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GTBank Redeems $500,000,000 Eurobond

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Guaranty Trust Bank plc (“GTBank” or the “Bank”) last week Thursday announced the redemption of the outstanding portion of the $500,000,000.00 Eurobond Notes due May 19, 2016.

In February 2016, the bank successfully issued a Cash Tender Offer (the “Tender Offer” or “Offer”) to repurchase any and all the outstanding US$500m 7.5%  Eurobond Notes due May 2016 (the “Securities”) as part of its effective liability management strategy.  The tender was the first of its kind involving a Nigerian corporate in any capacity in the international capital markets and was well received by analysts and investors. The Securities were issued  by GTB Finance B.V. (“ GTB Finance”) – a direct, wholly owned subsidiary of the Bank – GTB Finance B.V. (the “Offeror”) – on the back of an unconditionally and irrevocably guarantee of the Bank. At the expiration of the Tender Offer, an aggregate principal amount of US$ 126,586,000 of the Securities were successfully and validly tendered.

Upon final maturity of the Eurobond in May 2016, the outstanding principal portion of $373,414,000 as well as the coupon value of US$14,003,025 were redeemed using the bank’s available cash reserves.

Launched in May 2011, the US$500 million Eurobond represented the first Sub-Saharan Africa financial sector benchmark Eurobond without a sovereign guarantee or credit enhancement from any international financial institution.

Over the years, the bank has continued to leverage its deep understanding of complex business scenarios to undertake large ticket transactions in financial advisory, structured and project finance, balance sheet restructuring, debt and equity transactions. A few of the transactions successfully executed by the bank include; US$350million Eurobond offering in January 2007, issuance of the Bank’s US$824 million Global Depository Receipts in an unprecedented concurrent global offering in the domestic and international capital markets – which culminated in the listing of GTBank on the London Stock Exchange, the first Nigerian company and first Sub-Saharan African bank to be so listed-

According to the Bank’s MD/CEO; Segun Agbaje, “Despite a difficult operating environment that characterized most of the year – especially when viewed against the backdrop of short dollar supply- the Bank continued the implementation of its effective liability management strategy with the successful completion of its any and all cash tender offer in February 2016 and subsequently, the redemption of the outstanding portion of the $500,000,000.00 Eurobond Notes due May 19, 2016.

GTBank has continued to report the best financial ratios in the industry with a return on equity (ROE) of 25.5% and a cost to income ratio of 44.4% evidencing the efficient management of the banks’ assets. Presently, the bank has one Eurobond issue currently outstanding: a $400 million 6% bond placed in November 2013 with maturity in November 2018. Overall, the Bank has maintained its position as a clear leader in the industry. In recognition of the bank’s bias for world class corporate governance standards and excellent service delivery, GTBank was recognized as the 2015 Best Bank in Nigeria by Euromoney, 2015 Bank of the Year by African Investor and 2015 Best Banking Group Nigeria by World Finance.

BIG STORY

At UBA Business Series, Experts Say Innovation, Passion Crucial To Build Lasting Businesses

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Building businesses that stand the test of time requires a blend of innovation, unwavering focus, and passion. This was the key takeaway from the latest edition of the United Bank for Africa (UBA) Business Series, hosted on Thursday,

With the theme: “Profit with Purpose, Business Continuity,” the event which was held at the Tony Elumelu Amphitheatre, UBA House, Marina, Lagos, brought together top industry leaders and entrepreneurs who shared actionable insights and strategies for ensuring business resilience and sustainability in today’s dynamic economic environment.

Founder, Terra Kulture, Bolanle Austen-Peters, Chief Executive of Asadtek Group Limited, Ghana; Dr. James Asare-Adjei; Award winning TV Personality & Multi Media Entrepreneur, Frank Edoho, Celebrated multimedia personality, Toke Makinwa and founder of Nigeria’s pioneering indigenous premium coffee brand, Happy Coffee, Princess Adeyinka Tekena, were on ground to share their business journey and give insights on how businesses can stand the test of time and thrive in a competitive environment.

Bolanle Austen-Peters who is also a Prominent Lawyer, Award Winning Film Director, and Producer, was the keynote speaker at the event and she spoke on the need for small and medium scale businesses to define their purpose, build a workable framework and have a team that shares in your vision.

On how she has run a business successfully for over 20 years, she said, “I can never overemphasise the role that purpose plays in your business. There is the need for business owners to set clear goals and achievable targets. From Day one, I started with having an organisational structure like what we have in banks, complete with legal structure, a board of Directors, administrative Officers, and all.

Continuing she said, “The truth is that if you do not have a framework for your business, you may just be another business from the street. Putting together a structure shows that you are in for serious business, and people will treat your business as such,” she explained.

James Asare-Adjei from Ghana, who also shared that key essentials like being innovative and having integrity said that MSMEs need to identify areas that they can excel at and work towards building it. “As business owners, you need to take advantage of the market available to you, and ensure that you add value at every point.

For Frank Edoho, passion remains an essential ingredient that drives business growth. “Passion is very important, as business owners, you should stick to your guns and learn from what others are doing and add it to your experience to make your business better,” he explained.

“One of the things I did to grow my brand was that I was very focused,” said Toke Makinwa, who recalled her humble beginnings as a banker and later a broadcaster. “I kept the right attitude and surrounded myself with people who are team builders. These are winning strategies anytime,” she noted.

Princess Adeyinka Tekena, who is a beneficiary of the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) Grant, said the $5,000 grant she won in 2015, helped to build her business from ground up and the business has been thriving for over 10 years now. She pointed out that tenacity, determination and financial discipline have been some of the factors that have contributed to the growth of her small business.

UBA’s Group Head, Marketing and Corporate Communications, Alero Ladipo, who commended the participants for sharing valuable insights explained that with these regular capacity building programs, UBA focuses on empowering other business owners to build sustainable businesses.

“At UBA, it is not just about Banking, we are also passionate about helping our customers to grow thriving businesses, and that is why we do this on a regular basis,” she noted.

The UBA Business Series is a regular seminar/workshop organised by the bank as one of its capacity-building initiatives, where leading business leaders and professionals share well-researched insights on relevant topics and best practices for running successful businesses, especially in difficult business challenges.

United Bank for Africa is one of the largest employers in the financial sector on the African continent, with 25,000 employees group wide and serving over 45 million customers globally. Operating in twenty African countries and the United Kingdom, the United States of America, France and the United Arab Emirates, UBA provides retail, commercial and institutional banking services, leading financial inclusion and implementing cutting edge technology.

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BIG STORY

Dangote Sells Fuel Refined From Crude Oil Bought In Naira To Foreign Markets In Dollars — Bloomberg Report

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Investigation reveals that “businessman” Aliko Dangote has signed a contract with “Vitoil” for 5 cargoes of 38,000 metric tonnes per cargo.

One of them is the “CL Jane Austen” tracked by Bloomberg.

The Dangote Refinery has altered the federal government’s petrol supply plan as it began the sale of fuel in dollars to the foreign market, with a vessel (tanker/cargo) already having hauled the product from the refinery to waters off Togo.

The crude oil from which the product was refined was sold to the refinery established by Africa’s richest man in Naira through a government’s template that began in October.

The private refinery, a report by Bloomberg showed, has signed a contract with “Vitoil” for 5 cargoes of 38,000 metric tonnes per cargo.

Investigation by Bloomberg showed that the tanker named “The CL Jane Austen” recently loaded more than 300,000 barrels from Dangote.

The tanker sailed west, according to data from Vortexa, Kpler, Precise Intelligence, a port report, and ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg.

“It’s now floating off the coast of Lome, a popular area for ship-to-ship transfers,” the report added.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ordered the sale of crude oil to Dangote Refinery in Naira, an order that has been confirmed to have been implemented by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).

Meanwhile, the new fuel supply deal between Dangote Refinery, which benefited from the crude oil sale in Naira, and “Vitol” is being carried out in dollars.

While the shipment is tiny in the context of the global gasoline market, it signals the ramp-up of Dangote’s production and the potential to export significant volumes of gasoline beyond Nigeria, which could upend regional markets.

The refinery last month shipped its first seaborne fuel cargo to the nearby commercial hub of Lagos.

Whether large amounts of Dangote’s fuel output end up being exported remains to be seen.

A Dangote spokesperson didn’t respond to a request for comment.

Last month, Nigeria ended its state-owned oil company’s monopoly on buying the fuel from the plant for domestic use.

Meanwhile, the country continues to import fuel from Europe and the US.

It’s also not certain where the “CL Jane Austen’s” cargo will ultimately end up.

Although it’s off Togo, the area is often used for STS transfers, meaning the fuel could subsequently be taken elsewhere.

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BIG STORY

NNPCL Executes Gas Sale Agreement With Dangote Refinery

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The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Gas Marketing Limited (NGML), a subsidiary of NNPCL, has signed a Gas Sale and Purchase Agreement with Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals, Lagos.

The agreement was signed on Tuesday at the Corporate Head Office of Dangote in Falomo, Lagos, by Justin Ezeala, the Managing Director of NGML, and Aliko Dangote, the President/Chief Executive Officer of the Dangote Group. It outlines the supply of natural gas for power generation and feedstock at the refinery.

“This major milestone is in line with President Bola Tinubu’s policy of utilising Nigeria’s abundant gas resources towards revamping the nation’s industrial growth and kickstarting its economic prosperity.”

“This development, which sees a huge investment of this nature penned with zero capital expenditure outlay, has been described by many as unprecedented in the history of NGML or any gas Local Distribution Company in the country,” stated Olufemi Soneye, NNPCL spokesperson, on Wednesday.

According to Soneye, under the terms of the agreement, NGML will supply 100 million standard cubic feet of gas per day—50MMSCF/D as firm supply and the remaining 50MMSCF/D as interruptible natural gas supply to the refinery. This agreement will last for an initial period of 10 years, with options for renewal and expansion.

“This collaboration is a significant step toward ensuring the operational success of the Dangote Refinery and enhancing Nigeria’s domestic gas utilisation.”

“NNPC Ltd, through NGML, its gas marketing subsidiary, continues to lead efforts in promoting the use of domestic gas to support industries and businesses nationwide.”

“The agreement represents a milestone for both NNPC Ltd and Dangote refinery, aligning with their shared commitment to boosting local production and providing vital products for the benefit of all Nigerians.”

“It is also further proof of NGML’s unwavering commitment to business excellence and fulfilling NNPC Ltd’s core mandate of ensuring Nigeria’s energy security through the execution of strategic gas projects across the country,” the statement concluded.

Reports indicate that the Dangote refinery alone is equipped with a 435MW power plant capable of meeting the total power needs of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company.

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