Prime Business Africa
The palm oil sector recorded a historical period in 2025, as the rush for the few producers on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX), also known as the stock market, birthed two trillion-naira companies in the bourse and added N1.23 trillion to shareholders’ wealth between January and December last year.
According to Prime Business Africa’s (PBA) analysis, the industry went through a bullish phase, with shareholders of Okomu Oil Palm Plc, Presco Plc, and Ellah Lakes Plc — the only listed palm oil companies on NGX — recording threefold growth, indicating the firms were seen as assets that could be used to hedge against inflation.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThe positive sentiment among investors in the stock market is reflected in the combined market valuation of the palm oil companies, as it increased from the N989.31 billion recorded at the start of the first quarter (Q1) to N2.22 trillion registered at the end of the fourth quarter (Q4).
Prime Business Africa gathered that the 124.61 percent increase in the combined market capitalisation of the palm oil companies was driven by Ellah Lakes Plc and Presco.
How The Palm Oil Companies Performed
Ellah Lakes
The investment held by investors in Ellah Lakes grew by 345.18 percent between the first quarter and the fourth quarter of last year, making the company’s share the most sought-after among its peers in the stock market.
- Ellah Lakes’ share had started 2025 at a value of N3.01 per share, but ended the same year with N13.40 kobo, indicating equity traders were willing to buy the company’s share at N10.39 kobo higher.
- This resulted in Ellah Lakes’ shareholders’ investments growing threefold, representing a combined gain of N40.08 billion between January and December last year, leading to the firm’s market capitalisation rising from N11.61 billion to N51.69 billion.
Presco Plc
For investors who held their Presco shares throughout last year, they experienced a 205.26 percent growth in their investments, after the company’s share price jumped by N975 during the period.
- The threefold growth, which made the company the second-best-performing palm oil share in the NGX, occurred after Presco’s share price increased from N475 per share on January 2, 2025, to N1,450 on December 31, 2025.
- Following the increase in the share price, shareholders of Presco recorded a combined gain of N1.13 trillion, with the company also joining the trillionaire club in the Nigerian stock market at the end of trading last year.
- Presco’s market valuation increased to N1.69 trillion at the end of December, from the N554.16 billion the company was valued at the start of January, making the firm the most valuable palm oil producer in Nigeria.
Okomu Oil
Okomu Oil is the third-best-performing company among its peers after the company’s shareholders recorded a 146.62 percent increase in their investments, which represents a combined gain of N620.99 billion.
- This made Okomu Oil a trillion-naira company in the NGX and the second most valuable palm oil producer on the NGX, as its market valuation surged to N1.04 trillion at the end of Q4, from N423.53 billion recorded at the beginning of Q1.
- Okomu Oil’s market valuation skyrocketed after its share soared from N444 on January 2, 2025, to N1,095 on December 31, 2025, indicating the company’s share became more expensive by N651 due to a surge in demand.
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Prime Business Africa is a business, economy and policy news platform founded in 2021 by veteran journalist and media scholar, Dr Marcel Mbamalu, after he left The Guardian as Editor.
Dr Mbamalu, who serves as Founder and Publisher, set up Prime Business Africa to deliver sharp, data-driven reporting on Nigeria’s markets, trade, investment, and governance trends for decision-makers, entrepreneurs, and policy leaders.
He also writes The Bottom Line, a backpage column for Punch Newspaper every Thursday.
Under his leadership, Prime Business Africa combines deep newsroom experience with a focus on accountability journalism, aiming to bridge information gaps between Africa’s private sector and the global economy.
