THISDAY

NAHCO Records N203m Profit in Six Months, Market Rebounds

- Goddy Egene and Nosa Alekhuogie

Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (nahco aviance) Plc has posted improved results for the half year ended June 30, 2017, raising investors’ hopes for higher dividend at the end of the year.

The company posted a revenue of N3.707 billion and profit before tax of N203 million for the H1 of 2017. Although the revenue showed a decline compared with N3.674 billion in the correspond­ing period of 2016, the PBT was higher than the N125 million recorded in 2016.

Profit after tax similarly rose by 94 per cent to N176 million, compared with N90.5 million in 2016. Market operators said if NAHCO could maintain the trend in the remaining half of the year, shareholde­rs should expect a higher dividend.

The company had paid a dividend of 22 kobo per share for 2017, which was approved by the shareholde­rs at the 36th annual general meeting (AGM) of the company in Abuja in July.

The elated shareholde­rs commended the board and management for the improved results despite the challengin­g operating environmen­t.

Also, the shareholde­rs pledged their support for better future results and urged the board and management to sustain the performanc­e.

In his address to the shareholde­rs, Chairman of NAHCO, Usman Bello said in spite of the recession and the global weakness in the aviation sector, the company’s performanc­e was commendabl­e.

“Our resilience as a company and our debt management strategies resulted in Bond 1 repayment of the N2.15 billion in the third quarter of 2016,” he said. Speaking on the diversific­ation programme, Bello noted that NAHCO Free Trade Zone (NFZ), that was approved by shareholde­rs in 2011 a subsidiary of the company has made some milestone.

“Some of the services offered by the NFZ include: cargo handling, supply chain management, logistics, equipment leasing and other value-added services.

Phase I of its developmen­t has been completed and now operating at almost full capacity. We are currently making preparatio­ns to start building phase 11 and phase 111 of the company,” he said.

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