NASD plans digitised securities to woo young investors

• Head, Research and Strategy, NASD OTC Exchange PLC, Oludare Fajimolu; Head Legal and Compliance, Koha Okukulabe; Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Eguarekhide Longe, Head, Human Resource and Administration, Margaret Fadipe and Head, Finance and Accounts, Kolawole Jiboku, during the Review of Half Year Performance of NASD in Lagos at the weekend.

• Shareholders to get dividend, bonus shares

The NASD OTC Exchange Plc plans to launch digitised securities as part of efforts to deepen the participation in the Nigerian capital market and encourage young investors to invest in the domestic market.

Managing Director, NASD OTC Exchange Plc, Mr. Eguarekhide Longe, said the plan for digitised securities was in line with the company’s core mission to facilitate enterprise growth and unlock value across sectors.

Longe spoke at a media interactive session at the weekend in Lagos.

“Our core mission is to facilitate enterprise growth and unlock value across sectors. We are particularly exploring opportunities in the solid minerals sector and plan to launch innovative products, including digitised securities backed by real-world assets like real estate. We aim to attract younger investors, especially millennials and Gen Z, through technology-led offerings,” Longe said.

He noted that the company’s flagship offering, the OTC Securities Exchange—a trading platform for unlisted public companies and other solutions such as the NASD Enterprise Portal (NASD eP), VentureRamp, NASD Digital Securities Platform (N-DSP), and the NASD Commercial Paper Platform, have contributed to deepening the market.

He urged the Federal Government to support the capital market by encouraging public limited liability companies to list on NASD through appropriate incentives.

According to him, such incentives would further deepen market access and economic development.

Speaking on the company’s financial performance, Longe said the company’s performance and market trajectory have been impressive.

He noted that NASD’s share price has appreciated by 93.29 per cent so far this year, rising from N15.51 on January 1, 2025, to N29.98 by July 31, 2025.

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He pointed out that NASD was listed in 2013 at N1.50 and the share price has surged by 1,898 per cent, translating to a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 28.35 per cent.

He said the company’s performance in first half 2025 was an indication of the reassuring earnings outlook of the company.

He said: “We are proud of our strong performance in the first half of 2025. This financial turnaround highlights the resilience of our business model, the success of our strategic initiatives, and our commitment to delivering exceptional value to our shareholders.

 “These results reaffirm our focus on sustainable growth, operational efficiency, and long-term value creation. We deeply appreciate the continued support and patience of our shareholders,” Longe said.

He noted that the first half 2025 results built on positive 2024 performance, which saw pre-tax profit rising by 646 per cent.

The board of NASD is proposing a cash dividend of 20 kobo per share and a bonus of one new share for every five shares held. Shareholders are expected to consider the dividend recommendation at the company’s annual general meeting later this month.

The six-month report for the period ended June 30, 2025 showed a 308 per cent increase in revenue to N657 million in first half 2025 compared with N161 million in the same period last year. Profit before tax  rose by 646 per cent from a loss of N63 million in first half 2024 to N341 million in first half 2025. Operational efficiency improved significantly, with the cost-to-income ratio declining to 48 per cent from 139 per cent.

A standout figure in the period was originating income, which soared to N332 million, up from just N1.3 million in the previous year, an increase of 26,000 per cent, driven by strategic focus and improved market engagement.