Introductory Remarks
By: Toyin Sanni, Group Chief Executive Officer, United Capital plc
Our Special Guest of Honour, Mr. Bismarck J. Rewane, gentlemen of the press, executives of United Capital, distinguished ladies and gentlemen.
It gives me great pleasure to welcome you all here today, to the Official Unveiling of United Capital’s Nigerian Economy and Financial Markets 2014 Review and 2015 Outlook Report (“the Report”). In particular, I would like to thank our special guest of honor, Mr. Rewane, who has taken time from his very busy schedule, to be part of this unveiling and to perform the official first review of United Capital’s research publication.
Over the years, the United Capital Group has established itself as a leading African provider of world class investment banking and other financial services to African governments, companies and individuals.
We have particularly distinguished ourselves as leading Arrangers of major Debt and Equity Capital Issues, Key Infrastructure and other Project Finance deals, providers of Trust and Securities services to landmark transactions as well as Funds management to individuals and portfolio investors.
Our Group has committed itself to service excellence in its commitment to financially empowering African Governments, Institutions and Individuals and has received several awards at regional and international level for these accomplishments.
This commitment to excellence is visible across all our subsidiaries and business divisions - Trustees, Investment Banking, Asset Management and Securities as well as its Insurance affiliate. The firm has deployed its expertise in various landmark investment and financial transactions, achieving notable successes, such as successfully leading the largest corporate bond issuance in West Africa and the first FGN Mortgage Backed Bond Issuance Programme, amongst other firsts.
Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to release this report, the Nigerian Economy and Financial Markets 2014 Review and 2015 Outlook here today. It is an authoritative and in-depth analysis of various markets, and contains a thorough analysis of industry trends that have shaped our predictions and outlook for 2015.
The report also analyses the global oil price regime and dissects its impact on the Nigerian economy, as crude oil price, a key anchor for fiscal strength and macroeconomic stability of the nation, continues on a downward trajectory in 2015. The report analyses events on the global stage, with a review and comprehensive outlook of international markets, including among others, the US, the BRICS and the Euro zone.
It reflects our belief that beyond the decline in oil prices, the major challenge facing the global economy in 2015 will be the task of minimizing the volatility expected to ensue from broadly dissimilar fiscal and monetary regimes across the advanced economies. With the Bank of Japan possibly pursuing Quantitative Easing, the European Central Bank maintaining its aggressive balance sheet expansion, and the US tightening stance, we see larger scale volatility in 2015 compared to 2014.
The report contains a detailed review of the market in 2014 with projections for 2015, including expectations across different sectors; inherent opportunities as well as strategies for navigating the market at a time like this.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I hereby present this report, first to our special guest of honor, Mr. Rewane, who has over the years displayed unquestionable dedication to the development of the Nigerian economy and financial markets. Thank You.
