DMO appoints 13 agent banks for N150bn FGN bonds – TheNigerialawyer

As Debt Management Office (DMO) set to auction N150 billion in
FGN Bonds tomorrow, eight banks have been appointed as agents to
interface with its prospective investors.

The banks are Access Bank Plc; First Bank of Nigeria Limited;
Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria Limited;

Citi Bank Nigeria Limited and First City Monument Bank
(FCMB)Plc. Others are United Bank for Africa (UBA)Plc; Coronation
Merchant Bank Limited; FSDH Merchant Bank Limited and Zenith Bank
Plc.The rest are Ecobank Nigeria Limited;Guaranty Trust Bank Plc;
FBNQuest Merchant Bank Limited and Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc.

According to the offer circular released to the public, the
Federal Government would on Wednesday, November 20, through the
Debt Management Office (DMO), offer fresh Federal Government of
Nigeria (FGN) Bonds valued at N150 billion for subscription. The
Debt Office disclosed that the bonds to be offered would include a
five-year N50 billion FGN Apr 2023 bond at 12.75 per cent, a
10-year N50 billion FGN Apr 2029 bond at 14.55 per cent and a
30-year N50 billion FGN Apr 2049 bond at 14.80 per cent. The
settlement date for the subscription is scheduled for Friday.

The DMO disclosed that the FGN bonds, which qualify as
securities, which trustees can invest under the Trustee Investment
Act, also qualify as liquid assets for liquidity ratio calculation
for banks. The bonds are to be listed on the Nigerian Stock
Exchange and FMDQ OTC Securities Exchange.

Investments in FGN Bonds as stated in the circular by DMO
qualify for tax exemption to pension funds and other investors.

“Government securities within the meaning of Company Income Tax
Act (CITA) and Personal Income Tax Act (PITA) for Tax Exemption for
Pension Funds, amongst other investors,” DMO offer Circular
stated.The bonds are to be offered at N1,000 per unit, subject to a
minimum subscription of N50,001,000, and in multiples of N1,000,
thereafter. The bonds’ interests are to be semi-annually, and
bullet repayments made on the maturity date. The DMO reserves the
right to alter the amount allotted in response to market
conditions

However, the DMO will also make allotments on a non-competitive
basis for the additional sum of N25 billion 12.75 per cent FGN Apr
2023; N20 Billion 14.55 per cent, FGN Apr2029 and N5 billion 14.80
per cent FGN Apr 2049.

A bond is a fixed income instrument that represents a loan made
by an investor to a borrower (typically corporate or governmental).
A bond could be thought of as an I owe you (I.O.U.) between the
lender and the borrower that includes the details of the loan and
its payments. A bond has an end date when the principal of the loan
is due to be paid to the bond owner and usually includes the terms
for variable or fixed interest payments that will be made by the
borrower.