Map of Nigeria - Developing Markets Associates Limited (DMA)
Transcription
Map of Nigeria - Developing Markets Associates Limited (DMA)
Map of Nigeria Foreword Foreword HE Goodluck Jonathan, Vice President, Federal Republic of Nigeria N igeria is Africa’s most populous country. Indeed one in six of all inhabitants of sub Saharan Africa are proud to call themselves Nigerian. Yet, as a nation, we have struggled through many years of being branded and pre-judged as a people drawn back by corruption and suffocated by bureaucracy. Today, at this conference, in our second decade of civilian rule and approaching our 50th year of independence, I hope that we begin to present ourselves as we really are: an industrious, entrepreneurial nation, robust in growth, rich in culture, vibrant in labour, attractive for investment or, more succinctly, as our new national brand puts it, ‘a good people, a great nation’. As testified in the pages of this Investment Report, Nigeria has an enviable array of opportunities for the would-be investor – unparalleled against any other peer. Oppor tunities are rich in mining, food production, ICTs, infrastructure, financial services and the energy sector. Those already engaged in Nigeria bear testament to its worth, and against the backdrop of the most severe period of global economic difficulty in living memory, Nigeria grows. Last year, our economy grew by almost seven per cent, buoyed by our proactive investment centre and our progressive government and here, at today’s conference, we invite you to see for yourself the phenomenal economic transition taking place today – a success story witnessed by 150 million people living across 36 states over almost a million square kilometres in West Africa. However, we are aware, and we recognise that there have been systemic barriers to investment in the past. We face these challenges and we welcome advice and input towards building on our successful marriage with the private sector to realise our goal of becoming one of the world’s 20 largest economies by 2020. We have already built an enviable judiciary, a large and buoyant stock exchange, a massive investment programme into infrastructure and globally lauded cellular communications, whilst our best performing states are now poised to issue bonds in international markets. On top of this, we have significant, underutilised agricultural, mineral, hydrocarbon, marine and forest resources and an abundant English speaking workforce. We are the largest English speaking population in Africa. We are one of the continent’s most progressive, forward-thinking, businessfriendly countries and we, as a nation, share a steadfast vision for our future. It is a vision of economic prosperity and social cohesion. It is a vision of our country fulfilling her potential as Africa’s leading player on the global stage. And it is a vision whose ambition will be realised through our par tnership with you, the investment community. I hope you will join us on this journey; this collective enterprise; this national march to our historic economic destiny. Welcome on board. HE Goodluck Jonathan, Vice President, Federal Republic of Nigeria 2009 | INVESTING IN NIGERIA | 1 Introduction Introduction Baroness Chalker of Wallasey Chairman, Africa Matters Ltd N igeria, perhaps more than any other African country, evokes an almost Pavlovian response from politicians, businesspersons and the general public alike. Everyone, even without visiting the country, seems to have an opinion on Nigeria and, often, that opinion is negative. Unfortunately, the opinion is also all too often based on a devil’s brew of ill-informed generalisations, colourful media articles, usually of debateable balance and, perhaps worst of all, those ‘word of mouth stories’ which, when investigated, turn out to be well past their sell-by date. Nigeria is not some utopian state. It is a vibrant developing nation which has struggled over many years to develop democracy, improve economic stability, grow independent institutions and the rule of law, and enable its population to enjoy a degree of economic uplift. Not an easy task in a country of over 150 million people occupying a land area almost three times the size of Germany. That struggle continues, as it will for many countries in the developing world. The challenges will not disappear for some time to come. But there is also another side to the Nigerian story, one rarely told in the international media and hardly ever repeated within the investment community. It is not simply that Nigeria continues to offer an abundance of opportunities for investment. It is not that many international companies – often in the non-oil business – have come and continue to come to Nigeria, invest in the country and enjoy profitable operations, true though this is. It is not even that Nigeria itself is becoming the birthplace of major companies, which themselves are being cour ted as par tners by the international community. The real story is that Nigeria is steadily overcoming its challenges and is therefore continuing to develop an environment conducive to investment. Democratic government is now well established, even though campaigning may be more boisterous than even in the USA. The financial services environment has been overhauled and now has to match international reporting standards. The institutions of governance are now increasingly developed, suppor ted and enhanced by Nigerian administrations. Nigeria, the sleeping giant of Africa, is a country of great potential and one of growing achievement. Our conference sets out to show that the potential is being realised. Whether in its suppor t of the African Union and its institutions, in the steady expansion of its banks into the global economy, or in the growth of its home-grown companies into multinational corporations, Nigeria is both awake and achieving. In ‘Stating the Case for Investment in Nigeria’, this conference presents the other side of the story. We invite investors to take a measured look at Nigeria, to set aside oft-repeated generalisations and to approach Nigeria for what it is – an incredible, diverse and vibrant country with a dynamic economy with a vast array of opportunities. The result may be surprising to some and to others the beginning of a number of new and exciting par tnerships in Africa’s most populous country. Baroness Chalker of Wallasey Chairman, Africa Matters Ltd 2 | INVESTING IN NIGERIA | 2009 Contents Contents 4 11 12 18 20 23 26 Economic overview: The economy battles to defeat the downturn The 7-point Agenda Banking and Finance: A regional banking giant in the making Infrastructure: Developing a 21st Century infrastructure Information and Communication Technology: A climate for growth through technology Energy: An attractive country for investing in hydrocarbons resources Investing in Nigerian States Publisher Special Advisor Contributors Conference Manager Managing Director CEO Chris Gerrard Roger Martin Jake Allen, Andrew Croft, Justine Doody, Moin Siddiqi Amy Slonje Atam Sandhu Leon Isaacs Correspondence Developing Markets Associates | 39-41 North Road | London N7 9DP | United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0) 207 700 1990 | Fax: +44 (0) 207 700 1902 email: [email protected] | web: www.dmassocs.com | www.moneymove.org DMA acknowledge the assistance of all the individuals and organisations who have contributed to his publication. DMA would like to extend their gratitude to Chief Mike Oghiadohme, OFR, FNIM, Wole Akinwumi, Engr Mustafa Bello, Olufemi Ajayi, Waziri Laisu, Beccy Stendall, James Drummond andTeejayToyn-Oke. The views expressed herein are the opinions of the authors, and do not necessarily represent the Government of Nigeria, NIPC, Africa Matters Ltd or DMA. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the publisher. Published by Developing Markets Associates Ltd (DMA). Printed by FOLIUM. Picture credits: istockphoto.com, Ryan Belfus. © Developing Markets Associates Ltd 2009 | INVESTING IN NIGERIA | 3 Economy The economy battles to defeat the downturn N Moin Siddiqi, Economist igeria, Africa’s most populous nation, celebrates its fiftieth anniversary of independence from the UK in 2010, with a sense of pride and confidence. After lost decades of military rule and political instability, the civilian authorities have, over the last decade, achieved a great deal, helped by sound macroeconomic policies and the pursuit of ambitious structural reforms. These reforms, notably prudent utilisations of oil wealth under the oil-price fiscal rule, trade and market liberalisation, banking sector consolidation and privatisations, as well as improvements in political governance, have all enhanced the country’s productive capacity by laying long-term foundations for stellar growth and higher Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). Achieving President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s ‘Seven Point Agenda’ will help transform Nigeria into a vibrant diversified economy, which can create seven million new jobs and attract private-sector capital (including FDI) into the agricultural, mining and manufacturing sectors. Essential elements for micro-reforms are addressing power shor tages; building an efficient industrial base; food security through a 5-10 fold hike in yield and production; reforming land ownership; updating the dilapidated transpor t network; improving the educational system, with emphasis on science and technology; and strengthening national security, particularly in the Niger Delta, the most prolific zone in the Atlantic 4 | INVESTING IN NIGERIA | 2009 basin. The President urged:“Hard work by all is required to achieve this [wealth creation] reform.” The authorities are also eager to deepen structural reforms in the areas of public financial management (also at federal and state level), deregulation, taxation and customs administration. If reform plans stay on track; over the next decade Nigeria has a realistic chance of joining the exclusive ‘club’ of the Group of Twenty (G20) advanced and emerging-market economies, As Merrill Lynch, the Wall Street investment bank, put it: “They have the brains, the people, the energy and the entrepreneurial spirit. They have everything, but it is just spending money on getting the technology and the basic infrastructure right that will make Nigeria blossom.” This view is echoed by Standard Bank of South Africa, which said: “Nigeria is too big to ignore”. It boasts the resources to become the Brazil of Africa, with a richness in energy and ‘untapped’ mineral wealth which exceeds even South Africa’s. Creditworthiness Gradually, Nigeria is earning credibility and respect from the international community. Its improved policy framework and strengthened state institutions – representing a clear break from past ‘boom/bust’ cycles have delivered sustained economic growth; stronger fiscal/external positions such as the ‘twin’ surpluses on the Economy federal consolidated budget and current-account; low manageable foreign debt; declining consumer prices and improved investor sentiment. This turnaround from a period of stagnation has led to a (BB])sovereign credit rating (three notches below investment grade) from Standard & Poor’s and Fitch Ratings on a level with Egypt, Jordan and Turkey. The International Monetar y Fund (IMF) acknowledged: “Substantial progress has been made in implementing the structural agenda, including an ambitious bank consolidation, liberalisation of the impor t tariff regime, the introduction of a wholesale auction for foreign exchange, continued regional average of 6.1%. The oil-price boom and higher capital expenditures fuelled double-digit growth in nominal GDP. Also, a surge in middle-class consumer spending has driven business investments in recent years. A more dynamic private sector is vital for future diversification. Encouragingly, the non-oil economy led by services, manufacturing, agriculture, as well as information and communications technologies (ICTs) is providing real momentum for heady expansion, thereby offsetting falls in oil production owing to violence in the Niger Delta. For example, whilst non-oil GDP grew by almost 10% a year over 2004-08, the oil sector recorded a as sub-Saharan Africa’s second-largest economy, Nigeria is attracting greater interest from strategic direct investors. effor ts to reduce corruption and progress in restructuring and privatising state-owned enterprises. The authorities will continue their strong agenda through further efforts to remove impediments to growth.” Exotix, the emerging-market securities brokers, explained: “At a macro level, Nigeria has improved a lot. The country paid off much of its debt and is now a net creditor with a rating of BB minus.” Following 2005’s historic Paris Club debt relief wor th US$18bn, the Obasanjo administration also repaid most of the remaining loans to the London Club of private creditors. In total, Nigeria slashed its debt stock from nearly US$36bn in 2004 to US$3.7bn in 2008 (see Table 2), a phenomenal reduction through debt forgiveness and buyback programmes. According to the Debt Management Office (DMO), the only outstanding loans are owned to multilateral bodies, including the World Bank Group (US$2.46bn), the African Development Bank (AFDB) (US$510mn) and the European Development Bank (EDB) (US$130mn). Additionally, bilateral and commercial liabilities totalled US$180mn and US$550mn, respectively, in 2008. An exceptionally low debt por tfolio, the equivalent of 1.7% GDP, has mitigated the severity of the global credit crunch on the domestic economy. The probability of a sovereign and even corporate default is judged negligible or non existent. Meanwhile, forex reser ves rose to record highs of US$64.9bn last August, before dropping to US$52.9bn by end-2008 (still the highest in sub-Saharan Africa), compared to only US$5.5bn in 1999. Growth and diversified investments In the five years between 2004 and 2008, Nigeria’s GDP in grew more than two-fold to US$209.5bn, with real GDP growth averaging 7% – the best performance for decades – above the relatively poor 0.5% growth in the same period, according to IMF figures. Industry, specifically manufacturing, is benefiting from improved access to credit and infrastructure investment. The expansion of resources for priority spending between 2004 and 2007 – federal government capital and priority project spending rose 300%. As sub-Saharan Africa’s second-largest economy (after South Africa), Nigeria is attracting greater interest from strategic direct investors. Its huge and largely untapped mineral wealth, including coal, iron ore, lead, tin and zinc, has significant potential for industrialisation. The agricultural sector, comprising more than a quar ter of GDP, offers scope for agro-businesses, especially in cocoa processing. Impor tantly, FDI reached highs of US$13.95bn and US$12.45bn, respectively, in 2006 and 2007, up steeply from US$2.1bn in 2004, according to UNCTAD World Investment Report 2008. The bulk of FDI is received by the hydrocarbons industry, but telecoms, beverages and banking are also attracting large inflows. European and US companies have traditionally been the major investors but Chinese and Arab investors are now making big inroads into West Africa’s No.1 market. The Nigerian Business Information Council puts Beijing’s investment at over US$10bn. The China Development Bank in collaboration with the United Bank for Africa has formed a US$5bn infrastructure fund for the region. China’s biggest lender, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, has entered into a strategic partnership with Oceanic Bank in export trade finance. More recently, International Business Machines (IBM) agreed plans to build a production facility for software/hardware computers, while the Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria concluded a US$500mn deal with the UAE-based Embram to fund the construction of 100,000 housing units. 2009 | INVESTING IN NIGERIA | 5 Economy Several years of above-average growth have, however, pushed the economy up against capacity bottlenecks, mainly in terms of electricity supply, but also water, roads and ports. The upgrading of infrastructure remains a priority for fiscal spending over the medium-term, although the Government recognises the private sector’s role in providing the necessary infrastructure. The World Bank believes the country must spend US$5bn annually on its depleting infrastructure. GT Bank agrees: “Nigeria has a major need for infrastructure development, from power plants to road development, railway construction, water and sanitation, airport expansion to the development of jetties.” In 2008, GT Bank co-funded a US$3bn Eko Atlantic land reclamation/building development on Lagos Island. But the concept of privately funded projects is still relatively new in Nigeria. External contagion impact Nigeria as a major recipient of private capital and fuel-expor ter cannot possibly ‘decouple’ from the OECD-wide recession. World output is predicted to contract by 0.5 to 1% in 2009, the first such drop in 60 years, the IMF estimates. Growth across developing regions is impeded by financial constraints, faltering expor ts and associated spillovers to domestic demand, before recovering slowly in 2010. Thus, Nigeria faces hefty terms of trade losses – with falling oil prices (from a peak of US$147 per barrel to about US$50) – exer ting negative effects on the balance of payments (BoP), budgetary receipts and corporate finances. Hydrocarbon expor ts provide more than four-fifths of the Government’s revenue. Global deleveraging has led to por tfolio outflows from prime emerging-markets because of severe redemptions pressure on leveraged western investors. FDI flows will also decline given the recent slump in private equity assets and insufficient credit to finance acquisitions. Risks are heaviest for countries heavily reliant on cross-border flows (through bonds and bank loans) to cover external deficits or to fund the activities of their corporate sectors such as has been seen in Central Eastern Europe. A severe downturn should be avoided in Nigeria because – unlike in past crises – it is prepared better to absorb exogenous shocks. Despite BoP pressure, reserves totalled US$51bn in early 2009, with excess crude savings providing US$15-20bn as a possible cushion, according to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). While debt relief effectively saves about US$4bn in annual debt-service payments. Hence, the Government can engineer a fiscal stimulus without resor ting to external loans. However, after two years of sustained stability, the Naira lost quarter of its value against the greenback between end-November 2008 and end-March 2009. Its fall (hence rising import prices) put at risk inflation targets. Declining oil-receipts and remittance inflows, capital flight by portfolio investors exiting the stock market and speculative trading were behind the depreciation. The CBN took steps to prevent speculative attacks and tightened currency controls on a temporary basis. At the same time, investors were reassured that they could still transfer funds out of Nigeria. The reintroduction of the ‘Retail Dutch Auction System’ in mid-January 2009, effectively, limits the provision of forex to only ‘legitimate’ end-users who need hard currency for external trade, but cannot speculate on the interbank market. Any amounts not sold to eligible customers in five working days must be resold to the CBN. The CBN is committed to managing the exchange rate within a 3% range, (plus or minus) until fur ther notice. The CBN also sharply reduced commercial banks’ allowable forex net open position (from 5% and previously 10%) to only 1% of shareholders’ funds. This will ease pressure on the Naira by limiting demand. It is impor tant to note: Nigeria is not returning to the preliberalisation era of the 1990s, when businesses faced onerous forex controls. The World Bank expects Nigeria’s real GDP growth at 5.8% in 2009 – below the official target of 7.5%. However, private forecasters including the Economist Intelligence Unit in London anticipate only 3.5% growth, compared with 6.8% last year. Erastus Akingbola, CEO of Intercontinental Bank, said: “The economy is stable, but not roaring. After two years we will start to see growth throughout the economy, with GDP growth already a healthy 8%.” The priority for the Nigerian authorities is preserving ‘hard-won’ gains in macro-economic fundamentals – notably the culture of fiscal probity. The global crisis, however, greatly compounds the policy challenges facing Nigeria as it strives to achieve the ‘Seven Point Agenda’ for sustainable development. Presidential Steering Committee on Global Economic Crisis was formed last January to guide Nigeria through the financial storm and recommend policies to the Federal Government. Its main task is ensuring adequate credit to productive sectors. One silver lining of the current downturn and weakening raw material prices (especially steel and copper) is an easing of industry cost inflation. New capital projects will benefit from lower engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) costs and imports are becoming cheaper as freight costs decline. Moreover, the banking sector is well capitalised with average capital adequacy ratio of 22% (among the world’s highest) to channel substantial funds for both the public and private sectors. Tackling the infrastructure gap Merrill Lynch ranked Nigeria among the ten ‘least’ vulnerable developing economies based on seven criteria: current account financing gap; forex reser ves/shor t-term external debt ratio; expor t/GDP ratio; private credit/GDP ratio; private credit growth; loan/deposits ratio; and banks’ capital asset ratio. Measures such as liberalising the communications sector and privatisation have paid off. The divestiture programme has reduced subsidies and enhanced efficiency by transferring commercial operations to private operators. Major assets such as Nigerian Telecommunications (NITEL), the fixed-line provider, Nigerian 6 | INVESTING IN NIGERIA | 2009 Economy Mining Corp Quarries, Delta Steel Company Ltd, NICON Insurance, Leyland Nigeria Ltd, hotels, most oil service and petrochemical firms, among others, were sold. About US$11.5bn worth of private capital was injected into the telecoms sector, while por t concessioning has greatly improved operations (see below), but it identified bottlenecks elsewhere (e.g, infrastructure and customs) that slow the movement of goods. The IMF noted: “Impor tant progress has been made in creating an enabling environment for private sector activity, but more needs to be done”. Effects of port concessioning Container dwelling times (days) Ship waiting time (days) Ber th occupancy rate (percent) Employed por t workers Before 28-32 7-8 50 26,000 2007 3-4 3-4 80-85 5,000 Source: Nigerian authorities. Low power generation (repor ted at below 4,000 megawatts in mid-2008) – in a country requiring at least 25,000 MW to function smoothly – weaker distribution and transpor tation affect the real economy. These ‘supply-side’ constraints raise the cost of business. A 2007 sur vey showed 54% of manufacturers cited energy shor tage as a deterrent to higher output. By some estimates, the power cost to private businesses is six or seven times the price paid by global competitors. In 2008, the three tiers of government agreed to invest US$5.3bn to expand power capacity in the country to 6,000 MW by end of 2009 and an additional 10,000 MW by 2011. Over half the population still lacks access to any electricity at all. Besides the construction of new generating plants, the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (formerly National Electric Power Authority) is being restructured. Meanwhile, the evaluation of bidders for generating, transmission and distribution companies is underway. As experiences of the telecoms and banking sectors, as well as por t concessioning show, providing a sound regulatory framework results in higher productivity and increased private investments. Without vital electricity supply, Nigeria’s growth would remain below its potential. A concrete strategy is also needed for financing infrastructure projects. Public-private par tnerships (PPPs) – popular in the Gulf countries – are key towards achieving this goal. Chris Newson, CEO of Stanbic IBTC Bank, said: “The Government has reiterated its commitment to PPPs as being the mechanism through which to deliver infrastructure – par ticularly power and transpor t and is currently endeavoring to create the environment to ensure PPPs happen.” But he cautioned: “Some scepticism does however exist on the ability to deliver.” The financial services industry is playing a vital role in supporting wealth creation. It has grown markedly since early 2006 (see Banking and Finance) while remaining shallow by global standards. The sector, however, boasts huge growth potential. Fur ther development is needed since intermediation ratios are quite low. For example, money supply (M2) and private sector credit to GDP in 2007 were 27.8% and 22.6%, respectively. Capital and asset growth have yet to translate into funding mega projects and better access to finance for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Erastus Akingbola believes:“There is no way that the economy will grow unless we can empower the grass roots to do business for themselves and get off the pover ty line.” Key in this regard are micro-reforms to bolster creditor rights, removing impediments to secured (mor tgage) lending, and strengthening disclosure and corporate governance. Translating growth into higher living standards and pover ty alleviation remains a challenge. Population growth and urbanisation put pressure on resources, social services, and local infrastructure. Moreover, the quality of public services, notably healthcare and primary education varies widely across the country, reflecting the uneven administrative capacity of the state and local governments. However, Nigeria is making progress on its social agenda, helped by the virtual poverty fund financed from debt relief resources. The fund provides grants for essential activities in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) priority areas. Reaching optimal potential The outlook for Nigeria is promising, buoyed by abunadant, rich natural resources, solid growth potential and the entrepreneurial culture of Nigerians. If hard-won gains and reform momentum are intensified, the next decade could prove Nigeria’s best since the 1960s. Research from Goldman Sachs suggests that Nigeria boasts the capacity to sustain real growth rates of between 5 and 7% in the coming years, placing it among the world’s top 20 economies by 2025, overtaking the likes of Italy and South Korea. “Improving long-term foundations is key to converting potentiality into reality,” the US investment bank said. Considering its size and regional significance, Nigeria should capitalise on untapped ‘growth reserves’ – solid minerals, gas monetisation, large tracks (60%) of uncultivated arable land and massive infrastructure development across the 36 states. In the meantime, it needs to improve its business environment and institutional capacity to deliver critically needed 10% growth in the medium-term. Looking beyond today’s crisis and the revival of growth in the developed world, Nigeria will continue to attract FDI from the energy majors and por tfolio inflows due to higher returns on capital. The integration into the global economy brings new challenges for ensuring financial stability. Nigeria’s prosperity is critical to the growth of the West Africa region and the continent as a whole in terms of intra-regional trade and investments. 2009 | INVESTING IN NIGERIA | 7 Economy Table 1: Key economic and financial indicators Nominal Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at market prices (billions of naira)1 Nominal GDP (US$ bn) Real GDP Growth* Real Per Capita GDP Growth* Hydrocarbons GDP* Crude Oil production (mn bpd) Non-Oil GDP Growth* Non-Oil Sectors (%) of Total GDP Industrial Production* Consumer Price Index (CPI)* Total Investment (%) of GDP Domestic Savings (%) of GDP Monitoring Policy Rate (%)2 Broad Money Growth (%)* Naira: US$1 (period average) Consolidated Government Operations3 Government Expenditure** Government Revenue** Overall Fiscal Balance** Net Public Debt** Excess Crude Account (US$bn) 2000 2004 2006 2007 2008 Estimate 2009 4,981 48.98 5.30 3.90 2.04 7.50 11,674 87.85 10.60 7.60 3.30 2.34 13.30 61.30 3.70 18,710 145.43 6.00 3.40 -4.50 2.22 9.60 62.00 2.10 20,845 165.70 6.20 3.10 -5.60 2.16 9.60 64.40 3.40 24,989 209.50 6.80 3.40 -4.50 1.95 9.50 63.00 5.30 29,398 202.16 4.00-5.80 3.00 1.00 7.60 66.55 2.00 6.90 22.70 27.80 14.00 28.00 101.69 15.00 23.50 36.50 15.00 14.00 132.88 8.30 23.80 38.70 10.00 39.90 128.65 5.50 24.00 34.50 9.50 30.90 125.81 11.00 24.30 35.50 9.75 53.70 119.28 11.10 25.80 31.50 <4 30.60 145.42 23.20 20.90 -2.10 - 15.60 21.90 6.30 59.40 5.10 14.10 21.70 7.60 13.80 13.30 15.80 17.20 1.40 14.50 17.30 13.00 12.10 -2.50 14.70 20.00 18.00 10.30 -4.50 23.90 - Key:1Sub-Saharan Africa's second-largest economy, after South Africa and equivalent to one-half of West Africa's combined GDP. 2 The Central Bank of Nigeria's benchmark rate. 3 Representing federal, state and local governments. 4The central bank could relax monetary policy in coming months. *Annual percent change. **As percent of GDP. Sources: Nigerian authorities; IMF African Department database; International Financial Statistics, Economist Intelligence Unit, Renaissance Capital and International Energy Agency. Fact File: Area: 923,773 sq Km (356,669 sq miles). Population:148.1mn (mid-2007). Form of State: Federal Republic, comprising 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (Abuja). Commercial capital: Lagos. GDP per capita: US$1,557(2009). Languages: English (official), Ibo, Hausa, Yoruba. Legal system: Based on English common law. Sovereign credit rating: BB-. Solid mineral deposits: Columbite, gemstones, tantalite, talc, rock salt, gypsum, tin, iron ore, uranium, limestone, lead/zinc, gold and coal. Table 2: Balance of payments and external debt (in US$mn, unless otherwise indicated) Expor ts (FOB) Price of Nigerian oil (US$/barrel) Impor ts (FOB) Trade Balance Terms-of-Trade (%)1 Current Account Balance Current Account (%) of GDP 2000 19,132 28.42 8,717 10,415 7,429 15.10 2004 34,766 38.30 15,009 19,757 20.40 16,840 19.10 2005 55,144 55.30 17,288 37,856 38.00 24,202 21.50 2006 59,144 65.30 31,113 28,031 18.00 13,796 9.50 2007 65,133 73.00 31,948 33,185 13.60 21,972 13.20 (%) chg 2004-07 87.30 90.60 112.80 68.00 30.50 - 2008 76,277 97.70 44,880 31,397 42.20 - Gross International Reserves Impor t-coverage2 Central Bank's Foreign Assets Deposits in OECD-based Bank 9,911 13.50 10,730 6,616 16,956 7.50 18,653 12,479 28,280 9.80 27,713 18,327 42,229 12.50 43,663 34,773 51,334 12.50 53,053 36,849 202.70 184.40 195.30 52,900 65,413* 37,665** 1,140 2,127 4,978 13,956 12,454 485.50 8,500*** 34,134 69.70 178.40 35,900 40.80 103.20 20,500 18.20 37.10 3,500 2.40 6.00 3,300 2.00 5.00 -91.00 - 3,700 1.70 4.80 FDI inflows3 Total External Debt Debt Stock (%) of GDP Debt (%) of merchandise expor ts Key: 1 Annual percent change in 'Terms-of-Trade' (the ratio of expor t to impor t 3 Net prices). 2Gross forex reserves in months of imports of goods and services. flows of foreign direct investment, after repatriation of interest and profits. FDI 2007 inward stock: US$62,791mn, up from US$23,786mn in 2000. * End-Sep; ** End-June; *** As of August 2008; Figures for 08 exports/imports are estimates. 8 | INVESTING IN NIGERIA | 2009 Sources: The International Financial Statistics, Bank for International Settlements, UNCTAD World Investment Report and Economist Intelligence Unit. Economy Figure 1: Nigeria's output growth versus peer countries average 2000-08 (Percent) 10.00 9.00 8.8% 8.00 7.00 6.00 5.2% 5.00 4.2% 4.00 4.0% 3.6% 3.00 2.00 1.00 0 Nigeria South Africa Saudi Arabia Brazil Indonesia Source: IMF Country Report, Jully 2008 Figure 2: Main source of imports, (percent of total 2007) 11% 47% 8% 8% 7% 6% 4% 4% 5% China Netherlands United States South Korea United Kingdom France Brazil Germany Others – Belgium, Cote d’Ivoire, India, Italy, South Africa, UAE Source: IMF, Direction of Trade Statistics 2009 | INVESTING IN NIGERIA | 9 Economy Table 3: Business climate indicators Starting a business Procedures (number) Duration (days) Cost (% of GNI per capita) Dealing with construction permits Procedures (number) Duration (days) Registering property Procedures (number) Duration (days) Cost (% of proper ty value) Paying taxes Payments (number) Time (hours) Profit tax (%) Labour tax and contribution (%) Total tax rate (% profit) Trading across borders Documents for expor ts (number) Time for expor ts (days) Cost to expor t (US$ per container) Documents for impor ts (number) Time for impor ts (days) Cost to impor t (US$ per container) Enforcing contracts Procedures (number) Duration (days) Cost to enforce; in (%) of claim Closing a business Time (years) Cost (%) of estate Recovery rate, cents on dollar Sub-Saharan Africa's average. Source: World Bank Doing Business 2009 report. Nigeria SSA* OECD Average 8.00 31.00 90.10 10.20 47.80 112.10 5.80 13.40 4.90 18.00 350.00 17.20 271.10 15.40 161.50 14.00 82.00 21.90 6.80 95.60 10.50 4.70 30.30 4.50 35.00 938.00 21.80 9.70 32.20 37.80 311.70 21.50 13.20 66.70 13.40 210.50 17.50 24.40 45.30 10.00 25.00 1,179 9.00 42.00 1,306 7.80 34.70 1,879 8.80 4.00 2,278 4.50 10.70 1,069 5.10 11.40 1,133 39.00 457.00 32.00 39.40 659.70 48.90 30.80 462.70 18.90 2.00 22.0 28.00 3.40 20.20 16.90 1.70 8.40 68.60 * if hard-won gains and reform momentum are intensified, the next decade could prove Nigeria’s best since the 1960s 10 | INVESTING IN NIGERIA | 2009 7-point Agenda The 7-point Agenda ‘Let us join together to ease the pains of today while working for the gains of tomorrow. Let us join together now to build a society worthy of our children.’ – President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua In September 2007, President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua unveiled his ‘7-point Agenda’, a blueprint for policy implementation in seven key areas, supporting the country’s ‘Vision 20:20’ whose ambition is to see Nigeria become one of the world’s 20 largest economies by 2020. The agenda is being driven through partnerships between policy makers in government and key stakeholders within the business community. The recently signed 2009 Appropriation Act marks the actual commencement of the implementation of the 7-point Agenda, the ‘take off ’ phase of ‘Vision 20:20’ – arguably the most significant and far reaching initiative instigated under President Yar’Adua’s administration. Sectors Critical Infrastructure Developing and improving the nation’s critical infrastructure is a key goal in the 7-point Agenda. The following sub sectors have been given priority status due to their cross cutting significance to the Nigerian economy: • Power – attracting investment, public private partnerships (PPPs), increasing power generation capacity through the installation of distribution grids and the refurbishment of existing plants; • Transport – attaining an efficient inter-modal system, which effectively links the country’s different modes of transport; • Telecommunications – improving the infrastructure backbone and meeting the universal service obligation; • Gas – improving its infrastructure capacity, pipeline connectivity, encouraging investment in and relocation to Nigeria through demonstrably affordable and available gas resources. The Niger Delta The Nigeria Delta region faces a number of challenges ranging from environmental degradation, pollution and oil spills to social, economic, security and political problems. The 7-point Agenda aims to address these issues through the implementation of the existing Master Plan. The Delta’s over-reliance on oil and gas industries will be reduced through the diversification of the region’s economy with the development of sectors such as agriculture, ICT and tourism, aided by investment and PPPs; and there will be a derivation of funds for development in the region, managed by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Food Security The 7-pont Agenda’s emphasis is on agrarian development through the implementation of modern technologies, research, production and development. Under the 7-point Agenda, reforms in this sector will lead to hugely improved domestic and commercial outputs and ensuring farmers have knowledge of and access to modern agricultural methods and resources. Other programmes/plans include the Profitability and Prices Suppor t Mechanism which aims to strengthen agribusinesses; the improvement of rural access infrastructure through projects such as the River Basin Development Authorities (RBDAs); and The National Food Sector Plan (NFSP), a collaboration of many significant stakeholders in this sector. Human Capital Development The provision of health, education and social protection and mobility is core to empowering the population to achieve sustainable national development. Under the 7-point Agenda, reforms in fundamentally crucial areas such as health – through agencies such as the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHDA), and education – through the Universal Basic Education (UBE) programme, aim to vastly improve the population’s well being over the coming decades. Land Tenure Changes and Home Ownership Nigeria is Africa’s most populous countr y and pressure from rural-urban migration within its borders are impacting on the social amenities and infrastructure in major urban areas. In order to address this situation the 7-point Agenda highlights reforms in the land laws, the development of new towns in rural areas and the restructuring of the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) as crucial measures towards modernisation and improvement in this sector. National Security and Intelligence The security of a nation and its people is a prerequisite to growth and prosperity. The 7-point Agenda aims to address challenges in this area through public education programmes, investment in the security and emergency services at both national and sub-national levels and also through measures against corruption and towards good governance. Wealth Creation Poverty alleviation through wealth creation is a key aim of the 7point agenda. In order to achieve this, the Government has pinpointed seven key areas through which economic growth (both at micro and macro levels) can be stimulated: leadership and governance; skills development for productivity; promoting a formalised ‘Self Employment’ sector ; facilitating access to credit; Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs); Nigerians in the Diaspora; and training. 2009 | INVESTING IN NIGERIA | 11 Banking and Finance A regional banking giant in the making N Moin Siddiqi, Economist igeria has a large financial services industry comprising several hundred-community banks (which are being transformed into micro-finance institutions), seven micro-finance banks, 49 insurance companies, 91 primary mortgage providers, 24 commercial banks (down from 89), 322 bureau de changes and 24 pension fund managers. As well as a stock market with 209 listed companies, the system has active money, foreign exchange, a commodity exchange in Abuja and bond markets. Commercial banks, however, still account for over 90% of the financial sector’s total assets. They are, in fact, ‘universal banks’ with separate insurance and securities subsidiaries like most western banks. The 2005 ‘Big-bang’ consolidation transformed Nigeria into the largest sub-Saharan African banking sector outside South Africa. Credit for the real economy (including various tiers of government) and customer deposits have surged in nominal Naira terms since 2006. The total assets of Nigerian banks rose three-fold, from N4.39 trillion in 2005 to N13.42 trillion by end-September 2008, with gross deposits rising from N2.18 trillion to N8.8 trillion. The Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) figures show credit to private sector jumped a staggering 279% from N1.95 trillion in 2005 to N7.4 trillion by end2008, equivalent to nearly one-third of GDP. The number of bank branches also increased by one-third during 2007. The payment system has greatly improved since the introduction of a Central Interbank Funds Transfer System and a Real Time Gross Settlement System, where interbank clearings are settled in central bank funds and data on each banks’ net credit worth or daily positions is available online. Of the 24 mega-banks, the only foreign-owned institutions are Stanbic of South Africa, Citibank Nigeria Ltd (US) and Standard 12 | INVESTING IN NIGERIA | 2009 Chartered (UK). The shareholdings of 21 indigenous banks are diverse with no single investor holding a controlling stake. The Government’s direct or indirect ownership is capped at 10%. All 21 domestic lenders are listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) and therefore subject to detailed scrutiny from both the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the CBN. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said: “The banking sector is now broadly stable – banks are well capitalised, liquid and profitable compared with the pre-consolidation period, when a large number of institutions were unsound or marginal performers.” In 2004, there were 89 banks with an average capital base of US$6mn – of which the largest had just US$150mn in Tier-1 capital. In the Top 1,000 World Banks ranking for 2008 compiled by the UK’s Banker Magazine, 18 Nigerian banks were included compared to none in 2004. Today, 12 mega groups boast shareholders’ funds in excess of US$1bn. Several banks using a variety of investment vehicles have raised about US$12bn in fresh capital over 2006-07, much of it via issues of Eurobonds and Global Depository Receipts (GDRs). Older, well established banks notably First Bank, Union Bank and United Bank for Africa as well as newer generation banks led by Oceanic Bank, Intercontinental Bank, Access Bank and Zenith Bank that significantly boosted their capital as the sector consolidated are faring best. Banks formed by multiple mergers have faced more integration challenges. This and the pressure to rapidly deploy capital to boost returns in new domestic and cross-border activities underscores the importance of vigilant risk-oriented supervision. The industry still has an ‘oligarchic’ structure because the 10 largest banks held 71.4% and 70.6%, respectively, of total 2007 assets and deposit liabilities, on CBN figures. Also, their share of total credits Banking and Finance rose from 66.6% in 2006 to 74.15% in 2007. In terms of capitalisation, the top 10 banks controlled 76.6% in 2007 as against 58.5% in 2006. Capital deployment The challenges for Nigerian banks are building sustainable loan portfolios and improving earnings’ capacity. The next ‘frontier’ should be retail banking since only 10% of the population hold bank accounts. Encouragingly, the product range is now diversifying thanks to fierce competition. Banks are actively developing tailored products, including home mor tgages, lease facilities for cars and household items, credit/debit cards, upgrading IT systems (internet banking) and expanding ATMs, with a view to increasing service delivery to customers. Agusto & Co. (a national credit-rating agency) suggests,“Banks have to be innovative. The only way to go is the way of other countries in the world – mortgage finance and consumer finance to boost the level of people’s leverage.” A thriving retail market requires laws on consumer protection, land titling (vital for mor tgage lending), contract enforcement and bankruptcy, as well as creating a credit bureau for checking credit history to guide future lending decisions. Corporate banking and structured trade financing remain core businesses. With higher capital, banks can participate in strategic sectors of the economy, such as project financing for power plants, telecom networks, transpor tation, heavy industry and upstream oil/gas ventures. Okey Nwosu, CEO of First Inland Bank, explained: “With the size of capital that the banks have, we find ourselves being able to handle a number of transactions that before now would not have been handled locally. This increases the volume of business that we can do.” Professor Charles Soludo, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), stated: “A new banking system has emerged and will only get stronger for the benefit of the Nigerian economy.” The unleashing of private enterprise creates a demand for services such as debt-equity capital raising to fund expansion ventures, corporate advisory, as well as new capital market products like exchange-traded funds and derivative products linked to real estate investment. Banks are also expanding treasury operations to provide new instruments swaps and forward contracts for institutional and high net wor th clients. Nigerian flight capital is estimated at US$170bn or higher. Nigerian banks are becoming ‘multinational’ companies by expanding into neighbouring West Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia and South Africa, as well as opening foreign offices in New York, London, Paris, Dubai and Beijing. Cecilia Ibru, CEO of Oceanic Bank, said: “The presence of Nigerian banks in other countries will lead to easy trade facilitation.” Impact of market distress Nigeria is not facing a ‘systemic’ banking crisis like several western markets because banks did not invest in ‘toxic’ papers – namely Collateralised Debt Obligations (CDOs), Structured Investment Vehicles (SIVs) and Asset-Backed Securities (Index) (ABS) – an index of ‘credit default swaps’ tracking 20 bonds collateralised by subprime mortgages. African banks tend to invest in the safe havens of US Treasury bills and prime OECD government bonds. However, lenders are exposed to growth slowdown and the volatility on the NSE, which has lost some 60% of its market capitalisation since March 2008. Financial stocks comprising half of total capital dominate the bourse with branches in Abuja, Kaduna, Kano, Ibadan, Lagos, Port Harcourt, Onitsha andYola. The market downturn could impact banks’ balance sheet by increasing provisions for bad debt, thus reducing profitability and lending to non-oil sectors – the engine of economic growth in recent years. Unlike most developed banking systems, credit is still flowing in Nigeria, albeit at a markedly slower pace. Renaissance Capital, a Russian emerging-markets investment bank, expects bank lending to increase 20% Year-on-Year in 2009, down steeply from 111% and 52%, respectively, in 2007 and 2008. The federal and other tiers of government now hold less cash for deposit placements. Renaissance Capital expects deposit growth of only 23% Year-on-Year during 2009, with adverse effects on new loans. With low risk appetite and the need for improving liquidity levels, Nigerian banks are effectively de-leveraging their balance sheets (i.e, debt shedding). As Renaissance Capital put it: “Cash is king in these uncertain times.” There is unease at the rapid growth of ‘margin’ lending (where banks loan money for share purchases). The CBN calculated exposure to the stock market at N900bn – equal to one-fifth of total credit. Private sources put the figure in the range of N1.0-1.4 trillion. The value of portfolio investments [like elsewhere] has depleted to a point where margin exposure could become non-performing loans (NPLs), thus reflecting widespread defaults amid tumbling equity prices. This exerts pressure upon lenders for bad debt provisions and eventual write-downs. The CBN is confident that individual banks will not experience solvency and liquidity problems by loan defaults. “Rate of profitability may reduce but large scale losses may not occur,” stated CBN. The Governor told the Financial Times: “Any time, any day, a bank could run into trouble, anywhere in the world. You have a plan in place to be able to take the bank out of the system and make sure it doesn’t cause a contagion, it doesn’t snowball in a systemic crisis.” Despite possible effects on the balance sheet of some banks triggered by equity sell-offs, the sector remains sound to absorb the shock. Aggregate Tier-1 capital at end-2008 was N2.8 trillion (US$23.5bn) – an implied Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) of 20%, well above the minimum regulatory requirement of 10%. Local lenders are neither heavily leveraged (i.e, burdened with excess debt) nor ‘over-exposed’ to external financing like Eastern European banks. Hence, direct forex risk is minimal and any exposure is within the net open position limits set by the CBN. Also, interest rate risk is low since banks are well capitalised. The CBN calculated that if all margin loans were written-off under a worst-case scenario, the CAR would still average 15% – healthy by 2009 | INVESTING IN NIGERIA | 13 Banking and Finance the current global norm. Renaissance Capital agrees that the sector could write-off N1 trillion of NPLs against its equity but still exceed minimum capital threshold. The CBN is looking at creating an Asset Management Company funded by public and private capital to buy bad loans at discounts to par; and, banks were given the option of rescheduling margin loans up to end-2009. creating an estimated US$2.5bn of new savings each year. Employers and employees in small to large-sized firms must now contribute 7.5% of their salaries to a pension fund. Access Bank pointed out: “Capital is being created in the hands of people and this is going to transform the country.” Assets under management in the pension fund sector were estimated at about US$7.5bn in mid-2008. Amid some anxieties about the safety of personal savings, Nigerian banks received a clean bill of health from the National Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), one of the financial regulatory agencies. Ganiyu Ogunleye, Managing Director of NDIC, said: “We can assure that currently Nigerian banks are quite healthy. And whoever says they are weak, may be unaware of the indicators. The indicators that we have in terms of their capital adequacy or liquidity suggest that they are well positioned to discharge their mandate and also deliver service. That is the position as far as we are concerned.” The insurance business has also undertaken a restructuring exercise. In September 2005, the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) increased capital threshold to N2bn for life insurance firms, N3bn for general insurance concerns and N5bn for composite insurance businesses. While companies involved in reinsurance were instructed to hold minimum N10bn. The deadline for re-capitalisation was February 2008. Subsequently, 43 non-life, 26 life-insurance and two re-insurers met higher benchmarks, out of 114 companies that were registered prior to the deadline. In November 2007, 49 insurance firms were certified to carry out business, 26 of which are listed on the Stock Exchange. The CBN has improved supervisory capacities to keep pace with a rapidly maturing banking industry. It formed a private credit bureau to provide a central data for major clientele of commercial banks; issued circulars cautioning against insider related credits; set prudential guidelines to regulate income recognition and loan classifications; amended the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act (BOFIA) to control the amount of credit approved to a single borrower and requiring directors to disclose their interest; and created a framework for contingency planning for systemic distress. Last January, it appointed ‘Resident Examiners’ for attending board and management meetings as observers and investigate operations, in order to improve overall supervision. Market penetration for insurance products is low for a country with a population of almost 150mn. Estimates for penetration figures vary from 2% (both life and non-life) to 10%. The UK Trade and Investment Report puts Nigeria’s share of the global insurance market at just 0.01%, well below South Africa’s 0.86%. Nonetheless, growth potential is huge as the market develops in the coming years. Prudent supervision The IMF believes further improvements are needed in areas of bank licensing arrangements; the monitoring of capital adequacy rules and larger exposures (banks can now lend 20% of their loan book to a single entity that could pose problems); risk-management, internal control and auditing; and permissible activities, including cross-border operations. The legal, regulatory and operational frameworks for supervising big banks require the CBN to adopt a forward-looking risk-based supervisory model. This, however, requires substantial resources for staff training and installing new systems. The Presidential Steering Committee on Global Crisis, appointed last January, recommended that Nigerian lenders should adopt International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). Under current disclosure rules, Nigeria only demands quarterly reporting of gross earnings, pre-tax profits and net profits. Fledgling non-banking sector A successful banking consolidation proved a catalyst for the dynamic reform of pensions, bond market and insurance sectors. The imposition of the 2004 Pensions Reform Act injected long-term money into capital markets. The Legislation requires licensed private fund administrators to hold one-quarter of total portfolio in local equities and the rest in government bonds, proper ty and cash. Bankers see tremendous scope in the ‘pensions boom’ that is 14 | INVESTING IN NIGERIA | 2009 Calling strategic investors The Sovereign Wealth Funds in the Arab Gulf countries have incurred heavy losses on their equity stakes in European and US banks (notably UBS, Citigroup and Merrill Lynch, among others). They should therefore consider taking stakes in Nigerian megagroups, which could be on a level with Russian banks in a few years. Erastus Akingbola, CEO of Intercontinental Bank, said: “The credit crunch has put bankers off the US and Europe. They will come to Africa instead.” Encouragingly, Soros Fund Management, owned by George Soros with US$20bn under assets, has expressed interest in Nigeria’s banking stocks where valuations are now attractive on forward price: earnings ratio after recent hefty falls. Two other big (unnamed) US and European hedge funds have also visited Lagos. Remi Babalola, Minister of State for Finance, said: “What makes it interesting is that they are the first to come since the global financial crisis, and since the departure of most other investors from the market. It’s going to be a magnet for other investors to come in.”Victor Osadolor, group chief financial officer at UBA, echoes this view that: “These are sophisticated investors, so they understand where to come in. There are plenty of bargains.” Nigeria is now emerging as a liberalised, invigorated and fast-growing economy, capable of competing in global markets. Its financial industry could be hugely transformed within three to five years in terms of sophistication, liquidity and volumes of inward foreign investments. The Financial System Strategy 2020 aims to make Nigeria the commercial hub for the West Africa region. | il) | b) (F e Ba B ) p) Se (A pr nk ( M FC nic ep (S il) | pr (A | an k | al B nt nt ine | ar ch ) 49% M B 200 (M ce a O A | p) 160 Ba nk 46% Se co ss 60 k( Figure 3:Year-on-Year Deposit growth, 2007 Int er (S ep ) UB 170% Ba n ce Ac Ba nk ) ne (Ju 250 FC an ic ce ) | O 85% | (S ep an ic ce ) 45% A O B PH 200 UB | ) | ril Ap ) ch | ne 61% (Ju 120 k( 45% Ba n ar M b) Fe 63% B (S ep ) an k( an k( 150 PH | d on iam D | ) 47% | ar ch 38% ith Ac ce ss B lB ) 44% M Ze n ) | ril (A p ep (S 100 k( B M nit h Ze nt a ine nt co er Int | Ba n b) | ss | ce 35% (F e 80 FC 37% nk 50 Ba | b) (F e | al nt Ba nk | ) (S ep TB b) Fe ) ch 38% Ac nt ine co er | h 35% nit 36% Ze nk ( ar M 26% Int G Ba nk ( il) | ) | ch ) ar (M 35% eb Ba nk Ba TB G n 25% (F 33% nk Ba n io Un ar ch ) M k( Ba n Ap r nk ( ) ch | TB | h) ar c 17% (M st 33% nk | p) Un io Ba ar M | Ba Fir | il) (S e on d 23% G n | io 40 A | pr 30 UB 40 (A iam an k( | Ba nk e) D st B 0 p) (Ju n Fir 50 Un d 0 iam on (S e B 0 D UB A PH Banking and Finance Figure 1:Year-on-Year loan growth, 2007 400 350 338% 300 243% 192% 99% Figure 2: Loan/deposit ratios, 2007 53% 56% 20 10 167% 175% 124% 85% Source: Central Bank of Nigeria 2009 | INVESTING IN NIGERIA | 15 Banking and Finance Composition of assets in 2007 Other assets 10% Short-term funds 5% Call and placements 4% Advances and leases 36% Fixed assets 4% Investments 9% Government securities 15% Composition of deposits in 2007 Cash and due from banks 17% Others 2% Domicilliary 9% Demand 47% Term 28% Savings 14% 16 | INVESTING IN NIGERIA | 2009 Source: CBN Banking and Finance Table 1: The top-20 Nigerian mega-banks by capital (US$mn) Banking group Oceanic Bank International plc Intercontinental Bank plc Access Bank plc Guaranty Trust (GT) Bank plc United Bank for Africa (UBA) plc First City Monument Bank (FCMB) Zenith International Bank plc Union Bank of Nigeria plc First Bank of Nigeria plc Diamond Bank plc Afribank Nigeria plc Stanbic IBTC Bank plc1 Ecobank Nigeria First Inland Bank plc Platinum-Habib Bank (PHB) plc Spring Bank plc2 Citibank Nigeria Ltd Fidelity Bank plc Skye Bank plc Standard Char tered Bank Nigeria2 Results Sep-07 Feb-08 Mar-08 Feb-08 Sep-07 Apr-08 Jun-07 Feb-07 Mar-07 Apr-07 Mar-08 Dec-06 Dec-07 Apr-07 Jun-07 Dec-05 Dec-06 Jun-07 Sep-07 Dec-05 Capital 1,777 1,696 1,431 1,382 1,245 1,053 915 826 485 423 321 297 295 292 284 267 263 234 233 207 Key: 1Repor ted results are before the merger between IBTC Chartered Bank and Stanbic Bank Nigeria Ltd in September 2007. 2Later figures not supplied. Capital= Shareholders' equity or core "Tier 1" capital. Assets= Cash and short-term funds, demand balances with other banks, loans/advances (business and personal lending), structured project finance, short-term investments (Treasury bills), equity holdings (including stakes in non-banking ventures), debt stock & fixed assets Profits = Pre- Assets 8,265 11,781 10,055 6,225 9,479 3,950 8,716 5,460 6,855 2,506 2,957 864 2,640 1,556 3,001 1,052 872 1,706 3,563 531 CAR (%) 21.5 14.4 14.2 22.2 13.1 26.6 10.5 15.1 7.1 16.8 10.8 34.4 11.2 18.6 9.4 25.4 30.1 13.7 6.5 39.9 Profits 183 377 160 232 202 116 202 136 192 70 127 35 86 33 81 60 33 44 25 ROE (%) 10.3 22.2 11.2 16.8 16.2 11.0 22.1 16.4 39.5 16.5 39.5 11.8 29.1 11.3 28.5 22.8 14.1 18.9 12.1 ROA (%) 2.2 3.2 1.6 3.7 2.1 2.9 2.3 2.5 2.8 2.8 4.3 4.1 3.2 2.1 2.7 6.9 1.9 1.2 4.7 tax earnings in US dollar millions for end financial reporting year. CAR= Capital assets ratio – a measure of underlying financial strength. The health of a single bank is measured by annual returns on equity and total assets: ROE= Return on equity (core capital); ROA= Return on total assets deployed. Source: The Bankers' Almanac, January 2009. Table 2:The aggregate balance sheet of the banking industry (in billions of Naira) Tier-1 capital Total financial assets Capital assets ratio (%) Net credits Non-performing credits NPLs to gross loans (%) Operating income Operating expenses Efficiency ratio (%) Profit before tax (%) Return on assets (%) Return on equity (%) NPLs= Non performing loans. Source: The Central Bank of Nigeria. Dec-04 351 3,393 10.3 1,133 316 22.6 418 322 77.0 96 2.8 27.3 Dec-05 555 4,389 12.6 1,477 357 19.1 352 290 39.9 62 1.4 11.2 Dec-06 1,042 6,738 15.4 2,081 222 6.3 375 270 71.4 105 1.5 10.1 Dec-07 1,711 10,469 16.3 3,802 388 8.1 1,193 786 65.9 407 3.9 23.7 %) chg 2004-07 387.5 208.5 235.5 22.8 185.4 144.1 323.9 - Nigeria is now emerging as a liberalised, invigorated and fast-growing economy, capable of competing in global markets 2009 | INVESTING IN NIGERIA | 17 Infrastructure Developing a 21st century infrastructure A Justine Doody ll stakeholders in the Nigerian economy understand that the country’s future prosperity hinges upon the creation of infrastructural systems suitable for twenty-first century needs. While great strides have been made in some areas, notably communications, much remains to be done. Developments currently underway will put in place infrastructure that will support economic growth for decades to come. Finding funds for development The Federal Government of Nigeria estimates that investment in infrastructure of US$40 billion over the next six years is necessary if Nigeria is to achieve its goal of becoming one of the world’s top 20 economies by 2020. The Nigerian Government has made transpor tation a major priority in its budget allocation for 2009 – the 2009 budget sees US$776.9mn assigned to transpor tation projects, up from US$641.9mn in 2008, which itself represented a sevenfold increase on the sector’s allotment for 2007. In November 2008, to help the country close its infrastructure gap, the World Bank offered Nigeria an interest-free International Development Assistance (IDA) credit of US$3bn between 2009 and 2011. Government intervention and institutional assistance can only go so far ; private sector involvement is key to the reinvigoration of the country’s infrastructure. To facilitate the par ticipation of the 18 | INVESTING IN NIGERIA | 2009 private sector in infrastructure development, the Government instituted the Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission (ICRC), which has responsibility for advancing and administering Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) in roads, airports, por ts, energy plants and other public infrastructure. In August 2008, Chief Ernest Shonekan, a former president of Nigeria, was named as Head of the ICRC. In order to fur ther increase the attractiveness of the sectors for investors, both transportation and ICT have been granted Pioneer Status under Nigerian law – this enables new companies in either industry to avail of a tax holiday of up to seven years. Moving forward on roads Nigeria’s road network, stretching over 193,000 km, carries up to 95% of the country’s passenger and freight traffic. Upkeep is shared between federal, state and local governments, with the Federal Government having responsibility for 17%, state governments 16% and local governments 67% of the total network. The road system has fallen into disrepair through a lack of maintenance and limited new construction, and the Government estimates that around US$5bn will be needed over the next eight years to bring the network into line with international norms. The Federal Government hopes to partner with the private sector to rehabilitate the road network, allowing private sector operators Infrastructure to toll federal roads in exchange for maintenance and construction. State governments have already embarked on successful cooperation with the private sector in road development. Construction began in earnest in October 2008 on the Lekki-Epe Expressway in Lagos State, a PPP between Lagos State Government and the Lekki Concession Company (LCC). In July 2008, the World Bank approved an IDA credit of US$390mn for upgrading Nigeria’s roads. The money is being used to support the Federal Roads Development Project (FRDP), which seeks to improve the efficiency of road development through strengthening institutional policy as well as introducing performance-based contracts for road upkeep. Decongesting ports Nigeria’s rail system consists of around 3,500 km of track, which has been allowed to decay since independence in 1960. The network has since 1955 been under government control through the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC). Nigeria’s telecoms industry is one of the country’s great success stories. Driven by extraordinary growth in the mobile sector, from a baseline of 0.73% in 2001, teledensity had grown to 39.45% calculated by active subscribers in August 2008. From 0.1% Internet penetration in 2001, by March 2008, the country had 10 million Internet users, a penetration rate of 7.2%, up from 8 million users or 4.9% of the population in September 2007. Getting railways on track Railway renewal, advantageous in its own right, would have the added benefit of taking pressure off the over-stretched road network, which currently has to carry the burden of freight that would more naturally be transpor ted by rail. But reforms have been difficult to set in train; a US$8 billion oil-for-rail contract agreed between the federal government and China Civil Engineering Construction Company in 2006 ran into trouble in 2009, and its future is uncer tain. The Government is hoping to reboot reform through offering the railway system to private investors in the form of separate concessions. In order to prepare the rail network for concession, the Government has earmarked US$136mn in the 2009 budget for rail modernisation projects, and in April 2009, the Nigerian Senate began work on amending the legislation governing the rail system to provide for private sector involvement. Air transport on the rise Despite the industry’s global troubles, air travel in Nigeria continues to grow at a rapid pace. In 2008, Nigeria’s air traffic increased 31%, with 10.99 million passengers passing through the country’s airpor ts, compared to 8.41 million in the previous year. The air sub-sector is under the control of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), which is responsible for 21 of Nigeria’s airports, and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). New investment projects in the air sub-sector include the ambitious private sector initiative at Minna in Niger State, where work is under way to create an airpor t city, which is intended to function as a transpor tation and manufacturing hub. The project is set to be completed in 2019. In line with its strategy of partnering with the private sector, the Government hopes to hand over management of the country’s major airpor ts to the private sector on a BuildOperate-Transfer (BOT) model. In 2003, the domestic terminal at Lagos’s Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA) was passed on to BiCourtney Limited, and the Aeroporte Gateway Consortium holds the concession on Abuja's Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport. Nigeria’s major sea por ts are at Calabar, Lagos, Onne, Por t Harcourt, Sapele and Warri. Congestion at the ports remains an issue, with dwell times well above international norms. Since 2004, the Government through the parastatal Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has been working on a concessioning scheme transferring control of the por ts to the private sector. One solution to the congestion problem may be the establishment of dry ports with transhipment and customs clearance facilities at various inland locations. Currently, Nigeria has six dry ports, at Jos, Kano, Abia, Ibadan, Katsina and Maiduguri. Mobilising communications Roll-out of infrastructure in the sector has been driven by the operators, who have seen the industry go from strength to strength in terms of profitability. Overtaking South Africa in 2008 to become the largest mobile market on the continent, Nigerian telecoms grew by 23% in 2008, taking in revenues of US$8.24bn. The operators are working on improving capacity to ensure continued growth: mobile market leader MTN committed US$1.3bn in 2008 to capital expenditure in Nigeria, while market number three Zain Nigeria is laying 4,000 km of fibre-optic infrastructure in the country. Fixed-line infrastructure lags far behind mobile capabilities. The national fixed-line operator, Nitel, has been struggling for years as privatisation efforts have failed to bear fruit, and its infrastructure is poorly maintained and unreliable. But the Government has launched a new privatisation attempt, offering a 51% stake in the company as well as 100% of Nitel’s mobile arm, MTel. The deadline for bids is May 4, 2009. Broadband take-up in the country remains low, at just 0.4% at the end of 2008. The national telecoms regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), is engaged in a project to extend broadband services using wireless technology to all of Nigeria’s 36 state capitals by the end of 2009. New fibre networks are being created by national conglomerate Dangote working with Phase 3 Telecoms, as well as by Ericsson in cooperation with Nigerian company 21st Century Technologies. At the moment, Nitel supplies the majority of Nigeria’s international bandwidth through its SAT-3 satellite service. New capacity will come on-stream in 2009 with the completion of Nigerian Second National Operator Globacom’s Glo-1 undersea cable. 2009 | INVESTING IN NIGERIA | 19 ICT A climate for growth through technology M Andrew Croft, Managing Editor, Communications Africa/Afrique uch has been achieved in the name of Nigerian connectivity, but there is much to be done. The good news is that the climate for investment is continually improving, driven by increasing demand for advanced communications infrastructure and public sector service delivery. The world has been transformed by information and communication technologies (ICTs). ICT development and deployment has enabled and suppor ted economic growth and social cohesion. In Nigeria, information and communication technologists have been prominent within and beyond the country's borders, providing local connectivity and content driven initiatives to international standards, and influencing the West African region and the rest of the continent in the process. Corporate investment The world is coming to Nigeria's ICT sector. The Nigerian Government has attracted seven national long distance communications operators, 13 fixed wireless access network operators, eight interconnect exchange operators, two Internet exchange operators, and 562 Internet service/solution providers, through a pro-active policy of liberalisation. Nigeria also boasts 13 unified access network operators, and four 3G licenses. By 2010, the country is expected to have approximately 40,000 GSM base 20 | INVESTING IN NIGERIA | 2009 stations and 10,000 CDMA base stations, up from approximately 10,000 GSM base stations and 2,000 CDMA stations in 2007.(1) Global players such as SAP (a software developer) have drawn up credible plans to invest heavily in the development of Nigeria’s (ICT) infrastructure – notably, in sector training and in the applications and equipment that can enable transformation of business in the country and beyond its borders. Those corporate players that have demonstrated commitment to Nigerian connectivity include Starcomms, Nitel, MTN,Visafone, Glo, Reliance, and Celtel; and infrastructure specialists such as Motorola, Huawei, Nokia-Siemens Networks, and Alcatel-Lucent. What happens in Nigeria sets an example elsewhere in Africa. In April 2008, for example, Motorola committed itself to supporting performance improvements across MTN Nigeria’s multi-vendor network. In December, Eric Pradier, Vice President, Motorola Global Services EMEA, contextualised the contract with MTN Nigeria, following Motorola’s agreement to implement its network optimisation services at MTN’ Uganda. Mr Pradier said, “The phenomenal growth of mobile telecoms in Africa is placing new pressures and demands on operators' existing network infrastructures, which require new solutions that go beyond conventional planning and management techniques in order to improve service experience.” ICT Public and private sector development What happens elsewhere, occurs in Nigeria. An international submarine communication cable built by Alcatel-Lucent and financed by Globacom, spans 9,200km, from Por tugal, through 15 countries, to Lagos, the hear t Nigeria’s financial and commercial affairs – promising to increase the quality and quantity of Internet service provision for Nigerians. Elsewhere, a Nigerian company, Alheri Engineering, is collaborating with Phase3 Telecoms to build a fibre optic cable network throughout Nigeria, providing improved internet connectivity to private and commercial structures. The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the country’s independent National Regulator y Authority for the telecommunications industr y, is amongst the continent’s most progressive institutions – par ticularly with respect to legislative frameworks and suppor t for research. It seeks to achieve the twin goals of suppor t for a market-driven telecoms industry and the continuing promotion of universal access. Nigeria’s National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) acts as the In the private sector, organisations such as Jidaw Systems Limited have sought to help Nigerians and Nigerian organisations ‘interested in growth and empowerment with Information and Communications Technology’ – through the publication of IT Entrepreneurship guides; the facilitation of an IT Certification and Career Development Forum; and the hosting of a website with information on IT training, cer tification, careers and ICT for development. Jidaw operates through membership of key organisations such as the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), which has contributed to the growth and development of computer technology in Nigeria, and the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA), a global association that works to develop vendor-neutral standards in e-commerce, customer service, workforce development and training certification. Demand for connectivity Essentially, however, Nigerian connectivity remains low so there is plenty of work still to be done to more broadly connect Nigerian citizens and businesses with each other and the rest of the world. governments must play a key part in supporting growth through investment in ICTs, investment in a 21st century infrastructure nation’s clearing house for technological projects in the public sector, suppor ting the national drive to bring government and its services closer to the people through the effective implementation and utilisation of information technology through an awareness campaign, capacity building, the development of e-government, and other initiatives. Ernest Ndukwe, Executive Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NCC, revealed in October 2008, at a presentation in Kaduna, that over $12bn was committed to the development of Nigeria’s telecommunications infrastructure, including the expansion of telecommunications facilities and services. The Nigerian Government continues to take a pro-active stance, continues to work within the framework of a National Policy on Telecommunications that offers a gradual and guided approach to the development of information and communications technology and services in the country. In March this year, for example, the country's senate decided to amend its Telecommunication Act, to continue effor ts at the deregulation of the ICT sector that started in 1999. ICT policy development in Nigeria has delivered an increasingly investment-friendly climate, built, par ticularly, on the rise of mobile communications. Nigeria's ICT for Development (ICT4D) Strategic Action Plan and policies have been designed to ensure all areas of society benefit from ICT. Computing and Telecommunications is Nigeria’s fastest growing sector as various forms of mobile communication have grown exponentially, as for example, cybercafés have been opened. The Connectivity Scorecard 20092 , a study created by Professor Leonard Waverman of the London Business School, and the economic consulting firm LECG, was commissioned by Nokia Siemens Networks to measure the availability of Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs), and the extent to which people, governments and enterprises put these technologies to economically productive use. The Connectivity Scorecard shows that Nigeria has the lowest ICT penetration, usage, potential and accessibility of 50 countries surveyed. Nigeria, however, continues to represent one of the fastest-growing mobile subscriber bases, not only in Africa, but globally. The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) recently revealed growth in subscriber numbers, for Q308, that were more than double the figure achieved by any other African nation. As long as the provision of infrastructure continues to lag behind the demand for mobile and other telephony services in Nigeria, the opportunity is great for those who seek to serve the market for connectivity. Information and communications technologies can enable economies to grow; governments must play a key par t in supporting growth through investment in ICTs, investment in a 21st century infrastructure. Nigeria has a long way to go, but the country has bright prospects, and is already establishing a sound record of investment. Key to growth, as much as anything, is its status as one of Africa’s largest telecommunications markets. Key, also, is the way in which the population continues to embrace the Internet. 2009 | INVESTING IN NIGERIA | 21 ICT Nigeria is the largest telecommunication market in Africa. The Government is committed to suppor ting technologists, examples of best practices, and ongoing development within its borders and across the region. All stakeholders – whether they be operators, manufacturers or investors – are finding a climate conducive to dialogue and oppor tunity. 1 New Media and Development – Nigeria. Professor Anne Nelson, Columbia School of International and Public Affairs. http://www.columbia.edu/itc/sipa/nelson/newmediadev/Nigeria.html Connectivity Scorecard 2009. Professor Leonard. Waverman. Nokia Siemens Networks. www.connectivityscorecard.org 2 Case study 1: GiCell Wireless New operator rolls out infrastructure Suppor ted by the World Bank, GiCell Wireless is currently building a sixty thousand (60,000) subscriber network to Provide UA Services along Yola to Biu routes. The Network has a transmission backbone component for voice and data services in 405 named communities. The Network is designed to cover the geographical territories of four local government areas in Adamawa State and two local government areas of Borno State, five local government areas of Cross Rivers State, four local government areas of Kwara State and two local government areas of Oyo State. Altogether, the UA Pilot Project is expected to reach approximately 20% of the total population of the states, covering about 2 mn people. Case study 2: Sokoto Opportunities to Invest in ICT infrastructure and service delivery Region: Sokoto, Nigeria Sector: ICT - Information and Communication Technology Summary: The Sokoto State Government is looking for private sector participation to provide information communication technology (ICT) infrastructure and services in the state. Investors can get involved in various areas such as establishing digital resource centres, installing network infrastructure, digitalising systems and ICT training. Each proposal will be judged individually with the level of government par ticipation depending on project details. ICT objectives for Sokoto State • Establish essential ICT infrastructure for achieving a knowledge society and improving governance in the state. • To build capacity for the various arms of the state government to harness ICT for socio-economic development and the improvement of the delivery of public services. • To create job oppor tunities and skills by developing a critical mass of youth with technical ICT capabilities. • To use ICT as a platform on which to promote the economic potentials of the state. • To improve health care delivery systems. • To improve the revenue generation of the state. • To promote mass literacy by modernising public libraries. Reasons to invest in Sokoto State Labour: Sokoto State has an abundant supply of affordable skilled and unskilled labour. Incentives: The Sokoto State Government is willing to extend a number of incentives to serious investors. These include the provision of land and infrastructure, tax holidays and assistance with obtaining financing. Stable political climate: Since its return to civilian rule in 1999 Nigeria has made significant gains in establishing democracy. Besides a few localised problems in the Niger Delta area, the country is safe and secure to do business. Nigeria continues to represent one of the fastest-growing mobile subscriber bases, not only in Africa, but globally. 22 | INVESTING IN NIGERIA | 2009 Energy An attractive country for investing in hydrocarbons resources S Moin Siddiqi, Economist igning a preliminary agreement worth US$16bn to develop oil and gas infrastructure in Niger Delta, Sultan Ahmad Bin Sulayem, head of Dubai World Corporation (DWC), whollyowned by the Government of Dubai, said: “Nigeria is a land of opportunities.” Africa’s No.1 oil-exporter for many decades remained a hotspot destination for the ‘supermajors’ (Royal Dutch Shell, Total, ExxonMobil and ChevronTexaco), as well as project financiers, engineering, procurement and construction companies and general services providers. As much as US$570bn has been exported from the Delta since the 1970s. Nigeria, viewed as one the of the world’s most exciting exploration areas, boasts the potential to rank among the top-five energy producers over the medium-term. Its fledgling gas sector has yet to be fully developed. The World Bank estimates Nigeria’s proven and probable reserves of natural gas and crude oil at 57bn barrels of oil equivalent and 55bn barrels respectively. The extent of hydrocarbons strength becomes apparent when compared with depleting reserves of the North Sea in Europe. The latter possesses just 12.9bn barrels of crude oil and 167.3 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of natural gas, according to the BP Statistical Review of World Energy, June 2008 – representing 35% and 89%, respectively, of Nigerian proved reserves. The future of the Nigerian oil sector lies in optimal exploration and the development of the ‘frontier areas’ – as the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) calls them – including the deep offshore and the inland basins of Anambra, Benin (Dahomey) and Benue. A Washington DC-based Global Energy Practice of PA Consulting Group noted: “There is a sentiment in the exploration and production industry that if you go deeper, you will find even bigger prizes. After all, the Niger river has been dumping sediment in the ocean for millions of years.” About 200 mostly offshore fields are known to exist and boast huge potential. Projections of untapped deepwater reserves range between 820bn barrels. The state-owned NNPC aims to boost recoverable oil reserves to 40bn and 50bn barrels by 2010 and 2020. respectively, Nigeria is reputed to possess some of the world’s largest untapped gas reserves. Wood Mackenzie, Scotland-based energy consultants, remarked: “There is a saying that Nigeria is actually a gas province which has some oil.” NNPC claims that ‘ultimately recoverable reserves’ could be 18.7 trillion cubic metres (m3) or 660 tcf. That figure, if cer tified by independent agencies like SSIBaker Hughes, would make Nigeria the world’s four th-largest natural gas holder, after Russia, Iran and Qatar. The bulk of reserves is stranded or associated gas off Niger Delta. Russia’s Gazprom intends to invest US$2.5bn in developing Nigeria’s gas reser ves (Africa’s largest) – wor th significantly more in energy terms than oil and sufficient for well over 100 years as a domestic fuel and a major expor t. 2009 | INVESTING IN NIGERIA | 23 Energy Superior quality Nigerian output is critical in today’s tight supply capacity of ‘light’ and ‘sweet’ crude oil, which is easier to distil into high-spec road fuels than heavier crude and therefore preferred by refiners in key US and European consuming markets. About two-thirds of Nigerian oil reserves are either sulphur-free or have low sulphur content. The US expects to source about a quar ter of its oil impor ts from Nigeria in the next decade. Actual output at 1.94mn barrels per day (bpd) in 2008 was significantly below potential. The Energy Information Administration (EIA), the statistical arm of the US Energy Department, estimates sustainable productive capacity at 3mn bpd, if shut-in production in the Niger Delta is restored. Last year, Nigeria’s oil-exports fetched about US$70bn, according to the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) figures. The NNPC hopes to expand production capacity to 4mn bpd between 2010 and 2012 aided by new output from deepwater fields – namely Shell’s Bonga, Total’s Egina and Chevron’s Agbami (see Table 2). The majors have invested about US$10bn in 11 newly discovered offshore fields. Achieving a milestone target of downstream industries, such as aluminium, cement, iron-steel and petrochemicals. NNPC estimates that US$15bn in private sector investment is required to meet all gas development goals. Further, it hopes to increase earnings from gas expor ts to 50% of oil receipts by 2010. Achieving this ambitious target could, however, take longer. Business Monitor International projects annual output of 70bn m3 by 2012, up from 40bn m3 in 2008. NNPC explained: “Comprehensive and integrated gas utilisation Master Programmes have been embarked upon, in which LNG and Independent Power Plants (IPP) developments are being given priority. The expected increased export earnings from LNG, coupled with adequate domestic power supply from IPPs, will strongly support and broaden economic expansion and urbanisation, and increase the income generating capacity of Nigerians. It will also further reinforce the Government’s efforts towards integrating the Host communities into the mainstream of national development and growth.” The Government wants foreign companies to invest US$20bn on building new pipelines and processors. Nigeria aspires to foster an industrialised economy powered by natural gas. Fabiyka Amakiri, Head of Gas and Power at NNPC expects gas demand for electric generation and industrial use to Nigeria’s potential as a formidable 21st century energy producer is not in doubt 4mn bpd would put Nigeria level with Iran as the world’s fourthlargest crude producer. The country should in future demand a higher OPEC quota, commensurable with its rising excess capacity. However, the multinationals see Nigeria’s OPEC membership as a hindrance to increased production at several deepwater fields. The oil sector’s investment outlay over 2005-08 totalled US$67bn compared with US$80bn between 1990 and 2004. surge more than fivefold from 12bn m3/year at end-2007 to 64bn m3/year by 2011, in order to fire a projected 14.7 gigawatts (GW) of new gas plants across the country. Gas-fired power generation will be expanded to 15 GW by 2012 (from zero in 2007), requiring at least 6bn cubic feet per day by 2011, according to NNPC. Meanwhile, foreign and local firms are expected to invest US$8bn in the construction of power stations. With global gas demand projected to rise by one-third by 2015, Nigeria is gearing up to become a major player in the gas processing market, which will underpin both expor t and non-oil industrial growth in the coming years. But in a 2007 league table, Nigeria ranked only 23rd worldwide with output at 35bn cubic metres (m3) . This proves many oilfields lack the utilisation infrastructure to produce ‘associated gas’ (gaseous by-products of oil extraction). Concurrently, Nigeria flares some 34bn m3 of gas each year – more than any other countr y (except Russia) – according to the Nigerian Gas Association (NGA). The Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) project, Africa’s largest capital project, is among the fastest growing endeavours of its type in the world. The facility (on Bonny Island) – owned by NNPC, Shell,Total and ENI-Agip – operates six liquefaction trains with a total nameplate capacity of 25.32bn m3 (10% of global supply), plus 4mn tonnes/year (t/y) of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). The complex is presently supplied from dedicated (nonassociated) gasfields, but within a few years half of the input feedstock will comprise associated (currently flared) gas from inland Akri/Oguta, Otumara, Utapate and various offshore blocks. NLNG operates 24 char tered vessels with an average size of 138,000 tonnes delivering the LNG to European and US utilities. Major long-term buyers are Shell (5.7bn m3/y), Spain’s Gas Natural (4.3bn m3/y), Italy’s Enel (3.5bn m3/y), Por tugal’s Transgas (3.4bn m3/y), and British Gas (3bn m3/y). Gas monetisation In November 2007, Nigeria unveiled a new industry strategy aimed at changing pricing rules and building infrastructure, in order to expand output, reduce flaring and supply more gas as feedstock for Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) plants, power stations and 24 | INVESTING IN NIGERIA | 2009 LNG expansions Energy Nigeria has moved rapidly up the global league table by becoming the third largest producer (on a par with Malaysia), surpassed only by Qatar and Indonesia. In 2003, LNG output was only 8.8mn tonnes. Its growth ambitions show no signs of abating with advanced plans for an 8.5mn t/y ‘seventh’ train – with an option for another train of the same size. Ifeanyi Mbanefo, NLNG spokesman, said: “There is a brown-field plot available for the expansion of the Bonny Island plant to eight trains. This would require an extension of the existing complex, but not a material alteration of the existing facilities.”The new train (expected online in 2013) will lift total production to nearly 34mn t/y. NLNG has signed Sales-Purchase Agreements with BG Group, ENI, Occidental, Shell and Total. The target market is North America. The SevenPlus venture (costing over US$12bn) would provide some US$1bn/year to government revenues “at modest LNG prices,” according to Chris Haynes, NLNG Managing Director. Two other Greenfield projects are awaiting final investment decision – the Olokola LNG and Brass LNG. The former is backed by Shell, BG Group and Chevron – in par tnership with NNPC – and involves building four trains (5.5mn t/y each) with the first two trains commissioned by 2012. The US$12bn venture will also produce large quantities of natural gas liquids (NGLs) as a byproduct for cooking. The US$8bn Brass venture, which groups NNPC, ConocoPhillips, ENI, and Total, envisages building the world’s first offshore LNG plant in Bayelsa state, with an initial 10mn t/y capacity from two trains by 2013. Vincenzo Di Lorenzo, Managing Director of Brass LNG Ltd, said Nigeria stands to gain a whopping US52bn during the project’s life time – broken down as US$27bn in taxes/royalties and US$25bn in NNPC’s net cash flow. Other benefits include much-needed new jobs from increased economic activity. If these proposed ventures and NLNG’s SevenPlus expansion are implemented and continue along the timetable, Nigeria, within few years, should hold a total expor t capacity of 65mn t/y of LNG, second only to Qatar. The country is well placed to meet robust demand for cleaner fuel, projected by the Paris-based International Energy Agency to increase at 9% per year into the next decade. The US, where gas reserves are dwindling, is also seeking to secure reliable supplies from the Atlantic basin as demand for LNG there continues to rise. NLNG aims to capture one-third of total Atlantic LNG trade by 2010. Nigeria is now a major regional expor ter of piped gas. The 1,033km West African Gas Pipeline – online in October 2008 costing US$635mn – carries 1.8bn m3/year of natural gas from the Niger Delta across Benin, Togo and Ghana. Its peak capacity is projected to reach 4.7bn m3/year. Nigeria will also begin gas expor ts to Equatorial Guinea. By 2013, expor ts from existing/planned LNG facilities and the WAGP could exceed 2mn barrels of oil equivalent per day. Nigeria’s potential as a formidable 21st century energy producer is not in doubt, however, the realisation of vital energy projects depends on vastly improved security in the Niger Delta, stable upstream financings and higher private investments in downstream processing industries. The energy sector driven projects could contribute 60% towards doubling the country’s GDP by 2018. The ‘full-capacities’ of hydrocarbons exports would generate the windfalls required for investing in industrial development, thereby helping to make Nigeria a modern diversified economy. Key facts • Crude oil was first discovered by Shell-BP, at the time the sole concessionaire, at Oloibiri in the Niger Delta after half a century of exploration. Nigeria joined the ranks of oil producers in 1958 when its first oilfield came onstream producing 5,100 bpd. • Huge reservoirs of hydrocarbon are found in seven sedimentary basins – the Niger River Delta, one of the world's largest wetlands (extending across 75,000 sq km of territory), Anambra, Benin, Benue Trough, Chad and the Deep and Ultra-deep offshore basins of Nigeria. • Major oilfields: Bonga, Cawthron Channel, EA, Edop, Ekkulama, Escravos Beach,Yorki, Jones Creek, Meren, Nembe, Okan, Oso, Ubit, Forcados. • Producing oil wells (end-2008): 2,524. • Premier blends: Bonny Light, Forcados, Brass River crudes and Qua Ibo. According to the International Crude Oil Market Handbook, Nigeria's expor t blends are light, sweet crudes, with gravities ranging from API [29-36] degrees and low sulphur contents of (0.05 to 0.2%). Bonny Light sells at a premium to Brent and West Texas Intermediate on global markets as does Forcados, which is considered one of the best gasoline-producing blends in the world. Nigeria's production cost per barrels is among the lowest worldwide. • Net oil exports (2006): 2.15 mn bpd – the world's 8th-largest oil-exporter. • Export terminals: Brass (operated by ENI-Agip); Escravos & Pennington (Chevron); Forcados & Bonny (Shell); and Qua Iboe (ExxonMobil). • Major refineries: Port Harcourt, River State (150,000 bpd); Port Harcourt, Alesa Eleme (120,000 bpd);Warri (125,000 bpd); Kaduna (110,000 bpd). 2009 | INVESTING IN NIGERIA | 25 Energy Table 1: Nigeria's hydrocarbons resources Proved Oil & Gas Reserves Crude Oil (Billions barrels)1 As percent of Africa's total OPEC Total 1987 1997 2007 (%) change 1997-2007 R/P* ratio 2007 16.0 27.20 2.30 20.80 27.60 2.50 36.20 31.00 4.00 74.00 - 42.10 31.20 72.70 Natural Gas (Trillion cubic metres)2 As percent of Africa's total 2.410 32.60 3.480 32.70 5.300 36.30 52.30 - 100+ 76.60 Oil production (000' bpd)3 As percent of Africa's total OPEC total 1,353 25.00 7.00 2,316 30.00 7.50 2,356 23.00 6.70 1.70 - - N/A - 5.10 5.00 35.00 18.40 586.30 - - Natural gas output (Billion cubic metres) As percent of Africa's total Key: *Reserves-to-production ration, measured by years of exploration and productiion activity. 1Oil reserves are second-highest in Africa after Libya. 2 Gas reserves are the highest in Africa. 3 Includes condensates and natural gas liquids (NGLs). Source: BP Statistical Review of World Energy June 2008. Table 2: Major upstream projects in Nigeria Fields Akpo Ofon Phase 2 Bosi Oil Agbami Gbaran/Ubie Phase 1 Usan/Ukot/Togo H Block Egina Bonga SW/Aparo Capacity ('000 bpd) Online Start-up 225 2008 70 2008 120 2008 250 2008 120 2009 230 2010 140 2010 160 2012 150 2012 Operator Total Total ExxonMobil ChevronTexaco Shell Total Shell Total Shell Environment Deepwater Offshore Deepwater Deepwater Offshore Deepwater Offshore Deepwater Deepwater Sources: OPEC estimates and Company reports. Table 3: Nigerian LNG export projects Existing facilities NLNG Trains 1&2 Year-online Oct-99 Operator Nigeria LNG Capacity Bn m3 7.22 NLNG Train 3 Nov-02 Nigeria LNG 3.70 NLNG Trains 4&5 Jan-06 Nigeria LNG 8.80 NLNG Train 6 Jan-08 Nigeria LNG 5.60 Planned facilities SevenPlus 2013 Nigeria LNG 8.5 Brass LNG 2013 Brass LNG 10.0 Olokola LNG 2012 OK-LNG 22.0 Source: Petroleum Economist LNG Data Centre. m3= cubic metres. 26 | INVESTING IN NIGERIA | 2009 Shareholders (percent of project equity) NNPC 49%; Shell Gas 25.6%;Total 15%; ENI 10.4% NNPC 49%; Shell Gas 25.6%;Total 15%; ENI 10.4% NNPC 49%; Shell Gas 25.6%;Total 15%; ENI 10.4% NNPC 49%; Shell Gas 25.6%;Total 15%; ENI 10.4% NNPC 49%; Shell Gas 25.6%;Total 15%; ENI 10.4% NNPC 49%; ENI 17%;Total 17%; ConocoPhillips 17% NNPC 49.5%; Chevron 18.5%; Shell 18.5%; BG 13.5% States Investing in Nigerian States Introduction Nigeria’s modern process of state division began at independence in 1960, when there were just three regions, to the present day where Nigeria is comprised of 36 separate states plus the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Each state, headed by a governor, has its own legislature, and a group of commissioners who oversee various key aspects of political and economic life. The states are key players in the implementation of the Federal Government’s development plans such as Vision 2020 and the 7-point Agena, the National Economic and Environmental Development Strategy (NEEDS), and the state and local strategies (SEEDS and LEEDS). The states have strong identities, with varying natural resources, from the oil-rich states in the south to the traditionally more agricultural states in the north. States have their own revenueraising powers, but also receive grants from the Federal Capital Account (FCA), and are responsible for transfers from the FCA to local governments within the state. Anambra – The Light of the Nation Anambra state, located in the south of Nigeria is one of the country’s most densely populated states, headed by HE Peter Obi. The capital city is Akwa, but recent population movements have swelled cities such as Onitsha into major urban areas. Anambra has over 70% arable land, and therefore a large proportion of the population is engaged in agriculture. It has natural mineral deposits of crude oil, bauxite and natural gas, although these are far from being fully exploited at the present time. It has a GDP of approximately US$6.7bn or roughly US$1,500 per capita with its current population of just over 4m. Orient Petroleum selected Anambra as the location for its refinery in 2008, in a move to access and maximise the state’s untapped natural resources. The project will not only increase the state’s revenues from increased trade, but will also create many jobs in the state, boost infrastructure and develop the economy generally through increased spending power and subsequent industrial growth. The full conversion Orient Refinery with capacity of 55,000 bbls/day shall process Anambra Basin and Nigerian Brass River crude oil, primarily for the production of gasoline, domestic kerosene, jet fuel, diesel fuel and LPG from 2009. Ambra Investicorp Trust Ltd, floated an offer in March of this year, for subscription of 4.9 billion shares by way of private placement. The offer will see the company raising about N1 trillion through an offering ordinary shares of 50 kobo each at N2 per share. This, according to the company, will facilitate the industrialisation and modernisation of Anambra state, with the capacity to attract and retain specialised skilled labour. According to the offer prospectus, N1.21bn or 13% of the offer proceeds will be used for extraction of raw materials; N1 bn or 10% will be used for manufacturing (computer and Electronics Assembly plant); N2bn or 21% for AMBRA IPP project. N1.926 billion or 20% will be used for financial services; N1.325 bn or 14% will be for developments of model secondary schools; 14% or N1.848 bn will be for real estate development and other services and N333.2mn or 3% will be used for branding, marketing and AMBRA management. Onitsha is perhaps an example in microcosm of the challenges faced by Anambra. Dramatic urbanisation has swelled the city’s population significantly, thus placing enormous demand on infrastructure and public services. The city holds what is probably the largest market in West Africa, engulfing the majority of the city in some form or another. In coming years there will need to be major investment in the city’s infrastructure if it is going to be able to manage the growing demand on its services. Key areas will be transport, water, sanitation and housing. Gombe – The Jewel of the Savannah Gombe State is located in the centre of Nigeria, and describes itself as the ‘Jewel in the Savannah’. It has a population of roughly 2.5m people and is led by HE Danjuma Goje. The state has a mix of strong agricultural activity and mineral deposits such as uranium, gypsum and limestone. Its GDP is roughly US$2.5bn or just over US$1,000 per capita. Investment in Gombe State is overseen by the Gombe State Investment & Proper ty Development Company (GSIPDC), established in 1999 ‘to serve as a vehicle for the commercial and industrial development of the state by creating a world class organisation that is focused and responsive to the challenges of the business environment nationally and globally’. GSIPDC works to ensure that the state is able to access federal funds as far as possible; to liaise with national and international investors to encourage them to invest in the state and to develop housing projects to meet the needs of citizens in the state. Although relatively low in the ranking of states when it comes to federal allocations, there have been a number of areas of recent investment. N1bn has been committed to developing hospitals in the state, both in terms of new buildings but also equipment and maintenance. The federal government has awarded the contract for the development of the main road between Gombe City and Yola, which will have positive effects on trade and quality of life in the state. Gombe International Airport was completed in 2008, which will facilitate trade as well as opening up tourism opportunities with associated development of hotels and other facilites. The European Union (EU) has recently chosen Gombe to be the regional centre in the north east of Nigeria for receipt of EU funds. France is one of the leading investors in Nigeria, and the EU decision 2009 | INVESTING IN NIGERIA | 27 States was led by the French Ambassador to Nigeria, Michel Dumond. Lafarge, the French company, invested over N5bn in the Ashaka cement plant in Gombe, through a subsidiary Ashakacem Plc, and is also focused on other fuel technologies and industries. Significant coal reserves have been found in the state, and utilising these in an effective, sustainable way will be key to the state’s development in coming years. Kano – The Centre of Commerce Kano State was created in 1967 and is located in the north of Nigeria. It is led by HE Ibrahim Shekarau, with a population of around 9.5m. Its GDP is roughly US$12.5bn which equates to around US$1200 per capita. Kano is the leading hydroagricultural state in Nigeria which enables it to produce significant quantities of groundnuts, sorghum and cultivate livestock. It also traditionally has a strong craft and textile industry. With the largest population of the Nigerian states, Kano takes the largest share of the federal allocation, roughly 10%. The state’s economic development is covered by a 2008-2011 roadmap, designed to provide a framework to reduce poverty, create wealth and boost employment. One of the key areas in the roadmap relates to massive investments in education in order to prepare the state for future prosperity and development. In the Governor’s 2009 budget speech, encouraging investment was specifically identified as a key priority for the coming year, with governmental reforms in efficiency and transparency designed to support this. The Kano State Government has plans to develop itself into an information and communications technology (ICT) hub for Nigeria. Part of this is will involve the development of an ICT park which will not only be a significant location for ICT businesses such as software, hardware and outsourcing but will also be a major source of income for the state. It will, through the provision of training for many people, lead to higher employment which will in turn impact positively on the state economy, and will also improve governance through improved systems and processes and greater ICT literacy amongst the population. It has been very recently announced that Kano State will be linking up with Oceanic Bank International Plc in the development of a multi-billion naira business park, the Kanawa Trade Centre (KTC), designed to be one of, if not the leading economic centre in west Africa. It will comprise some 15,000 retail and business units requiring the development of major infrastructure to support this. The KTC will create many jobs in the state, and will contribute significantly to the state economy. Oceanic Bank has also offered to support Kano State in future development initiatives, for example in micro-finance, energy generation, agriculture and mor tgage financing. As with many other Nigerian states, and indeed Africa as a whole, the process of urbanisation is leading to significant increases in population in major cities, with massive new pressures on city administrations to deliver services to these swelling populations. Kano city is a prime example of this, and the Governor has discussed plans to upgrade Kano to ‘megacity’ status. This would 28 | INVESTING IN NIGERIA | 2009 also mean that there would need to be significant investments in city infrastructure, for example road development to handle increased traffic flows, and development of the Central Business District (CBD). Many of these improvements would require publicprivate investment in order to make them practical and deliverable in the proposed timescale. Ondo – The Sunshine State Ondo was created in 1976. Located in the south of Nigeria, its state capital is Akure and the Governor is HE Olesegun Mimiko. The population is just over 4m, with a GDP of around US$8.5bn, working out to roughly US$2500 per-capita. Ondo is an extremely fertile area and as a result the state economy relies heavily on agriculture. It is the largest producer of cocoa in Nigeria, but also produces large amounts of other crops including maize, rubber, citrus, soya and cassava. Ondo has large natural resources, and its offshore crude oil field has a capacity of some 20,000bpd or 700m barrels in total. It also has significant bitumen deposits. Ondo has been engaged in state-level planning for some time, and from 2003-7 had a comprehensive work plan spanning each state ministry and sector – the Roadmap to Progress. Since then, and building on this, the State Government has been developing a roadmap for 2008-2011 encompassing its SEEDS plan, with a focus on ‘poverty alleviation; job creation; wealth creation; accountability; transparency and good governance’. It is also important to note that this strategy is not solely focused on public sector reform, but in fact is centred on developing a strong private sector, working in parallel with the public sector, to achieve sustainable development. Part III of the Ondo SEEDS concentrates on developing the private sector. Recognising that private sector presence in the state is relatively weak at present it recommends measures to build a framework in which business can operate more effectively, with an environment that is attractive to investment. Loans and grants will be sought from external sources which can be used to improve the business infrastructure and climate, whilst the private sector will be encouraged to par ticipate in the provision of public goods and services e.g through public-private partnerships (PPPs). The major investment initiative in the state at the moment is the Olakola Free Trade Zone (FTZ), in partnership with Ogun State, and with the suppor t of the Nigerian National Petroleum Commission (NNPC). The project will be financed with public and private money, with a maximum 40% public stake. The FTZ comprises an export zone and the construction of a high-quality deep water port. A 10,000 hectare site has been located with a 10km stretch of coast. The FTZ is designed to support the 54km of coast that the two states have together which borders on 60% of Nigeria’s offshore oilfields in the Delta. The inland agricultural areas will significantly benefit from the improved export facilities that the FTZ will offer, improving the states’ economies and the lives of the people in their communities. As well as the core por t facilities there are many linked opportunities in the development of the infrastructure necessary to make the FTZ fully functional e.g. roads, utilities, housing etc. $6bn has already been secured for this development, which is likely to create some 50,000 jobs.