sector of the economy will be negatively impacted if the continued implementation of this annual charge and the strenuous efforts of FRCN to execute the same are not halted.
MAN, therefore, implores the FRCN to be mindful of the potential negative impact of its continued administration of the fees on businesses and put it on hold.
As the umbrella body for manufacturers in Nigeria, we admonish the FRCN to await the enactment of the tax reform laws and realign its operations with the relevant provisions.
Urgent consideration and swift action from the government are needed to avert the unpleasant consequences of this annual fee. This will bring relief to anxious and long-suffering manufacturers and other business owners.
Quite importantly, it will boost our commitment to ease of doing and align with the broader objectives of the fiscal policy and tax reforms agenda of President Tinubu, which is primarily aimed at streamlining regulatory requirements, harmonizing taxes and revenue collection agencies, promoting business growth and cultivating a competitive landscape.
Business
Geregu power plant : Otedola sells majority shares to MA’AM Energy Limited for $750 million
Geregu Power is currently valued at N2.85 trillion, trading at N1,140 per share and remains one of the most capitalised and profitable firms on the Nigerian Exchange.
• Femi Otedola
Femi Otedola has sold out his majority shares in Geregu Power Plc to an indigenous firm, MA’AM Energy Limited, an Abuja-based integrated energy company engaged in electricity generation and supply, energy trading and marketing.
The deal is valued at $750 million deal.
The power plant uploaded the filing on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) website.
According to the details cited, the transaction was consummated through the sale of Otedola’s 95 percent stake in Amperion Power Distribution Company Limited to MA’AM Energy Limited.
According to the NGX filing, Amperion Power Distribution Company Limited, the majority shareholder of Geregu Power, has undergone a significant restructuring of its ownership.
The document confirms that “MA’AM Energy Ltd has acquired a 95 per cent equity interest” in Amperion Power, effectively making it the new controlling shareholder of Geregu Power Plc.Consequently, the indirect controlling interest previously held by Calvados Global Services Limited and Otedola “has been transferred to MA’AM Energy.”
The transaction, which closed yesterday, was financed by a consortium of Nigerian banks led by Zenith Bank, with Blackbirch Capital acting as financial advisers.
While the sale involved Otedola’s stake in Amperion, Geregu Power clarified that this “does not involve the direct sale or transfer of shares of Geregu Power Plc,” meaning the company’s public shareholding structure on the NGX remains unchanged.
Geregu Power is currently valued at N2.85 trillion, trading at N1,140 per share and remains one of the most capitalised and profitable firms on the Nigerian Exchange.
Business
2026: CPPE foresees stronger growth for Nigerian economy, people and businesses
Dr Muda Yusuf, the CEO of CPPE, stressed that the periodic marginal appreciation of the Naira, strengthened business confidence, eased imported inflation and restored predictability to pricing, contracting and investment planning.
• Dr Muda Yusuf, the CEO of CPPE
The Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE), has described 2025 as “a year of macroeconomic stabilisation,” for Nigeria; projecting that the economy will in 2026, transition more decisively from stabilisation to growth.
CPPE, in its review of the outgoing year, noted : ” The year 2025 marked a significant turning point in Nigeria’s macroeconomic trajectory following the turbulence associated with the early phase of the government reforms.
“Exchange-rate stability emerged as the most visible achievement, with the naira largely trading within the ₦1,440–₦1,500/US$ band.”
Dr Muda Yusuf, the CEO of CPPE, stressed that the periodic marginal appreciation of the Naira, strengthened business confidence, eased imported inflation and restored predictability to pricing, contracting and investment planning.
“Inflation decelerated sharply from 24.48 percent in January to about 14.45 percent by November 2025.
The slowdown was supported by currency stability, easing logistics pressures and improving supply conditions.
Several food items and imported consumer goods recorded outright price declines, contributing to improved consumer sentiment and reduced price volatility.”
Given the above, Dr Yusuf said that overall, 2025 laid a solid foundation of macroeconomic stability.
He said : ” The outlook for 2026 is reassuring, with expectations of stronger growth, easing inflation, improving investor confidence and a gradual shift toward more inclusive expansion.
He emphasised that if reform momentum is sustained and security challenges are effectively addressed, 2026 could mark the beginning of a more robust growth phase with tangible improvements in living standards.
Business
Nigerians consume 1.236 million terabytes mobile data Nov’25– NCC
The NCC said that seasonal factors, including holiday promotions and increased online activity, likely boosted November’s marginal rise over October.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says that Nigerians consumed 1.236 million terabytes (1.24 petabytes) of mobile data in November 2025, a slight increase from October’s estimated 1.235 million TB.
NCC, in the November data reports, said ” Data usage climbed progressively from lower levels earlier in the year, around 983,000 TB in April amid post-tariff adjustments, to crossing the 1 million TB threshold by mid-year. June saw 1.044 million TB, July surged to 1.131 million TB (then hailed as a record), and August reached 1.152 million TB,” said the NCC.
According to the records, month-on-month gains averaged 1.8 percent in the second half, driven by recovering subscriptions, expanded 4G coverage, and insatiable appetite for video streaming, social media, and fintech services. This all-time high reflects Nigeria’s deepening digital integration.
MTN and Airtel, controlling over 85 percent of the market, benefited most, with users averaging higher per-subscriber consumption – MTN at around 13 GB monthly and Airtel nearing 10 GB.
The NCC said that seasonal factors, including holiday promotions and increased online activity, likely boosted November’s marginal rise over October.
Broader metrics reinforce the boom: Internet subscriptions hit 144.8 million in November, while broadband penetration reached 50.58 percent (109.7 million high-speed connections), up sharply from 45.61 percent in January. Active telephony lines rebounded to 177.4 million, adding 2.1 million month-on-month, pushing teledensity to 81.8 percent.
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