Nigeria’s leading energy firm, Oando, plans to raise up to $750 million this year for a drilling campaign that could boost output by 300%, tapping improved investor appetite for West African producers amid turmoil linked to the Iran war, Group Chief Executive of the firm Jubril Adewale ‌Tinubu, CON, told Reuters in an interview recently.

The oil and gas company is among a handful of local companies that have snapped up assets from oil majors in the past decade as they exit Nigerian onshore. This year, surging energy prices should open more funding sources for producers in the region, Tinubu said.

We are pushing very, very hard towards getting the financing that we need to do an extensive drilling campaign,” Tinubu told Reuters.

Nigeria is Africa’s biggest oil producer with crude and condensate output of around 1.6 million barrels a day.

Oando, whose production averaged just over 32,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in ⁠fiscal 2025, aims to drill as many as 100 wells to boost output, particularly from assets purchased from Western majors ConocoPhillips and Eni.

While in the past the company had struggled with securing cash for drilling due to investor worries that Africa was an “unsafe environment”, the Iran war and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 have shifted that view, Tinubu said.

“Africa is very, very peaceful compared to these regions,” he said.

Already, Tinubu said there was a shift in demand for Nigeria’s crude, with more cargoes sailing to Asia to replace Gulf oil trapped due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

FUNDING SQUEEZE FROM EUROPE
Oando has raised $3 billion-$4 billion in the past decade, much of it from European banks, the GCE said, the bulk of which went toward acquisitions.

European banks had now almost completely withdrawn from African hydrocarbons due to climate concerns, he said, pushing Oando to funders including the African Export-Import Bank and the African Finance Corporation, and to oil trading houses ‌including Vitol, ⁠Trafigura, Glencore and Mercuria.

However, Africa needed more “substantial long-term funding”, he added.
More Gulf banks were interested in hydrocarbon projects in Africa and more parties were joining their syndications, while private equity funds and hedge funds were also more active in funding African energy, he said.

Oando recently expanded into Angola, and Tinubu said they are exploring opportunities in Ghana and Ivory Coast.

Africa should pool capital available at home, via pension funds and other sources, to fund large-scale capital projects, he added.

Geopolitical turmoil will have “long-reaching strategic implications for global ⁠energy security”, he said, and keep focus on West Africa’s reserves.

“Even if the ceasefire lasts, which, hopefully it will, it wouldn’t change the fact that consistently, you’re going to find disruptions,” he said.

GASOLINE EXPORTS, BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

Nigeria, Tinubu said, is well placed to draw funding after a landmark 2021 overhaul of its hydrocarbon law and reforms by current President ⁠Bola Tinubu, his uncle, to currency and costly petrol subsidies.

The new 650,000 barrel-per-day Dangote Oil Refinery on the outskirts of Lagos, Tinubu said, highlighted the value of Nigeria’s resources.

Tinubu, whose company was once among the nation’s largest fuel importers, said imports were now only needed to test for pricing or during refinery maintenance.

Longer term, ⁠Tinubu hopes to exploit some of Oando’s own gas production for petrochemicals and fertilizers to further boost the value added to Nigerian resources.

The company was working to “streamline” financials to avoid further delays in filing audited statements with the Nigerian Exchange after deadline extension in recent years.

In August, Oando’s board signed off on a proposal to launch a multi-instrument issuance programme of up to $1.5 billion.
-Culled from Reuters.

Nigeria’s leading energy firm Oando plans to raise up to $750 million this year for a drilling campaign that could boost output by 300%, tapping improved investor appetite for West African producers amid turmoil linked to the Iran war, Group Chief Executive of the firm Jubril Adewale ‌Tinubu, CON, told Reuters in an interview recently.

The oil and gas company is among a handful of local companies that have snapped up assets from oil majors in the past decade as they exit Nigerian onshore. This year, surging energy prices should open more funding sources for producers in the region, Tinubu said.

We are pushing very, very hard towards getting the financing that we need to do an extensive drilling campaign,” Tinubu told Reuters.

Nigeria is Africa’s biggest oil producer with crude and condensate output of around 1.6 million barrels a day.

Oando, whose production averaged just over 32,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in ⁠fiscal 2025, aims to drill as many as 100 wells to boost output, particularly from assets purchased from Western majors ConocoPhillips and Eni.

While in the past the company had struggled with securing cash for drilling due to investor worries that Africa was an “unsafe environment”, the Iran war and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 have shifted that view, Tinubu said.

“Africa is very, very peaceful compared to these regions,” he said.

Already, Tinubu said there was a shift in demand for Nigeria’s crude, with more cargoes sailing to Asia to replace Gulf oil trapped due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

FUNDING SQUEEZE FROM EUROPE
Oando has raised $3 billion-$4 billion in the past decade, much of it from European banks, the GCE said, the bulk of which went toward acquisitions.

European banks had now almost completely withdrawn from African hydrocarbons due to climate concerns, he said, pushing Oando to funders including the African Export-Import Bank and the African Finance Corporation, and to oil trading houses ‌including Vitol, ⁠Trafigura, Glencore and Mercuria.

However, Africa needed more “substantial long-term funding”, he added.

More Gulf banks were interested in hydrocarbon projects in Africa and more parties were joining their syndications, while private equity funds and hedge funds were also more active in funding African energy, he said.

Oando recently expanded into Angola, and Tinubu said they are exploring opportunities in Ghana and Ivory Coast. Africa should pool capital available at home, via pension funds and other sources, to fund large-scale capital projects, he added.

Geopolitical turmoil will have “long-reaching strategic implications for global ⁠energy security”, he said, and keep focus on West Africa’s reserves.
“Even if the ceasefire lasts, which, hopefully it will, it wouldn’t change the fact that consistently, you’re going to find disruptions,” he said.

GASOLINE EXPORTS, BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
Nigeria, Tinubu said, is well placed to draw funding after a landmark 2021 overhaul of its hydrocarbon law and reforms by current President ⁠Bola Tinubu, his uncle, to currency and costly petrol subsidies.

The new 650,000 barrel-per-day Dangote Oil Refinery on the outskirts of Lagos, Tinubu said, highlighted the value of Nigeria’s resources.

Tinubu, whose company was once among the nation’s largest fuel importers, said imports were now only needed to test for pricing or during refinery maintenance.
Longer term, ⁠Tinubu hopes to exploit some of Oando’s own gas production for petrochemicals and fertilizers to further boost the value added to Nigerian resources.

The company was working to “streamline” financials to avoid further delays in filing audited statements with the Nigerian Exchange after deadline extension in recent years.

In August, Oando’s board signed off on a proposal to launch a multi-instrument issuance programme of up to $1.5 billion.
-Culled from Reuters.

… declares ₦221.85bn profit before tax, ₦1.25 dividend

Wema Bank, Nigeria’s oldest indigenous bank, most innovative and pioneer of Africa’s first fully digital bank, ALAT, has released its FY 2025 Audited Financial Results, achieving record-breaking growth and unparalleled performance across several key metrics.

Key figures include the doubling of the Bank’s Profit Before Tax (PBT) from ₦102.5bn in FY 2024 to ₦221.9bn, an impressive 116.4% increase. Profit After Tax (PAT) also surged by 125.4% from FY 2024’s ₦86.2bn to ₦194.5bn.

Total assets also reached the 5 trillion mark, with the attainment of ₦5.07tn, a 41.5% increase from FY 2024’s ₦3.59tn, reflecting a growingly resilient balance sheet.

Gross earnings increased by 52.8% to ₦660.6 billion from ₦432.3 billion in FY 2024, a feat driven largely by a 62.7% growth in interest income, reflecting improved yields on earning assets and growth in the loan book.

Customer deposits grew by 30.3% to ₦3.29 trillion from ₦2.52 trillion in FY 2024, demonstrating sustained customer confidence. This growth in deposits provided stable funding for asset growth while supporting liquidity and balance sheet resilience.

Net interest income more than doubled, rising by 103.9% to ₦361.0 billion, supported by improved asset pricing and balance sheet expansion. Non-interest income also grew modestly by 8.3% to ₦85.3 billion. Net loans and advances increased by 44.7% to ₦1.74 trillion, up from ₦1.20 trillion in FY 2024, thus reflecting Wema Bank’s continued support for key sectors of the economy while maintaining a disciplined risk management approach.

Overall, Wema Bank is set to pay dividend per share of N1.25.

Commenting on the remarkable performance, Wema Bank’s Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Moruf Oseni, reiterated the Bank’s unwavering commitment to sustaining its impressive growth momentum and delivering superior value to all stakeholders.

According to him, “Wema Bank has delivered one of the strongest growth trajectories in its history. From a Profit Before Tax of ₦14.75 billion three years ago, we grew to ₦43.59 billion in 2023 and reached ₦102 billion in 2024. In 2025, we have taken an even bolder step forward, recording a Profit Before Tax of ₦221 billion.

“Our Total Assets, which hit the ₦1tn mark in 2021, surpassed ₦3tn in 2024, standing at a staggering ₦5tn as of FY2025. This overall performance not only speaks strongly of Wema Bank’s exceptional financial strength and capacity for sustained growth, but also reflects disciplined execution, a resilient business model, and the unwavering commitment of our people.

“As of September 2025, Wema Bank successfully surpassed the ₦200bn recapitalisation minimum threshold for commercial banks with national authorisation. Our FY2025 Financial Results only corroborate what has become abundantly clear—Wema Bank is here not just to stay, but to lead the future of banking in Africa.

” Our 80th anniversary celebration in 2025 marked a fitting commemoration of our 80 years of impact in the finance industry and beyond. With the launch of ‘ALAT: The Evolution’, the upgraded version of our pioneering fully digital bank, ALAT, we not just redefining the digital banking experience with enhanced intelligence, personalisation and flexibility; we ushering Africa into a future filled with profound possibilities”, Oseni concluded.

Wema Bank is a leading financial services entity with banking operations across Nigeria and the globe, through its trailblazing innovative solution, Africa’s first fully digital bank, ALAT. From surpassing the recapitalisation benchmark set by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to maintaining an unparalleled growth trajectory over the past 5 years, Wema Bank has proven itself stronger than ever—numbers perpetually skyrocketing.

The Bank’s position as leading innovative bank further proves that it is not only able to meet the prevalent needs of its customers but also equipped to anticipate and meet evolving needs as digital banking continues to reshape the finance industry.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
WEMA Bank Plc
Femi Akinfolarin (Head, Strategy & Investor Relations): +234 1 4622632 femi.akinfolarin@wemabank.com
Bunmi Oladosu (Chief Finance Officer): +234 1 2778959 bunmi.oladosu@@wemabank.com