With just few days to 2016, the horizon is becoming clearer on what to expect in the coming year and so are the entities that would shape 2016. They are 16 in number. These 16 entities will have profound impact on what we do, the way we live and what happens to the economy in 2016. Their impact and influence cut across several sectors – financial, agriculture, energy, manufacturing, telecoms, taxation, and the public sector.
1. MTN Nigeria

In terms of size and sphere of influence in the Nigerian telecoms sector, MTN Nigeria stands out as one of the players to watch out for in 2016. According to Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC) statistics, as at September 2015, MTN has 62.5 million subscribers, making it the largest telecoms company in Nigeria –with about a third of the Nigerian population on its network.

2. Globacom
Globacom, a privately owned telecommunications carrier established by a business mogul, Chief Mike Adenuga, started operations on August 29, 2003. It currently operates in four countries in West Africa, namely Nigeria, Republic of Benin, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire. As at September this year, Globacom remained the second largest GSM firm in terms of the size of subscribers as 31.3 million subscribers were recorded for the company in the period.
As the second largest GSM firm, the mantle of leadership may naturally fall on Globacom next year should MTN fail to successfully weather the storm caused by the NCC sanction.

3. Etisalat
Etisalat is a multinational UAE-based telecommunications services provider, currently operating in 15 countries across Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
It commenced commercial operations on October 23, 2008 with a promise to deliver innovative and quality services in Nigeria.
Although, it is the latest entrant into the Nigerian GSM market, Etisalat Nigeria has been able to etch its name in the consciousness of Nigerian GSM subscribers very fast.

4. FBN Holdings
FBN Holdings is expected to add a new operating momentum to the business in 2016 with a new management already waiting to engineer a turnaround from day one of next year. The new management will have to bring in innovative approaches to deal with two major cost increases that have undermined the bank’s profit capacity at the moment. These are impairment charges for loan losses and interest expenses, which are claiming much of the increase in the bank’s earnings. A change in the cost-income ratio needs to happen to reinforce profit capacity.

5. Access Bank
Access Bank seems to be in the cruising altitude after a new management launched it into a new phase of growth last year. Its growth momentum increased in 2014, which has been sustained so far in 2015. The bank is cutting a growing market share and advancing its positioning on the industry competitive ranking. At the end of 2014, Access Bank was the fifth largest in Nigeria by both gross earnings and profit numbers. By the 2015 high growth rate, it could land on the third position in the industry at the end of the year..

6. Fidelity Bank
Fidelity Bank has been in the news for past couple of weeks on account of its rebranding efforts, but the greater expectation is how the effort would impact on the bottomline. It is on a good note thus far. Fidelity Bank is sustaining recovery on the earnings track for the second year in 2015 after huge credit losses caused a sharp drop in profit in 2013. The bank made a remarkable move in rebuilding profit in 2014 and further growth is expected in the current financial year albeit a slow down. A moderate year-on-year profit growth was reported by the bank’s management in the first quarter, as costs failed to moderate and interest income dropped.

7. Guaranty Trust Bank
Guaranty Trust Bank has a unique strength in the ability to maintain reasonable stability in both good and bad operating seasons. Indeed, bank watchers say this is one feat that has singled out the bank among peers.
The ability to shield earnings from violent fluctuations remains its strength in the midst of the operating difficulties facing banks and industries..

8. Zenith Bank
Zenith Bank is sustaining a rebound it registered last year and profit is headed for a new high. Its profit had declined in 2013 from the all-time peak of N100.15 billion in 2012 and a recovery in 2014 still fell a little short of the 2012 peak. The bank has stepped up growth in both gross earnings and profit this year and is expected to finish the year with accelerated growth in both.

9. Central Bank of Nigeria
For a number of reasons, all eyes will be on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in 2016. First, Nigerians and other members of the international community would want to see how the apex bank would work with the new cabinet, especially the newly restructured ministries of Finance, Budget Planning and Trade and Investment.

10. Nigerian Stock Exchange
As the second largest bourse in Africa, the Nigerian Stock Exchange has over 200 listed companies made up of several major brands in diverse sectors including financial services, resources, construction and information & communications technology.
Given the impact of the exit of foreign portfolio investors on the performance of the Nigerian bourse, the management of the NSE will also be expected to embark on a robust image laundering exercise in order to allay the fears of foreign portfolio investors on Nigerian economy.

11. Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation
As the fortunes of oil dwindle following the plummeting of prices at the international market, Nigeria is now in the eye of the storm. The unpleasant situation that the country finds herself calls for ingenuity of handlers of the oil revenue generating organ, which is the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

12. Federal Inland Revenue Service
The reality in Nigeria today is that oil revenue will not be enough to sustain the economy, it therefore behooves on the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), the nation’s revenue agency, to be creative and aggressive in generating revenue for the country. In essence, it means FIRS is expected to focus more on non-oil taxes in its revenue generating drive, while also ensuring improvement in the collection of oil tax revenue.

13. Nigeria Customs Service
For long, the idea of diversifying the economy has been on the drawing board. Several top government officials often use several public functions to express the need to diversify the economy. The calls were hinged on the need to address the over dependence of the Nigerian economy on crude oil. From experience over the years, such calls were ignored and in some cases treated with levity. Government officials were merely mouthing it.

14. Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
Riding to power on the crest of his avowed commitment to fight corruption head-long, it is certain that the ongoing anti-corruption crusade of President Muhammad Buhari administration will continue in 2016 and one agency which would be at the fore-front of that crusade is the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). With plummeting oil prices and dwindling revenue accruing to the government, tackling corruption and plugging leakages in government finances have become top priorities in the present dispensation.

15. Dangote Group
Dangote Group is a conglomerate covering the cement, agriculture and energy sectors of the economy with an annual turnover of N450 billion (US$3 billion). Its activities involve manufacturing/ importation, packaging and distribution of cement, salt, sugar and flour as well as logistics, real estate and refinery.

16. Notore Chemical Industries
Notore Chemical Industries is one of the biggest fertilizer and agro-allied companies in Nigeria nay Africa.
With the attention of the federal government turning to agriculture in the spirit of the diversification of the economy, a lot will be expected from Notore in contributing to the government’s effort at making the country self-sufficient in food production as well as making agriculture a major revenue earner for the country.

Source : http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/sixteen-entities-to-watch/227252/

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