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Fitch Affirms UBA’s Viability Rating as Agusto Upgrades Rating to “Aa” -as UBA stock now best performing on the exchange

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8 years ago

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Fitch International, one of the foremost global rating agencies has affirmed United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc’s viability rating at “B”, as the pan-African banking group continue to sustain its benchmark asset quality and strong profitability amidst industry and macroeconomic challenges.

UBA is one of the few banks with strong risk management framework, which has helped keep non-performing loans ratio at a moderate level of 1.74% as at the end-March 2016, as against industry average of over 6%, as reported by Fitch in its recent report on Nigerian banks.

Fitch also upgraded UBA’s outlook to stable from Negative, thus reinforcing the strong outlook on the Bank, especially as its diversified network across eighteen other African countries make it relatively immune against the potential cyclical volatilities in any of its country of operations.

Also, the foremost local rating agency in Nigeria, Agusto & Co, at its rating review of UBA Plc, upgraded the Bank’s rating from “A+” to “Aa-“, with a stable outlook. According to Agusto & Co, “the rating of United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA) is upheld by the Bank’s improved capitalization, good liquidity and large pool of stable deposits, strong domestic presence supported by the Bank’s extensive branch network and growing alternative banking channels.

“We note improvement in profitability and the Bank’s good asset quality. The Rating takes into cognizance the weak macroeconomic climate on the banking industry’s asset quality, which we do not expect UBA to be excluded. Nonetheless, we note positively its diversified geographical reach, which will cushion to an extent the impact of the weak Nigerian economic climate,” Agusto & Co stated in its credit rating report.

Just as the credit rating agencies are strong on the fundamentals of UBA Plc, equity analysts have also affirmed the asset quality, profitability and broad investment case of the Bank, particularly as UBA has maintained an average return on equity of over 20% in the past three years, bucking the challenging economic environment and dwarfing peer performance track.

Following the strong financial performance of UBA in the first quarter of 2016, improved transparency and disclosure, which is now seen as benchmark for Nigerian banks, analysts at Renaissance Capital and CSL Stockbrokers (a part of the FCMB Group) upgraded the rating on UBA stock to “Buy,” with target prices of N9.40 and N7.21 respectively.

Reflecting investors’ conviction in the strong fundamentals of the Bank and the appetite for the stock, the share price has gained 39% thus far in 2016 to rank as the best performing banking stock on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. Closing at N4.70 on Wednesday, 13 July, 2016, UBA still trades at significant discount to analysts’ consensus valuation of the shares, which is put at N8.50 for the 2016 calendar year.

The Bank paid N0.20 interim and N0.40 final dividend in 2015 financial year and should currently be auditing its 2016 half year results in line with the Group’s governance culture of auditing results twice in a year. UBA is audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers, one of the global big-4 audit firms, which subjects clients to a rigorous international best audit practice.

United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA) is the third largest lender in Nigeria and a leading provider of financial services across 19 African countries, and with presence in New York, London and Paris. The Bank serves almost 11 million customers across expansive brick and mortal branches as well as diversified alternative electronic banking channels.

UBA has a diversified shareholder base of over 270,000, with some of the greatest global fund managers as well as multilateral institutions like the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and African Development Bank (AfDB) being shareholders of the Bank.

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Tanker explosion kills one, injures three in Lagos

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4 hours ago

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March 12, 2025

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At least one person has died, with three others injured, in a tanker explosion on the Otedola Bridge in Lagos.

The tanker, laden with Premium Motor Spirit popularly known as petrol, burst into flames on Tuesday night, a situation that forced residents and motorists to scamper for safety.

The Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, confirmed the casualty figure in a statement.

“Three adult male victims with severe burns have been rescued and transferred to Gbagada General Hospital burns unit while the remains of an adult male were also recovered.

“All hands remain on deck to extinguish the flames. Motorists are urged to take alternative routes where possible,” Oke-Osanyintolu said.

Earlier, Oke-Osanyintolu said the agency’s Tiger Response Team was on the scene working to bring the situation under control.

He added that the road has been cordoned off, urging motorists to take alternative routes.

In the same vein, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, confirmed the accident in a statement.

LASTMA, in a post on X, said the fire affected nearby structures, including a church, residential house, and mechanics’ parks at Otedola under bridge, adjacent to CMD Road, adding that emergency responders were on ground to handle the situation.

“A tanker has fallen and caught fire, affecting nearby structures, including a church, residential house, and mechanics’ parks at Otedola Under Bridge, adjacent to CMD Road,” the statement read.

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Alleged sexual harassment: What Senator Natasha told UN Inter-Parliamentary Union

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4 hours ago

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March 12, 2025

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Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the lawmaker representing Kogi Central, told the United Nations Inter-Parliamentary Union on Tuesday that she had been illegally suspended by the Nigerian Senate.

Natasha, who accused the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, of sexual harassment, was recently handed a six-month suspension over her alleged conduct in the Red Chamber.

Speaking at the Women in Parliament session held on Tuesday at the Inter-Parliamentary Union Meeting in New York, Senator Natasha described the suspension as illegal.

The lawmaker, who broke down in tears while delivering her report, demanded justice, saying she had been silenced.

She said, “I came with a heavy heart from Nigeria. I am not here to bring shame to our country but to seek help for the women in Nigeria.

“I was suspended illegally because I submitted a petition of sexual harassment against the President of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio.

“I was silenced and suspended. I was suspended for six months with many stringent conditions, such as the withdrawal of my security and all official vehicles assigned to me as a senator.

“My salary was cut off, and I was prohibited from appearing anywhere within the National Assembly. For six months, I must not introduce myself as a senator in Nigeria.

“I have nowhere else to turn but here. This is a clear case of political victimisation.”

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FCCPC slams MTN CEO with court summons over directives violation, presentation of incomplete documents

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4 hours ago

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March 12, 2025

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On May 28, Mr. Karl Toriola, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (MD/CEO) of MTN Nigeria Communications Plc, would be arraigned by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC).
In violation of the FCCPC Act, Toriola, MTN Nigeria Communications Plc, and others will be charged for allegedly failing to provide the commission with the information and documents it requested in response to a valid summons. Justice H.J. Yilwa of the Federal High Court in Abuja will arraign the firm and its CEO with Tobechukwu Okigbo, MTN’s Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer, and Ikenna Ikeme, MTN’s General Manager, Regulatory Affairs.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), MTN Nigeria Communications Plc, Toriola, Okigbo, and Ikeme were identified as the first, second, and fourth suspects, respectively, in the charge designated FHC/ABJ/CR/354/2024 by the FCCPC.

BrandSpur telecoma and information news reports that a group of attorneys led by Akoji Achimugu preferred the suspects with two counts in the charge, which was dated July 19, 2024, and filed July 22, 2024. They weren’t in court when the matter was called. Justice Yilwa questioned Chizenum Nsitem, an FCCP attorney, about the suspects’ location. Nsitem told the court that even though the arraignment of the defendants was the scheduled event, he had only been briefed on the case and would require additional time to review the case file. For arraignment, the judge postponed the case until May 28.

According to NAN, the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) had previously charged MTN Nigeria Communications Ltd., its CEO Toriola, MTN Senior Executive Officer Nkeakam Abhulimen, telecommunications service provider Fun Mobile Ltd., and its CEO Yahaya Maibe. On March 20, 2024, the NCC filed the three-count accusation, which is currently before sister court Justice Inyang Ekwo and is marked FHC/ABJ/CR/111/2024.

Also read: https://brandspurng.com/2025/03/07/shettima-other-prominent-nigerians-attend-first-banks-40-storey-headquarter-launch-in-lagos/

Between 2010 and 2017, the defendants were accused by the prosecution of: “Offered for sale, sold and traded for business, infringed musical works of Maleke Moye, an artiste, without his consent and authorisation.”

Continuing, the commission said that the defendants have utilized Maleke’s sound recordings and musical compositions, known as “caller ring back tunes,” which are protected by copyright, without the artist’s consent. Among the musician’s allegedly infringed musical compositions and sound recordings are “911, Minimini-Wana Wana, Stop Racism, Ewole, 911 instrumental, Radio, Low Waist, and No Bother.”

In violation of the artist’s rights, they were also accused of unlawfully and without permission distributing the musical compositions to their subscribers. The third count claimed that the suspects possessed the artist’s sound recordings and musical compositions in their hands unless they were being used for domestic or personal purposes. Section 20 (2) (a) (b) and (c) of the Copyright Act, Cap. C28, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, are the penalties for the claimed offence, according to the copyright commission.

On February 25, Justice Ekwo postponed the case till May 15 for reporting after the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) expressed interest in taking over.

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