• Raises N40billion through a Rights Issuance process
  Part of its larger 2-year; N150billion Capital programme
  Rights fully subscribed
• Expected to Commence concluding tranche of additional Capital in Q4, 2024.
  Corporate Ratings affirmed by Fitch at BBB & Upgraded by Agusto to BBB+

Wema Bank, Nigeria’s foremost innovative bank and pioneer of Africa’s first fully digital bank, ALAT, has successfully concluded the first tranche of its recapitalisation exercise having secured all relevant regulatory approvals for the allotment of its N40bn Rights Issue which was initiated in December 2023.

In view of macroeconomic conditions, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in March 2024, launched a recapitalisation programme requiring commercial banks to raise fresh capital in alignment with the minimum requirement for their respective banking licenses, within a 24-month timeline spanning April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2026.

The goal of this recapitalisation programme is to simultaneously boost the Nigerian economy and strengthen the Nigerian financial services industry.

As a forward-thinking and pioneering bank, Wema Bank in December 2023 launched a N40bn Rights issue which has now been approved by the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). With this remarkable development, Wema Bank has now successfully raised the 1st tranche of its plan in the minimum requirement laid down by the CBN.

In a statement made to the public by the Bank, Moruf Oseni, Wema Bank’s Managing Director and CEO, reiterated the Bank’s resolve in retaining its Commercial Banking license with National Authorisation, adding that the N40bn Rights Issue is a step in that direction.

“We are delighted to announce the conclusion of the 1st tranche of our Capital Raise Programme, after obtaining the relevant approvals of all regulatory authorities.

“Our move to commence our Capital Raise Programme very early demonstrates our push for excellence and with a strong emphasis on our digital play, we are set to amass more successes in the coming months.

“We were impressed by the vote of confidence given by our shareholders during the 1st Rights Issue exercise as our shares were fully subscribed. In addition, we obtained the approval of shareholders at our 2023 Annual General Meeting (AGM) to raise an additional N150billion to meet the capitalisation threshold set by the CBN.

“The process is expected to be completed within 12-18 months. We are committed to providing optimum returns for every stakeholder and the successful conclusion of this N40bn Rights Issue is a bold step in the right direction.”

In addition to the upward trend in the Bank’s financial performance and the success recorded so far in its recapitalisation exercise, Wema Bank’s corporate rating was recently upgraded to BBB+ by Pan African credit rating agency, Agusto and Co, and retained at BBB by international rating agency, Fitch. Over the medium to long term, Wema Bank is positioned to not only dominate the digital Banking space but also the Nigerian financial services industry at large as it translates its industry leadership to significant market share.

Wema Bank is a leading financial services entity with banking operations across Nigeria, its leadership position in the digital banking space speaks to its aspirations to liberate Nigerian businesses and entrepreneurs by making digital platforms widely available.

Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man and chairman of Dangote Group, says his $20 billion 650,000 barrels per day Lagos-based refinery will crash the price of fuel as it reduced the price of diesel in Nigeria.

Dangote disclosed this at the Afreximbank Annual Meetings and AfriCaribbean Trade & Investment Forum in Nassau, The Bahamas.

Asked to speak on whether or not his refinery would crash the pump price of petrol, which sells at an average of N700 per liter, Dangote gave no affirmative answer, explaining how the price of diesel fell from 1,700 to N1,200 when his diesel flooded the Nigerian market.

He noted that his refinery currently has 4.78 billion liters of storage capacity for refined petroleum products.

“The issue of gasoline is certainly a different issue. That one is being dealt with by the government. But let me give you an example. In diesel, which the industries, transporters and everybody consume; when we first started, it was N1,700, and the dollar conversion was about N1,200 then. Immediately when we started, within two weeks we brought down the price to N1,000. We took it from N1,700 to N1,200 and from N1,200 to N1,700, we have given more than a 60 percent drop in price.

“With the currency now back up to about N1,500 per dollar, the price is still below N1,200. That’s a big improvement, from N1,700 to N1,200. And the diesel is available, we are not living from hand to mouth anymore,” Dangote replied when asked about a possible petrol price cut.

“The country doesn’t have strategic reserves in terms of petrol, which is very dangerous. But in our plant now, when you came, we had only 4.78 billion liters of various tankage capacity. But right now, we’re adding another 600 million.

“So effectively, as we go forward, the refinery will be the strategic reserve of the country in terms of petroleum products,” he noted.

Dangote alleged that the reason why international oil companies refused to sell crude oil to his refinery was that they did not want him to succeed.

“And I think that is the process that we’re now really going through. But the truth is that, yes, the country, the sub-region, and also the continent, of sub-Saharan Africa, need this refinery. So, you expect them to fight through non-supply of crude, non-purchase of the product, but I think it’s all temporary. We’ll get there,” he added.

Recall that Dangote Refinery turned to the US for 24 million barrels of crude supply monthly.

Consequently, the refinery shifted the date to commence supply of fuel to July 10–15, 2024, from June.

Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest person, says local and foreign mafia tried several times to sabotage his $19 billion refinery from coming to fruition.

This is as he said he has repaid about $2.4 billion of the $5.5 billion borrowed to build the refinery.

According to him, several entities did everything to sabotage the 650,000 barrels per day facility.

He spoke Wednesday at the Afreximbank annual meetings (AAN) and AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum in Nassau, The Bahamas.

Dangote said he was aware that resistance would always exist, but he did not anticipate it being so harsh.

“Well, I knew that there would be a fight. But I didn’t know that the mafia in oil, they are stronger than the mafia in drugs. I can tell you that. Yes, it’s a fact. The local and foreign mafia tried several times to sabotage the refinery from coming to fruition,” he said.

The businessman, who tagged himself a fighter throughout his life, said the mafias had tried several times to defeat him.

“But I’m a person that has been fighting all my life. You know, so I think it’s part of my life to fight,” he said.

On if he was receiving enough crude oil as feedstock for his refinery from the international oil companies (IOCs), Dangote said: “In a system where for 35 years people are used to counting good money, and all of a sudden they see that the days of counting that money have come to an end, you don’t expect them to pray for you. Of course, you expect them to fight back.

“And I think that is the process that we’re now really going through. But the truth is that, yes, the country, the sub-region, and also the continent, sub-Saharan Africa, need this refinery. So, you expect them to fight through non-supply of crude, non-purchase of the product, but I think it’s all temporary. We’ll get there.”