Business
PZ UK Seeks Buyer for Nigerian subsidiary
PZ Cussons UK, the parent company of PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc, says it has commenced plans to sell its African subsidiaries to any interested buyer.
The company record a foreign exchange loss of £107.5m “primarily arose from the translation and settlement of USD denominated liabilities in our Nigerian subsidiaries and is wholly the result of the devaluation of the naira, which fell by 70 per cent from May 31, 2023 to May 31, 2024”
The company stated this in its preliminary results published on its website for the year ended May 31, 2024.
According to the consumer goods manufacturer, the board has also received multiple interests regarding the sale of its African business.
The document reads : “Over the last 12 months, we have made continued operational progress and delivered against the strategic priorities set out at the start of the year, against the backdrop of macro-economic challenges.
“At the same time, we have taken the important first steps to transform our business and maximise shareholder value, by refocusing our portfolio on where we can be most competitive.
“The period was marked by a 70 per cent devaluation of the Nigerian naira, which has had significant implications on our reported financials.
We have workedhard to mitigate the impact of this on the group, while continuing to serve Nigerian consumers who are facing unprecedented inflation and economic difficulties.”
On the sales of subsidiaries, the company said it has received, “a number of expressions of interest for our African business”, which recognises the potential of its brands and could lead to a partial or full sale.
In April, the Chief Executive Officer, PZ Cussons, Jonathan Myers, said the company was reviewing its brands and geographies over macroeconomic challenges and complexities in Nigeria.
He spoke a month after the Securities and Exchange Commission rejected PZ Cussons’ request to acquire the shares of minority shareholders in PZ Cussons Nigeria Limited, its Nigerian subsidiary.
In September 2023, PZ Cussons had shown interest in buying the remaining 26.73 per cent minority shares in its Nigerian subsidiary, at a price of N21 per unit.
As of May 31, PZ Cussons holds a 73.27 per cent stake in the Nigerian subsidiary, which represents 2.90bn shares, worth N45.53bn as of September 18.
The Nigerian subsidiary of the company, PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc has continued to struggle, as it posted a N94.78bn loss in the third quarter of 2023/24 compared to the N11.213bn gain it had in the corresponding period in 2022.
Business
Reps pass bill to give foreign investors Nigerian citizenship
The proposed legislation titled , “A Bill for an Act to Alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to include Citizenship by Investment as one of the classes of Citizenship in Nigeria, provide for the Acquisition of Nigerian Citizenship by Qualified Foreign Investors who meet Specified Investment Thresholds and for Related Matters (HB. 2059)” was sponsored by the, Benjamin Kalu, the deputy speaker and some other lawmakers.
The House of Representatives has passed a bill to give foreign investors Nigerian Citizenship for second reading.
The proposed legislation titled , “A Bill for an Act to Alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to include Citizenship by Investment as one of the classes of Citizenship in Nigeria, provide for the Acquisition of Nigerian Citizenship by Qualified Foreign Investors who meet Specified Investment Thresholds and for Related Matters (HB. 2059)” was sponsored by the, Benjamin Kalu, the deputy speaker and some other lawmakers.
Business Day reports that the bill Is among the constitutional amendment bills which the Green Chamber is considering.
In the explanatory memorandum of the Citizenship by Investment Bill, it seeks to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Cap C23 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 to introduce a new class of citizenship known as Citizenship by Investment.
The proposed alteration aims to attract foreign direct investment by granting Nigerian citizenship to individuals who invest in the Nigerian economy above a specified financial threshold or in strategic sectors critical to national development.
Business
FG Directs MAN, NECA, FRCN to Review 10% Financial Reporting Levy
Oduwole said the timeline for the suspension would not exceed 60 days, adding that the government is committed to addressing the concerns raised by the private sector.
The Federal Government has temporarily suspended the implementation of 10 percent financial reporting levy imposed on public interest enterprises by the Financial Reporting Council, for the next two months.
This was in response to the requests by the private sector’s operators – the like of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), and the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association and Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (NECA) calling for the suspension of the FRCN Act, which imposes on non-listed entities. a 10 percent penalty on unpaid dues for every month of default, accumulating until full payment.
The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, announced the government’s decision at a Ministerial Consultative Meeting on the Financial Reporting Council Annual Dues for Public Interest Enterprises, yesterday in Abuja.
Oduwole emphasized that the government directed the Financial Reporting Council to pause in the implementation of the new annual dues.
She explained: ” A suspension request by the organised private sector would be in contravention of legislation duly passed by the National Assembly.
A pause is an administrative process simply to review, in line with what we discussed .
”Oduwole said the timeline for the suspension would not exceed 60 days, adding that the government is committed to addressing the concerns raised by the private secto
“We are a listening administration. The private sector has requested a range from three months to an indefinite suspension. We are not going to do that. So, at the most, 60 days is in my estimate.
“We are going to set up a technical working group comprising the FRC and the organised private sector who have formally written in, and this will be reviewed,’ she added.
Business
Police Investigates over N270m Thefts in UBA
CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, the command’s public relations officer, disclosed that the suspects conspired to illegally divert funds from domiciliary accounts into personal accounts before redistributing them to multiple destinations.
The Lagos State Police Command is questioning four officials of the United Bank for Africa (UBA) for alleged thefts of £138,924 (over N270 million) from international airlines’ accounts.
CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, the command’s public relations officer, disclosed that the suspects conspired to illegally divert funds from domiciliary accounts into personal accounts before redistributing them to multiple destinations.
The fraud was uncovered when the bank detected unauthorized transactions and alerted the police.
The arrested officials include Shuaib Oluwatobiloba Olaleye, 27, who was arrested on March 12, 2025, in Ogun State, with a Toyota Camry 2012/2013 recovered from him. Oladunjoye Adegoke, 33, was arrested on March 13, 2025, in Victoria Island, Lagos, with a Toyota Camry (Pencil Light) recovered.
Austin Alfred, 38, Supervisor of the bank’s Trade Services Department, and Jude Uzobuaku, 36, a processor in the same department, were also arrested for facilitating the illegal transfer of funds to foreign accounts.
Police investigations revealed that the stolen funds were initially funneled into an account belonging to one of the suspects before being distributed to multiple other accounts to evade detection. Authorities are now working to identify additional accomplices and recover the remaining funds.
The suspects are in custody and will face prosecution as the investigation continues.
The police have urged the public to report suspicious financial transactions, reiterating their commitment to tackling economic crimes.
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