Nigerian tycoon Obafoluke Otudeko, son to earn $1.02 million in Honeywell dividends

Nigerian billionaire Femi Otedola’s stake in the country’s oldest commercial bank, First Bank of Nigeria Holdings Plc (FBNH), has risen by more than $12 million in recent months, as shares in the financial services group rebounded strongly after falling below key levels.

According to data tracked by Billionaires.Africa, Otedola’s stake in FBNH has increased in value by N5.34 billion ($12.7 million) in the past 54 days, as investors continued to cherry-pick stakes in the commercial banking group after its price fell below N9 ($0.0214) in June.

FBNH is one of Nigeria’s largest financial services conglomerates. It is the non-operating holding company of First Bank of Nigeria Limited, the country’s oldest commercial bank, with active operations in 10 countries.

According to a flurry of trading updates published on the Nigerian Stock Exchange in June, Otedola sold 664,939,764 shares in four separate transactions, reducing his stake in the Nigerian lender from 2,717,282,140 shares, or 7.57 percent, to 2,052,342,376 shares, or 5.72 percent.

Shares in the financial group have increased by 31 percent since June 21, nearly 54 days ago, from N8.4 ($0.02) to N11 ($0.026) at the time of writing, amid renewed buying interest in the bank’s shares on the local bourse.

As a result of the double-digit increase in the shares of FBNH, the market value of Otedola’s 5.72 percent stake in FBNH has increased by N5.34 billion ($12.73 million), from N17.24 billion ($41.12 million) on June 21 to N22.58 billion ($53.85 million) at the time of writing this report.

The recent gains in his stake follow a dividend of N951.05 million ($2.29 million) from his equity stake in the financial services group that he received earlier this year.

Nigerian billionaire businessman Abdul Samad Rabiu has announced the creation of the N10-billion ($23.8 million) Nigeria Security Support Fund through his philanthropic organization, the Abdul Samad Rabiu Africa Initiative (ASR Africa). He unveiled the project during a meeting with Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari at the Aso Rock presidential residence in Abuja.

Rabiu launched the initiative to provide security equipment and medical and other supplies to the families of soldiers fighting terrorists in Nigeria’s northeast, and to strengthen local infrastructure.

The contribution marks the single largest donation to a philanthropic cause made by a Nigerian businessman, and follows the $3-million development initiative that Rabiu launched in Niger three weeks ago through ASR Africa. Last week, Rabiu received the Commander of the Order of Merit of Niger Award in recognition of his contributions to the country of Niger and its people.

Rabiu also praised Buhari for creating an enabling environment for businesses to thrive. He cited policies implemented by his administration, which, he said, aided the growth of his manufacturing conglomerate, BUA Group, which is one of the continent’s fastest-growing commercial groups.

He also promised to support the administration’s efforts in industrial development and security.

Rabiu established ASR Africa in April 2021 to promote long-term, impact-driven solutions to developmental issues affecting health, educational, and social development across Africa.

Telecom mogul Mike Adenuga has reemerged as Nigeria’s second-richest man after three weeks in the third position. Now, he trails only Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote, who tops the list of Nigeria’s wealthiest people, with a net worth of $19.8 billion.

The leading businessman, who is the founder of Nigeria’s second-largest telecom services provider Globacom, has surpassed billionaire industrialist Abdul Samad Rabiu, whose net worth has fallen from more than $7 billion to $5.8 billion in less than three months.

Adenuga’s reemergence as Africa’s second-richest man comes nearly two months after an exclusive report by Billionaires.Africa confirmed that Rabiu had surpassed the telecom and oil mogul to become the country’s second-wealthiest billionaire.

According to Forbes, Adenuga, who derives the majority of his fortune from his mobile phone network, Globacom, and his oil exploration company, Conoil Plc, has surpassed Rabiu as Nigeria’s richest man, with a net worth of $6.3 billion, compared to Rabiu’s $5.8 billion.

Adenuga, like Rabiu, has recorded a significant decline in his net worth in recent months. However, his the drop in his wealth has been less severe than Rabiu’s, who has lost more than $1.2 billion of his fortune over the past two months.

The revaluation of his interest in Globacom has caused his net worth to fall by more than $400 million since the start of the year, from $6.7 billion to $6.3 billion at the time of writing.

Nearly two weeks ago, Conoil reported a double-digit percent increase in earnings in the first half of 2022 despite a significant decrease in top-line performance during the period under review.

Despite a double-digit decline in revenue, profit increased by 70.5 percent to N1.81 billion ($4.35 million) in the first half of 2022 from N1.06 billion ($2.55 million) in the first half of 2021, according to the company’s half-year financial report.

The group’s cost-cutting strategies, which reduced sales-related, administrative, and distribution costs, can be attributed to its double-digit increase in earnings as management continued to create value for shareholders.