L-R: Managing Director, Lotus Financial Services Limited, Mrs. Hajara Adeola; Director General, Debt Management Office, Mrs. Patience Oniha; Deputy Managing Director, FBN Merchant Bank Limited, Mr. Taiwo Okeowo and Head, Market Development Department, Debt Management Office, Mr. Monday Usiade during the media launch of N100Bn Sovereign Sukuk Bond Offer held in Lagos recently.
The Federal Government of Nigeria through the Debt Management Office (DMO) has launched the sale of the second N100 billion Sovereign Sukuk Bond as part of efforts to address Nigeria’s infrastructural deficit.
Speaking at the investor launch held last week Friday in Lagos, the Director General of the Debt Management Office, Ms. Patience Oniha expressed delight, explaining that the government is happy with the success of the first tranche of the bond which had resulted in the improvement of infrastructural facilities across the country.
She said that this outcome has informed the decision to issue another bond to further strengthen the country’s infrastructure. The launch, which was witnessed by representatives of several banking institutions, representative of the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, individual investors, portfolio investors, among others was held to announce the call for more private sector involvement in this second tranche which would lead towards a more sustainable economy.
“We are glad that past investment in Sukuk bond has yielded fruit as we can see from the number of roads that are being built across the country. The government is really impressed with what the bond has been able to achieve in the area of road infrastructure. We believe this outcome alone would create more enthusiasm from the private sector to be part of it”, she said.
The bond which aims to fund road infrastructure across the six geo-political zones, is payable semi-annually for seven years, and is at a rental rate of 15.74 per cent to be due in 2025. The bond opens on December 6 and ends on December 17, 2018. The bond is offered at 1,000/unit (minimum of N10, 000 or 10 unit) as a regular bond.
The bond is certified by the Financial Regulatory Advisory Council of Experts (FRACE) of the CBN and is listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) and on FMDQ Over-The-Counter platform and classified as liquid asset by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Also speaking at the launch, the Managing Director of Lotus Financial Services Limited, Mrs. Hajara Adeola explained that the issuance of this second tranche of the bond signals another opportunity to partner with the government to provide the much needed infrastructure that guarantee good business investment returns.
She noted that the investment in the bond represents a unique way of securing one’s future as the funds would be utilized in accelerating the revamp of the economy through the execution of capital projects especially road infrastructure.
Speaking on the additional benefits of subscribing to the bond, Adeola stressed that issuance of the bond would go a long way to deepen the financial market, promote asset classification and promote financial inclusion especially among the segment of the population who do not invest in conventional financial instrument.
Sukuk bond or Islamic bond is a financial instrument structured to generate returns to ethical investors without infringing on the Islamic laws, which forbids interest payments on loan.
Lotus Financial Services Limited and FBN Merchant Bank Limited are the two financial advisors for the issuance of the Sukuk bond.
