FEATURED
My Hustle: How I make money from operating a cold room business
Cold room business is one of the most lucrative in the SME sector. Every day, some businessmen and women across Nigeria work hard to take advantage of the ever-present need for seafood, poultry products, and beef. Talk about meeting people’s basic needs whilst making cool cash in the process!
Mr Muraina Mobolaji is one of those businessmen involved in the cold room business. In his office located somewhere in the Iyana-Ipaja area of Lagos, he disclosed how much the business is booming. According to him, livestock products are regulars on most Nigerians’ dinner plates. And since the commodities are often perishable, there is the need to preserve them.
But Mr Muraina, 34, has not always been a businessman; much less a cold room operator. He was once a secondary school teacher who became frustrated by the “poverty-pay” and the unpleasant conditions of employment he was subjected to. According to him, he realised at some point that he could no longer take it. As a result, he began putting plans together to start his business.
Not surprisingly, starting a new business was not an easy decision for the man. But he didn’t it anyway, finally taking the leap about four yes ago by first resigning from his teaching position, and then establishing the cold room. Today, he sells assorted fish, prawns, chicken, turkey, etc.
What is the cold room business about?
Basically, this business entails the preservation and distribution of perishable (livestock) food items; direct from the farms to people’s dinner tables. As you may well know, animal farm produce (such as chicken, turkey, and seafood) typically passes through a long distribution channel before they end up in people’s pots of soups and stews. During this long distribution process, a lot of business activities occur. It is here that SME business owners such as Muraina come in by making sure that your chicken is available for consumption at all times; albeit fresh and with all the nutrients intact.
Please note that the cold room business also involves the sale of other commodities such as frozen yogurt, ice block, ice cream, soya milk, etc. But for the purpose of this article, a clear focus is on the preservation and sale of meat products.
Frozen chicken removed from the carton and ready to be cut.
Cold room operation is a multi-billion naira business
Nigerians consume about 1.2 billion birds (mainly chicken and turkey) every year. In the same vein, they consume some 3.32 million metric tonnes of fish annually, according to statistics by the Fishery Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea. These stats are indicative of a huge business environment where both farmers and marketers have the potential to make billions in revenues. But just as it is a profitable venture, cold room business also costs quite a lot to go into.
How much is needed to start a cold room business?
After quitting his teaching job, Mr Muraina had to combine his life savings with a bank loan in order to finance his cold room business. According to him, he realised after completing the feasibility study that in order to start and scale the business, he would need at least ₦8 million.
In his own words-
“You know, in every business, you have to either start small or big. I categorise myself as a wholesaler, in the sense that I sell mostly to retailers who in turn sell to consumers. Therefore, to succeed as a wholesaler in this business, one would definitely need to have more seed capital than those starting as retailers.
After conducting my research, I realised that I needed at least ₦8 million before I could start and favourably compete in the business. So I had to get the money by all means.”
What is the money needed for?
As an intending cold room owner, there are two important things that must be sorted out from the onset. These are your equipment- the cold room storage facility, and your power generator. According to Mr Muraina, there are many companies in Nigeria that specialise in the manufacturing, installation, and maintenance of these facilities.
Interestingly, a bulk of his seed capital went into having a large cold room panel purchased, shipped and installed at his present location. He spent about ₦4 million for that alone. He also has a Mikano power generator right beside the cold room which he said was purchased for some ₦1.5 million; second-hand price.
He also needed to spend money to lease the small patch of land on which his business is situated. In the same vein, Mr Muraina had to register his business with the appropriate government agencies, particularly the National Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) which gave him the necessary accreditation he needed to operate his business.
A picture of the power generating set beside Muraina’s cold room. This generator powers the facility when PHCN’s electricity is not available.
How does the business work?
Most of the birds and fish sold in Nigerian cold rooms are imported from outside the country. This increases the cost of doing business for Mr Muraina. Unfortunately, he has no choice but to establish relationships with importers of the products who supply to him at subsidised rates. He, in turn, sells to retailers within the Iyana-Ipaja environs. These retailers include fish sellers at popular markets, women who walk around neighbourhoods singing and attracting people’s attention to come and buy fish, and those who have stores with deep freezers where customers come to buy fish, chicken, or turkey.
Prices differ, depending on what produce and quantity of produce a customer are buying. According to Muraina, “a carton of chicken can sell for up to ₦14,000, depending on the season. Turkey is typically the most expensive, with a carton selling for nearly ₦16, 000. Fish is the least expensive. There are different types of fish, and their prices vary. But for Titus which is mostly demanded by customers, a carton is between ₦11, 000, and ₦10, 000.
“Now because I do sell to end-users sometimes, and some people prefer to buy either half a carton or a quarter of a carton, what I do is to simply divide the price of a particular product by the size a customer wants to buy. However, I do not sell anything less than a quarter of a carton.”
Please note that these prices were confirmed by a roadside fish seller at Iyana-Ipaja bus garage who said that although she goes to Ijora (where the commodities are supposedly cheaper) to buy her goods, the prices are still relatively the same.
Meanwhile, speaking about how much he earns, Muraina disclosed that he can make as much as ₦100,000 in sales on a good day. This, therefore, translates to approximately ₦2,000,000 in monthly sales. This is the kind of money he could never have dreamt of seeing in a month as a public school teacher.
A picture depicting roadside fish sellers somewhere at Iyana-Ipaja bus garage. These are the example of retailers who buy from wholesalers like Muraina, and resell to the end users.
But there are some challenges…
According to the businessman, the cost of running his business is a big challenge. Electricity is the biggest challenge for him, he said. Without an adequate power supply, a whole stock of products could get wasted and result in loss. Unfortunately, the epileptic nature of power supply in the country has not helped his business at all.
“Power supply in Nigeria is in such a very bad state. And it particularly affects people like me who are in this kind of business. I need to ensure that in a day, this facility has an average of fifteen hours of power supply. But where in Nigeria can you get that? Consequently, I have to depend on the generator most of the time. And it is expensive. On average, I spend about ₦20, 000 on diesel every month. I also spend nearly ₦35,000 monthly on electricity bills, payable to the authorities. The unfortunate thing is that most times, they just bring the bills even without giving us enough light through the month. But then I would have no choice than to pay.”
Other challenges include the cost of maintaining both the cold room and the generator. According to him, compulsory maintenance work is always done on the cold room panel once in every three months. This costs about ₦30,000 each time.
Muraina is also “heavily taxed by the Lagos State Government”. Although he refused to disclose exactly how much he pays in monthly taxes, he believes the money is too much and should be reduced to encourage the growth of small businesses like his.
“There are many challenges facing this business. Electricity is the main one. The government needs to focus on solving the electricity problem in order to encourage the growth of small businesses. I always wonder why any government should be so concerned about collecting taxes by the end of every month without even thinking about whether or not businesses are making money.
Also, they should make loans easier for people to access. I had a lot of trouble trying to access a loan when I first started. You see all these organisations parading themselves as “saviours” of entrepreneurship and promising to provide financial facilities to SMEs, sometimes they really don’t. Their conditions are too much to fulfill. And I think it discourages some aspiring entrepreneurs.”
Another view of Muraina’s cold room and generator.
On the brighter side, it is easy to start making a profit in the cold room business. This is due to the fact that many Nigerians are constantly in need of this foodstuff. In Muraina’s case, even though he initially faced competition in the business, it was not long before he broke even; thanks to his established contacts, customer base, and the strategic location of his shop.
In conclusion, cold rooms are playing a huge role in meeting needs, solving the unemployment problem, and stimulating economic growth. In this light, therefore, governments at all levels should work assiduously towards creating a conducive environment for these businesses to operate, particularly by making adequate power supply available. In the same vein, investment in the agriculture sector should be increased in order to reduce the cost of importation of these livestock products which contributes to the hike in their prices.
FEATURED
Data war: Glo dwarfs MTN, Airtel others in subscribers’ growth over 5 months
It gained 8.302 million data subscribers when it grew from 28.934 million in December 2019 to 37.236 million by the end of May 2020.
No doubt, competition among major internet service providers (ISP) in Nigeria has been intense, as the ISPs ensure that their brands are known as the best, most affordable and fastest in the industry.
From MTN’s Nedu Proposal Data commercial to Airtel’s Data is Life, or Glo’s Emoji campaign and 9Mobile’s Moreblase, more affordable, it is obvious that these TV commercials must have cost the ISPs fortunes, as most of them are Nollywood star-studded.
Despite the intense competition in the last five months (January – May 2020), it appears that one of them has taken others by surprise and attracted more subscribers.
READ ALSO: UBA Records 13% Earnings Growth and Delivers N111billion Profit
According to data released by the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) recently for the period ending May 2020, indigenous mobile telecommunication company, Glo dwarfed other competitors, as it gained 8.302 million data subscribers when it grew from 28.934 million in December 2019 to 37.236 million by the end of May 2020, while MTN gained 4.75 million data subscribers. Airtel, which used to be the second-highest in subscribers growth after MTN, recorded 2.795 million, while 9mobile lost 812,827 subscribers within the same period.
Meanwhile, Nairametrics had reported that the nation’s telecommunication landscape witnessed a high level of competition in terms of data offering in 2019, as operators in the industry intensified their efforts to increase their market share in a fickle industry.
NCC’s data for the period ending December 2019, revealed that Nigeria’s largest mobile telecommunication company, MTN, gained 8.18 million data subscribers, and Airtel successfully edged out Glo in terms of data subscriber numbers, as the telco added 4.06 million subscribers over the indigenous brand.
READ ALSO: $30 billion worth of BTCs disappears forever
Competition between two of Nigeria’s largest data sellers, MTN and Airtel took different turns in 2019, as MTN recovered from the drop recorded during the year.
Glo leads the pack ahead of MTN, Airtel
The competition has taken a new twist so far in 2020 (January – May 2020). Though MTN and Airtel, the two Nigeria’s largest data sellers, have 58.863 million data subscribers and 37.317 million subscribers respectively, Glo, which is the third-largest came from behind to outrun the ‘big players’, as more subscribers opted for the service of the indigenous ISP during the economic lockdown imposed by the Coronavirus pandemic.
What it means: While MTN and Airtel managed to attract only 689,593 and 41,791 subscribers in March and April (Peak of the lockdown) respectively, Glo smiled to the bank, as it attracted new 2.072 million data subscribers within the same period.
In terms of market share, MTN maintains the lead, as it controls 39.61% of the market (May 2020), followed by Glo with 27.12%, then Airtel with 26.83%, and 9mobile with 6.37% within the same period.
Internet quality: Where Nigeria stands in the world
The advent of 4G/LTE in the global telecom industry was accompanied by expectations of fast internet speed. 4G is the fourth generation of wireless mobile telecommunications technology, succeeding 3G. Potential and current applications include amended mobile web access, IP telephony, gaming services, high-definition mobile TV, video conferencing, and 3D television.
However, years down the line, Nigeria is still faced with poor internet quality. In a recent survey conducted on download speed experiences of subscribers across 87 countries including Nigeria, a Network monitoring outfit, Opensignal, concluded that congestion is messing with the user experience. Nigeria ranked 83 out of 87 of the countries surveyed in terms of download speed experience.
READ MORE: RMB aids acquisition of Nigeria’s Lucky pen by South Africa’s BIC
Opensignal stated, “We saw the widest variety of scores of all our award metrics in Download Speed Experience, with average speeds ranging from over 50 Mbps to less than 2 Mbps. There were 13 countries with Download Speed Experience scores over 30 Mbps, while 35 of the 87 markets we measured fell into the 10-20 Mbps range, and 20 scored under 10 Mbps (Nigeria stands at 5.4Mbps).”
While GSM companies continue to jostle for market share, it has often come at the expense of poor service and lack of accountability. Quite frankly, as an average internet user in Nigeria, one is usually left at the mercy of poor mobile internet services which frustrates one into seeking limited alternatives.
Coronavirus
COVID-19 Update in Nigeria
On the 14th of July 2020, 463 new confirmed cases and 10 deaths were recorded in Nigeria.
The spread of novel Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) in Nigeria continues to record significant increase as the latest statistics provided by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control reveal Nigeria now has 33,616 confirmed cases.
On the 14th of July 2020, 463 new confirmed cases and 10 deaths were recorded in Nigeria, having carried out a total daily test of 3,015 samples across the country.
To date, 33,616 cases have been confirmed, 13,792 cases have been discharged and 754 deaths have been recorded in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. A total of 186,309 tests have been carried out as of July 14th, 2020 compared to 183,294 tests a day earlier.
COVID-19 Case Updates- 14th July 2020,
- Total Number of Cases – 33,616
- Total Number Discharged – 13,792
- Total Deaths – 754
- Total Tests Carried out – 186,309
According to the NCDC, the 463 new cases were reported from 17 states- Lagos (128), Kwara (92), Enugu (39), Delta (33), Edo (29), Plateau (28), Kaduna (23), Oyo (15), Ogun (14), Osun (14), FCT (12), Ondo (9), Rivers (9), Abia (8), Bayelsa (5), Ekiti (3), Borno (2).
Meanwhile, the latest numbers bring Lagos state total confirmed cases to 12,711, followed by Abuja (2,687), Oyo (1,882), Edo (1,807), Rivers (1,397), Delta (1,392), Kano (1,314), Ogun (1,105), Kaduna (1,039), Ondo (747), Katsina (669), Ebonyi (616), Borno (593), Plateau (571), Gombe (533), Bauchi (521), Enugu (515), Kwara (422), Abia (413), Imo (399).
Jigawa state has recorded 321 cases, Bayelsa (318), Osun (276), Nasarawa (252), Sokoto (153), Akwa Ibom and Niger (145), Benue (126), Adamawa (110), Anambra (101), Kebbi (87), Zamfara (76), Ekiti (66), Yobe (62), Taraba (30), Cross River (10) while Kogi state has recorded 5 cases only.
READ ALSO: COVID-19: Western diplomats warn of disease explosion, poor handling by government
Lock Down and Curfew
In a move to combat the spread of the pandemic disease, President Muhammadu Buhari directed the cessation of all movements in Lagos and the FCT for an initial period of 14 days, which took effect from 11 pm on Monday, 30th March 2020.
The movement restriction, which was extended by another two-weeks period, has been partially put on hold with some businesses commencing operations from May 4. On April 27th, 2020, Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari declared an overnight curfew from 8 pm to 6 am across the country, as part of new measures to contain the spread of the COVID-19. This comes along with the phased and gradual easing of lockdown measures in FCT, Lagos, and Ogun States, which took effect from Saturday, 2nd May 2020, at 9 am.
On Monday, 29th June 2020 the federal government extended the second phase of the eased lockdown by 4 weeks and approved interstate movement outside curfew hours with effect from July 1, 2020.
READ ALSO: Bill Gates says Trump’s WHO funding suspension is dangerous
| Date | Confirmed case | New cases | Total deaths | New deaths | Total recovery | Active cases | Critical cases |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 14, 2020 | 33616 | 463 | 754 | 10 | 13792 | 19070 | 7 |
| July 13, 2020 | 33153 | 595 | 744 | 4 | 13671 | 18738 | 7 |
| July 12, 2020 | 32558 | 571 | 740 | 16 | 13447 | 18371 | 7 |
| July 11, 2020 | 31987 | 664 | 724 | 15 | 13103 | 18160 | 7 |
| July 10, 2020 | 31323 | 575 | 709 | 20 | 12795 | 17819 | 7 |
| July 9, 2020 | 30748 | 499 | 689 | 5 | 12546 | 17513 | 7 |
| July 8, 2020 | 30249 | 460 | 684 | 15 | 12373 | 17192 | 7 |
| July 7, 2020 | 29789 | 503 | 669 | 15 | 12108 | 17012 | 7 |
| July 6, 2020 | 29286 | 575 | 654 | 9 | 11828 | 16804 | 7 |
| July 5, 2020 | 28711 | 544 | 645 | 11 | 11665 | 16401 | 7 |
| July 4, 2020 | 28167 | 603 | 634 | 6 | 11462 | 16071 | 7 |
| July 3, 2020 | 27564 | 454 | 628 | 12 | 11069 | 15867 | 7 |
| July 2, 2020 | 27110 | 626 | 616 | 13 | 10801 | 15693 | 7 |
| July 1, 2020 | 26484 | 790 | 603 | 13 | 10152 | 15729 | 7 |
| June 30, 2020 | 25694 | 561 | 590 | 17 | 9746 | 15358 | 7 |
| June 29, 2020 | 25133 | 566 | 573 | 8 | 9402 | 15158 | 7 |
| June 28, 2020 | 24867 | 490 | 565 | 7 | 9007 | 14995 | 7 |
| June 27, 2020 | 24077 | 779 | 558 | 4 | 8625 | 14894 | 7 |
| June 26, 2020 | 23298 | 684 | 554 | 5 | 8253 | 14491 | 7 |
| June 25, 2020 | 22614 | 594 | 549 | 7 | 7822 | 14243 | 7 |
| June 24, 2020 | 22020 | 649 | 542 | 9 | 7613 | 13865 | 7 |
| June 23, 2020 | 21371 | 452 | 533 | 8 | 7338 | 13500 | 7 |
| June 22, 2020 | 20919 | 675 | 525 | 7 | 7109 | 13285 | 7 |
| June 21, 2020 | 20242 | 436 | 518 | 12 | 6879 | 12847 | 7 |
| June 20, 2020 | 19808 | 661 | 506 | 19 | 6718 | 12584 | 7 |
| June 19, 2020 | 19147 | 667 | 487 | 12 | 6581 | 12079 | 7 |
| June 18, 2020 | 18480 | 745 | 475 | 6 | 6307 | 11698 | 7 |
| June 17, 2020 | 17735 | 587 | 469 | 14 | 5967 | 11299 | 7 |
| June 16, 2020 | 17148 | 490 | 455 | 31 | 5623 | 11070 | 7 |
| June 15, 2020 | 16658 | 573 | 424 | 4 | 5349 | 10885 | 7 |
| June 14, 2020 | 16085 | 403 | 420 | 13 | 5220 | 10445 | 7 |
| June 13, 2020 | 15682 | 501 | 407 | 8 | 5101 | 10174 | 7 |
| June 12, 2020 | 15181 | 627 | 399 | 12 | 4891 | 9891 | 7 |
| June 11, 2020 | 14554 | 681 | 387 | 5 | 4494 | 9673 | 7 |
| June 10, 2020 | 13873 | 409 | 382 | 17 | 4351 | 9140 | 7 |
| June 9, 2020 | 13464 | 663 | 365 | 4 | 4206 | 8893 | 7 |
| June 8, 2020 | 12801 | 315 | 361 | 7 | 4040 | 8400 | 7 |
| June 7, 2020 | 12486 | 260 | 354 | 12 | 3959 | 8173 | 7 |
| June 6, 2020 | 12233 | 389 | 342 | 9 | 3826 | 8065 | 7 |
| June 5, 2020 | 11844 | 328 | 333 | 10 | 3696 | 7815 | 7 |
| June 4, 2020 | 11516 | 350 | 323 | 8 | 3535 | 7646 | 7 |
| June 3, 2020 | 11166 | 348 | 315 | 1 | 3329 | 7522 | 7 |
| June 2, 2020 | 10819 | 241 | 314 | 15 | 3239 | 7266 | 7 |
| June 1, 2020 | 10578 | 416 | 299 | 12 | 3122 | 7157 | 9 |
| May 31, 2020 | 10162 | 307 | 287 | 14 | 3007 | 6868 | 7 |
| May 30, 2020 | 9855 | 553 | 273 | 12 | 2856 | 6726 | 7 |
| May 29, 2020 | 9302 | 387 | 261 | 2 | 2697 | 6344 | 7 |
| May 28, 2020 | 8915 | 182 | 259 | 5 | 2592 | 6064 | 7 |
| May 27, 2020 | 8733 | 389 | 254 | 5 | 2501 | 5978 | 7 |
| May 26, 2020 | 8344 | 276 | 249 | 16 | 2385 | 5710 | 7 |
| May 25, 2020 | 8068 | 229 | 233 | 7 | 2311 | 5524 | 7 |
| May 24, 2020 | 7839 | 313 | 226 | 5 | 2263 | 5360 | 7 |
| May 23, 2020 | 7526 | 265 | 221 | 0 | 2174 | 5131 | 7 |
| May 22, 2020 | 7261 | 245 | 221 | 10 | 2007 | 5033 | 7 |
| May 21, 2020 | 7016 | 339 | 211 | 11 | 1907 | 4898 | 7 |
| May 20, 2020 | 6677 | 284 | 200 | 8 | 1840 | 4637 | 7 |
| May 19, 2020 | 6401 | 226 | 192 | 1 | 1734 | 4475 | 7 |
| May 18, 2020 | 6175 | 216 | 191 | 9 | 1644 | 4340 | 7 |
| May 17, 2020 | 5959 | 388 | 182 | 6 | 1594 | 4183 | 7 |
| May 16, 2020 | 5621 | 176 | 176 | 5 | 1472 | 3973 | 7 |
| May 15, 2020 | 5445 | 288 | 171 | 3 | 1320 | 3954 | 4 |
| May 14, 2020 | 5162 | 193 | 168 | 3 | 1180 | 3815 | 4 |
| May 13, 2020 | 4971 | 184 | 164 | 6 | 1070 | 3737 | 4 |
| May 12, 2020 | 4787 | 146 | 158 | 6 | 959 | 3670 | 4 |
| May 11, 2020 | 4641 | 242 | 152 | 10 | 902 | 3589 | 4 |
| May 10, 2020 | 4399 | 248 | 142 | 17 | 778 | 3479 | 4 |
| May 9, 2020 | 4151 | 239 | 127 | 11 | 745 | 3278 | 4 |
| May 8, 2020 | 3912 | 386 | 118 | 10 | 679 | 3115 | 4 |
| May 7, 2020 | 3526 | 381 | 108 | 4 | 601 | 2818 | 4 |
| May 6, 2020 | 3145 | 195 | 104 | 5 | 534 | 2507 | 1 |
| May 5, 2020 | 2950 | 148 | 99 | 5 | 481 | 2370 | 4 |
| May 4, 2020 | 2802 | 245 | 94 | 6 | 417 | 2291 | 2 |
| May 3, 2020 | 2558 | 170 | 88 | 2 | 400 | 2070 | 2 |
| May 2, 2020 | 2388 | 220 | 86 | 17 | 351 | 1952 | 2 |
| May 1, 2020 | 2170 | 238 | 69 | 10 | 351 | 1751 | 2 |
| April 30, 2020 | 1932 | 204 | 59 | 7 | 317 | 1556 | 2 |
| April 29, 2020 | 1728 | 196 | 52 | 7 | 307 | 1369 | 2 |
| April 28, 2020 | 1532 | 195 | 45 | 4 | 255 | 1232 | 2 |
| April 27, 2020 | 1337 | 64 | 41 | 0 | 255 | 994 | 2 |
| April 26, 2020 | 1273 | 91 | 41 | 5 | 239 | 994 | 2 |
| April 25, 2020 | 1182 | 87 | 36 | 3 | 222 | 925 | 2 |
| April 24, 2020 | 1095 | 114 | 33 | 1 | 208 | 855 | 2 |
| April 23, 2020 | 981 | 108 | 32 | 3 | 197 | 753 | 2 |
| April 22, 2020 | 873 | 91 | 29 | 3 | 197 | 648 | 2 |
| April 21, 2020 | 782 | 117 | 26 | 3 | 197 | 560 | 2 |
| April 20, 2020 | 665 | 38 | 23 | 1 | 188 | 466 | 2 |
| April 19, 2020 | 627 | 86 | 22 | 2 | 170 | 436 | 2 |
| April 18, 2020 | 541 | 48 | 20 | 2 | 166 | 356 | 2 |
| April 17, 2020 | 493 | 51 | 18 | 4 | 159 | 317 | 2 |
| April 16, 2020 | 442 | 35 | 13 | 1 | 152 | 277 | 2 |
| April 15, 2020 | 407 | 34 | 12 | 1 | 128 | 267 | 2 |
| April 14, 2020 | 373 | 30 | 11 | 1 | 99 | 263 | 2 |
| April 13, 2020 | 343 | 20 | 10 | 0 | 91 | 242 | 2 |
| April 12, 2020 | 323 | 5 | 10 | 0 | 85 | 228 | 2 |
| April 11, 2020 | 318 | 13 | 10 | 3 | 70 | 238 | 2 |
| April 10, 2020 | 305 | 17 | 7 | 0 | 58 | 240 | 2 |
| April 9, 2020 | 288 | 14 | 7 | 1 | 51 | 230 | 2 |
| April 8, 2020 | 274 | 22 | 6 | 0 | 44 | 226 | 2 |
| April 7, 2020 | 254 | 16 | 6 | 1 | 44 | 204 | 2 |
| April 6, 2020 | 238 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 35 | 198 | 2 |
| April 5, 2020 | 232 | 18 | 5 | 1 | 33 | 194 | 2 |
| April 4, 2020 | 214 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 25 | 185 | 0 |
| April 3, 2020 | 209 | 25 | 4 | 2 | 25 | 180 | 0 |
| April 2, 2020 | 184 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 162 | 0 |
| April 1, 2020 | 174 | 35 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 163 | 0 |
| March 31, 2020 | 139 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 128 | 0 |
| March 30, 2020 | 131 | 20 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 121 | 0 |
| March 29, 2020 | 111 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 107 | 0 |
| March 28, 2020 | 89 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 85 | 0 |
| March 27, 2020 | 70 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 66 | 0 |
| March 26, 2020 | 65 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 62 | 0 |
| March 25, 2020 | 51 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 48 | 0 |
| March 24, 2020 | 44 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 41 | 0 |
| March 23, 2020 | 40 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 37 | 0 |
| March 22, 2020 | 30 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 28 | 0 |
| March 21, 2020 | 22 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 21 | 0 |
| March 20, 2020 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 0 |
| March 19, 2020 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0 |
| March 18, 2020 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0 |
| March 17, 2020 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| March 16, 2020 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| March 15, 2020 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| March 14, 2020 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| March 13, 2020 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| March 12, 2020 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| March 11, 2020 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| March 10, 2020 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| March 9, 2020 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| March 8, 2020 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| March 7, 2020 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| March 6, 2020 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| March 5, 2020 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| March 4, 2020 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| March 3, 2020 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| March 2, 2020 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| March 1, 2020 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| February 29, 2020 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| February 28, 2020 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
FEATURED
Best Mutual Funds in Nigeria
These are the best mutual funds in Nigeria to invest in based on performance.
Mutual Funds are a great form of investing especially if you are a passive investor. According to data from the Security and Exchange Commission, Nigeria has about 107 Mutual Funds cut across several Fund Types. Here is a breakdown of the Fund Types available for investors according to SEC.
| TYPES | Number |
| BOND FUNDS | 9 |
| EQUITY BASED FUNDS | 13 |
| ETHICAL FUNDS | 6 |
| EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS | 10 |
| FIXED INCOME FUNDS | 21 |
| INFRASTRUCTURE FUND | 1 |
| MIXED FUNDS | 21 |
| MONEY MARKET FUNDS | 23 |
| REAL ESTATE FUNDS | 3 |
| TOTAL | 107 |
To determine the best performing Funds, we looked at the Fund Prices as of the last business day in December 2019 and compared to the fund prices as of the last trading day of June 2020. These are the top 5. We also included profiles of the funds as described in their websites.
Explore useful research data from Nairametrics on Nairalytics
New Gold ETF
Vetiva’s The NewGold Exchange Traded Fund (NewGold) is an Exchange Traded Fund that was listed on The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) in December 2011. It tracks the price of gold and offers institutional and retail investors the opportunity to invest in a listed instrument (structured as a debenture) that is fully backed by gold bullion. Each NewGold security is equivalent to approximately 1/100 ounces of real gold bullion held in a secured stockpile of gold bullion. All gold is kept in the form of London Gold Delivery Bars and Good Delivery Standards are prescribed by LBMA.
December 27th
Fund Price – N5,220
June 26th
Fund Price – N8,000
Return – 53.3%
Ranking – First
Commentary: Gold prices have been on the up since the Covid-19 pandemic took hold of the global economy. Investors are uncertain and as history shows gold prices are always up during market uncertainty. If you are looking for protective investment in times of uncertainty then this is the best performing fund so far.
READ ALSO: FOCUS: These companies aren’t generating wealth for shareholders
FBN Nigeria Smart Beta Equity Fund
FBNH owned The FBN Nigeria Smart Beta Equity Fund is a pure equity fund that invests money predominantly in a portfolio of Nigerian companies, using a rigorous, research-based and tested evaluation system.
The fund provides long-term capital preservation by investing at least 75% of the fund’s assets (excluding cash and cash equivalents) in a diversified portfolio of high-quality companies listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. In order to manage liquidity, the fund may also invest up to 25% in short-term money market instruments and deposits with financial institutions.
December 27th
Fund Price – N129.17
June 26th
Fund Price – N197.29
Return – 52.7%
Ranking – Second
Commentary: For a fund that is predominantly focused on equities, this a pretty much impressive performance by all standards. For example, the NSE All-Share Index is down 9.8% year to date. If you are worried about investing in stocks and don’t have the heart for it and you are looking for a mutual fund, then this is the best performing fund out there.
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Vantage Balanced Fund
Investment One’s Vantage Balance Fund (launched in 2002) is a fund focused on long term capital appreciation, which is achieved by maintaining a flexible diversified portfolio of equities, fixed income, money market, and real estate investments. Assets are high-quality equity instruments quoted on The NSE while the bond issuers have an investment-grade rating from a credit rating agency registered by SEC.
December 27th
Fund Price – N2.21
June 26th
Fund Price – N2.87
Return – 29.9%
Ranking – Third
Commentary: This is a Mixed fund as it invests in a diverse pool of assets. Interesting to note that the managers of this fund also have an Equity-Based Fund, a Dollar Fund, and a Fixed Income Fund. But none of them come close to the Balanced Fund. If you are looking for a portfolio with a good mix of investment assets then this is the best performing as of June 2020.
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Legacy USD Bond Fund
FCMB Asset Management Owned Legacy USD Bond Fund (launched in 2018) is a SEC-registered US Dollar-denominated Collective Investment Scheme, structured as a high-yield mutual fund. The Fund seeks to generate stable income over the long-term. Legacy USD Bond Fund invests in credit-rated US Dollar-denominated fixed income securities issued by the Nigerian Government, Supranational bodies, and Corporate entities.
December 27th
Fund Price – N306.5
June 26th
Fund Price – N360.5
Return – 24.4%
Ranking – Fourth
Commentary: The Legacy Bond Fund is the best performing mutual fund if you are looking for dollar-denominated fixed-income debt securities like Eurobonds. At 24.4% they seem to be holding bonds with good yields and market values respectively. Apart from the Bond Fund, managers of the Legacy Bond Fund also manage a Fixed Income Fund, a Money Market Fund and an Equity Fund. If you are looking to invest in Eurobonds then this mutual fund is the best performing.
Vantage Dollar Fund
Investment One’s Vantage Dollar Fund (launched in 2018) is a SEC registered open-ended Unit Trust Scheme in Nigeria. The Fund seeks to provide investors with a bias for Dollar-denominated securities access to such securities, which ordinarily would be inaccessible to them by virtue of the minimum amount typically required to make such investments. It will invest primarily in Corporate and Sovereign Eurobonds.
December 27th
Fund Price – N401.02
June 26th
Fund Price – N469.2
Return – 17.0%
Ranking – Fifth
Commentary: This is the second dollar mutual fund on the list and the second from Investment One to make the list of best 5. It appears they have a hang on fund management. Dollar Mutual funds are a great source of investments and it is great to see another in the top 5. Thus, if you want another option, then this is one you can also go for.
Bubbling Under: The following funds make up the rest of the top 5 on our list and in descending order.
6. AIICO Balanced Fund
7. VI ETF
8. Coronation Fixed Income Fund
9. CEAT Fixed Income Fund
10. United Capital Euro Bond Fund
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dayo
April 3, 2018 at 3:30 pm
insightful!!!
Anonymous
December 15, 2019 at 9:16 pm
nice