Universal Insurance seals N7.1bn capital injection deal as fate hangs on NAICOM

Embattled Universal Insurance Plc has entered into a binding N7.128 billion private placement agreement with FPNG Co-Nvest Limited, a transaction that could provide the insurer with the capital needed to clear the regulatory hurdle under Nigeria’s recently concluded insurance industry recapitalisation exercise.

Under the agreement, FPNG will inject N7.128 billion in fresh equity capital into Universal Insurance through a private placement in exchange for additional shares, resulting in FPNG becoming the company’s majority shareholder with a 50.1 percent equity stake.

The transaction comes as Universal Insurance remains among the insurers that did not scale the recapitalisation hurdle as published by the National Insurance Commission’s (NAICOM).

In a market update to the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX), signed by Chinedu Onyilimba, company secretary, Universal Insurance said the transaction, once concluded, would enable the company to exceed its regulatory capital requirement while maintaining a robust solvency margin.

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“The Company entered into a binding investment agreement with FPNG Co-Nvest Limited, under which FPNG would invest a total of N7.128 billion of equity capital via a private placement into Universal Insurance in exchange for additional shares in the Company,” Onyilimba said.

He added that the transaction would result in FPNG attaining a majority equity holding of 50.1 percent in Universal Insurance.

The company said its board and management are currently engaging with NAICOM and other relevant regulators on the transaction, with regulatory approvals forming the next critical step before completion.

Universal Insurance said it had already secured the relevant board and shareholder approvals for the transaction and remained committed to fulfilling all applicable regulatory requirements.

The says it would continue to keep the NGX, shareholders and the investing public informed of material developments as the transaction progresses.

FPNG Co-Nvest Limited is an active institutional investment vehicle and subsidiary of FigPoint (Fig Partners Africa). It holds substantial equity stakes in major Nigerian publicly listed companies, reflecting a strategic investment focus on the country’s capital market and financial sector