Unlisted OTC MARKET | |
Unlisted OTC MARKET | |
894 VIEWS | |
![]() | |
PROSHARE | |
PROSHARE |
Friday July 31, 2020 / 06:45 AM / by NASD Plc/
Header Image Credit: NASD Plc
COVID 19's Impact Series: Educational Sector
The Coronavirus Pandemic has no doubt
affected the Nigerian and the global economy. The Educational Sector is also a
part of the receiving end. According to UNESCO, more than 1.5 billion students
and youths across the planet are affected by school and university closures due
to the COVID-19 outbreak. This severe short-term disruption in the educational
sector is felt by many families around the world as home schooling is not only
a massive shock to parents' productivity, but also to children's social life and
learning. Many assessments have simply been cancelled. Importantly, these
interruptions will not just be a short-term issue, but would most likely also
have long-term consequences for the affected cohorts.
To cushion the effects of the pandemic,
teaching is moving online, on an untested and unprecedented scale and the world
is embracing technological innovations. Virtual interactions are increasingly
adopted to replace face-to-face engagements and limit the total disruption to
the sector. UNESCO has recommended the use of distance learning programmes,
open educational applications, and platforms by schools and teachers to reach
learners remotely, through means such as airing school lessons on radio and
television. Student assessments are also moving online, with a lot of trial and
error and uncertainty for everyone.
As pleasant as the solution provided by
UNESCO might seem, students from under-served low-income communities will be
left out and unable to access learning during this period. Nigeria currently
has more than 50% of her population living in poverty, with many of the
citizens struggling to afford three square meals, despite the palliative
measures by the government. Ultimately, this means that there are a lot of
students who do not have access to either radio or television as recommended,
coupled with the issue of erratic power supply. Such students also have no
internet access nor educational technological resources, a situation that is
creating a gap in their academic progress for as long as this pandemic
persists. So, what exactly is the next step to take?
In Nigeria, some state governments, such
as Kwara and Lagos States currently use local media channels such as radio
programmes to reach out to learners in remote communities. The government could
further mitigate the negative impact of Covid-19 on education by investing in
the provision of solar-powered educational gadgets, pre-loaded with offline
academic resources to learners, especially in disadvantaged and vulnerable
communities. This will ensure continuity in learning for most learners who are
unable to access digital learning resources during this period. Also, teachers
need to be trained on how best to deliver radio lessons. Such training can be
done using virtual platforms. These policy measures would require significant
financial investment, but such investment would go a long way for the progress
of the economy in the long-term.
Also, countries must prioritize the
reopening of schools as soon as it is safe to do so, so that we will not see a
complete reversal of the gains achieved in the education sector over the
decades. The longer children stay out of school, the less likely they are to
ever return.
In conclusion, it is a known fact that
Education stills remains the key to the economic development of any country.
However, due to the COVID 19 Pandemic, education in Nigeria and the world has
been adversely struck and it is up to the Government and citizens to ensure
that all measures must be taken to ensure that Learning Never stops
Year-to-Date Overview
NASD OTC Securities Exchange Market closed
on a positive note YTD as the market recorded an increase in performance. NASD
Security Index Year to date return rose by 0.47%. Total volume traded
Year-to-Date stands at 7,817,969,286 units in 909 deals and total Value traded
is N10,466,008,004.42.
Week 31 Overview
NASD OTC Securities Exchange closed the
week with a negative return on NSI. The NSI return fell by -0.81% to close the
week at 700.82 points against 706.52 points in the preceding Friday, July 24
2020.
In addition, Week 31 saw NASD Investors
lose N419 Billion
in value. NASD OTC Market capitalization closed at N514.80 Billion
compared to N518.99
Billion in the preceding Friday, resulting from a negative movement of prices.
There was a 791.68% increase in the total
value traded during the week as week 31 saw NASD Investors trade a total of N70,635,325.40
in value compared to N7,921,583.50 in the previous week. Total trade
activity for the year is valued at N10,466,008,004.42.
In the same pattern, volume traded during
the week was 1,952,219.00 units compared to 99,970 units in the previous week
leading to a 1,852.80% increase in trade volume compared to week 30. Total
volume traded for the year is 7,817,969,286 units.
Top Traded Securities by
Volume
The week closed with Central Securities
Clearing System Plc ranking top among five most traded securities by volume and
UBN Properties Plc as the fifth most traded stock by volume in week 31.
Top Traded Securities by
Values
The week closed with FrieslandCampina
Wamco Nigeria Plc ranking top among top five most traded securities by value
and UBN Properties Plc stood as the fifth most traded Security by Value for the
week.
Advancers for the Week
One of NASD OTC stocks closed the week
with a positive movement in the price. FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc,
which currently holds a Market Capitalization of N120.35 Billion
closes the week at N123.27 representing a 1.75 percent increase from the
previous close of N121.15.
Decliners for the Week
Two of NASD OTC Stocks closed the week
with negative movement in prices. Afriland Properties Plc which currently holds
a Market Capitalization of N2.72 Billion closes the week at N1.98
representing a -10.00 percent decrease from the previous close of N2.2.
Niger Delta Exploration and Production Plc
which currently holds a Market Capitalization of N49.67 Billion
closes the week at N273.82 representing a -10.71 percent decrease from the
previous close of N306.65.
Related News