Lagos State restructures N167.5 billion bond series

28 Apr 2016
Financial Nigeria

Summary

The restructuring agreement accelerates repayment terms and will generate savings of more than N40 billion for the government over the next five years.

Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode

The Lagos State government said on Wednesday that it has completed the restructuring of its N167.5 billion Programme II, Series 1 and 2 Bonds.

According to a statement signed by the Commissioner for Finance, Akinkunmi Mustapha, the restructuring was finalized after the Securities and Exchange Commission gave approval last week to the agreement reached between the state government and 99.6 percent of bondholders.

Mustapha said the restructuring agreement accelerates repayment terms and will generate savings of more than N40 billion for the government over the next five years.

“Aside the significant cash savings generated, it also creates additional borrowing capacity to enable the state continue its investments in physical, economic and social infrastructure,” Mustapha said.

“Much of the significant progress in Lagos State over the last 16 years can be attributed to funding through the debt capital market. Our bondholders’ support of this restructuring confirms the level of confidence the market has in the current administration and Lagos State did not partake in the recent bail-outs provided either by the Federal Government’s Debt Management Office or the Central Bank of Nigeria.”

The restructured bonds are: an N80 billion seven-year bond with a coupon rate of 14.5 percent due in 2019 and an N87.5 billion bond with a coupon rate of 13.5 percent due in 2020. The coupon rates on the bonds will not be affected by the restructuring, Mustapha said.

“We thank all our bond creditors for their continued support of the State Government, in a difficult market environment. This restructuring completed entirely through domestic capital markets, once again underpins the strength of the Lagos State credit story,” the Commissioner for Finance said.


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