Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals has prolonged the deadline for its preliminary public providing (IPO) by two weeks to October 27 to offer extra traders throughout Africa the chance to take part in what is anticipated to be the continent’s largest share sale.
The extension, accepted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), strikes the deadline from October 13, following efforts to increase entry to the provide via inventory exchanges and funding platforms in different African nations.
The firm stated on Monday that the extra time would allow it to broaden distribution channels, facilitate cross-border investments and permit potential traders to finish account-opening procedures, identification verification and different regulatory necessities.
The IPO, which opened on September 14, is a part of the plan by Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, to broaden possession of the 700,000 barrels per day refinery by attracting as many as 10 million retail traders in Nigeria and different African nations.
The providing contains 4.1 billion unusual shares at N525 every, with a minimal subscription of 10 shares. It is anticipated to boost roughly $1.6 billion, though the quantity might improve to about $2.1 billion if an over-allotment possibility is totally exercised.
Confirming the extension, the President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, stated the transfer adopted ‘exceptionally strong interest’ from a broad spectrum of eligible traders throughout Africa and different worldwide markets.
Since the launch of the provide, he acknowledged that investor participation has underscored the rising confidence in Dangote Refinery’s long-term development prospects and its strategic position in remodeling Africa’s vitality panorama.
“The IPO goes very effectively. We will prolong the deadline as a result of we wish extra of our African brothers and sisters to take part. Following our discussions with the Nairobi Stock Exchange, we’ve recognized what we imagine is one of the best ways to facilitate participation. We are actually making an attempt to duplicate that association with different African exchanges to make sure wider participation…
“But in the case of the amount of cash we initially meant to boost, we’ve already acquired subscriptions amounting to greater than three or 4 occasions that determine…So, it’s not in regards to the amount of cash.
“It is about the number of people who will have the opportunity to participate in this offer. That means quite a lot to us,” the assertion quoted Dangote as having stated in a chat with media males on the facility.
The firm stated the extra two-week interval will help ongoing market-access initiatives throughout African jurisdictions, together with the enlargement of distribution channels and the rollout of unsponsored depository receipt programmes designed to facilitate seamless cross-border funding.
It defined that it’s going to additionally present extra time for potential traders to finish account-opening procedures, identification verification processes, and different regulatory necessities vital for participation within the provide.
Also talking on the extension, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE, David Bird, acknowledged that the extra time will assist prolong extra alternatives to further traders.
He stated: “We welcome the SEC’s approval of the extension, which will give more investors across Africa the opportunity to participate in the offer. From the outset, our ambition has been to enable as many people as possible to participate in the IPO and share in DPRP’s future growth. The additional time will help us extend that opportunity to more investors across Africa.”
The firm famous that it stays extremely inspired by the extent of investor engagement acquired throughout its goal markets and believes the extension will guarantee broader participation by retail, institutional and cross-border traders searching for to be a part of the refinery’s subsequent section of development.
THISDAY learnt that the proceeds are meant to help the enlargement of the refinery advanced in Lagos, which started processing crude oil in early 2024 and has change into central to Nigeria’s ambition to scale back dependence on imported refined petroleum merchandise.
Exchanges throughout Africa had been in discussions with the corporate over preparations to facilitate participation within the itemizing, which might worth the enterprise at near $50 billion. Global depositary receipts have already been made out there to traders in Kenya and Botswana, based on individuals aware of the matter.
However, the providing’s prospectus signifies that the share sale just isn’t registered as a public providing exterior Nigeria, that means traders in different nations should depend on relevant native rules or entry the shares via eligible funding platforms.
The association highlights the challenges dealing with efforts to develop a pan-African investor base, as variations in rules, buying and selling infrastructure and funding procedures proceed to complicate cross-border transactions.
Although the refinery is searching for to draw traders throughout the continent, the absence of a uniform framework for public choices implies that entry to the shares might differ from one nation to a different.
The IPO is due to this fact being considered as a serious check of whether or not African exchanges and regulators can help large-scale fairness choices involving traders from a number of jurisdictions.
The itemizing can also be meant to show the potential of African capital markets to mobilise home financial savings for large-scale industrial growth, decreasing reliance on overseas financing whereas increasing public participation in main companies.
Meanwhile, President and Chief Executive of Dangote (*27*) Limited, Aliko Dangote, has stated Africa must measure financial progress by the productive capability it develops, the employment it generates and the resilience it builds, quite than counting on development figures alone.
Dangote spoke on the inaugural Alamein Africa Forum in Egypt, the place contributors urged African governments to maneuver past financial development figures to constructing productive industries, creating jobs and retaining extra worth from the continent’s pure assets.
The two-day discussion board, held in New Alamein and formally launched by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, introduced collectively heads of state, traders, monetary establishments and private-sector leaders to discover partnerships able to translating Africa’s financial potential into sustainable prosperity.
The assembly was convened by Egypt in collaboration with the African Union (AU), the African Union Development Agency-New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD) and the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank).
Dangote argued that growing native industries, processing uncooked supplies inside the continent and producing higher-value items would assist African nations scale back their dependence on imported gasoline, medicines and expertise.
“Growth does not tell us enough. We should ask: what are we growing, how many productive jobs does it generate, and how much economic resilience does it leave behind?” Dangote stated.
Dangote additionally recognized fragmented rules, inconsistent requirements and cumbersome border procedures as main obstacles to companies searching for to increase throughout African markets.
He careworn that stronger regional integration was essential to allow African firms to realize economies of scale, develop aggressive industries and take part extra successfully in world commerce.
Other African leaders, financiers and enterprise executives on the occasion known as for elevated mobilisation of home capital, stronger regional integration and higher funding in native industries to speed up financial development and scale back the continent’s dependence on imports.
President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank, George Elombi, equally known as for higher African possession of the continent’s financial future, highlighting the position of homegrown monetary establishments in financing growth priorities.
“Elombi highlighted Afreximbank’s support for African economies during periods of disruption and called for assessments of African financial institutions to reflect their performance, ownership models and development role,” the discussion board’s assertion stated.
He additionally counseled Egypt’s longstanding help for the financial institution, describing New Alamein as a spot the place Africans might come collectively to find out their financial future.
Chief Executive Officer of AUDA-NEPAD, Nardos Bekele-Thomas, known as for higher participation by African traders and companies in financing the continent’s transformation, together with via cross-border investments and regional worth chains.
“We need more Africans investing in Africa. We need more African businesses able to go beyond national markets, build regional value chains and compete globally,” she stated.
President of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), Abdullah Almusaibeeh, stated stronger coordination amongst growth finance establishments might unlock further funding for infrastructure and different strategic tasks.
“When we coordinate with other institutions, we can bring substantially more financing to a project than any one institution could provide alone,” he stated, citing alternatives for cooperation with establishments together with the Africa Finance Corporation and the Trade and Development Bank.
Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, emphasised the significance of home manufacturing and worth addition in creating jobs and constructing wealth throughout the continent. “Domestic transformation creates jobs, value addition and wealth,” he stated.
Youssouf additionally known as for measures to make sure that small and medium-sized enterprises benefited from regional integration, together with improved entry to finance, cost programs utilizing native currencies and financing ensures.
The President of Burundi and Chairperson of the African Union, ÉvaristeNdayishimiye, urged worldwide companions to view Africa as a centre of manufacturing, innovation and funding quite than primarily as a marketplace for imported items.
Secretary General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, Wamkele Mene, stated the discussion board’s success ought to in the end be assessed by the industrial transactions and partnerships generated by its discussions.
The programme featured periods on agriculture and meals programs, vitality, infrastructure and logistics, commerce, digital innovation and healthcare markets, bringing collectively policymakers, traders and companies to look at potential areas of collaboration.
Emmanuel Addeh and Peter Uzoho
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