The Board of Directors of the Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc has approved an interim dividend of ₦1 per ordinary share for the six months ended June 30.
The company disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday in Lagos.
According to the statement, the payout of the company’s first interim dividend reflects its strong financial performance in the first half of the year.
The company attributed the strong performance to robust cash generation, a resilient balance sheet, and confidence in the sustainability of its earnings. It noted that the interim dividend represents 56 percent of the total dividend of ₦1.78 per share paid for the 2025 financial year.
Operating income rose by 92 percent to ₦18.51 billion, driven by higher transaction fee income and growth in depository services.
Other contributing factors included expanding collateral management revenues and increased contributions from data and technology-enabled services.
The company added that investment income also grew as it continued to optimize its investment portfolio.
Operating expenses grew by only 38 percent despite the sharp increase in operating income, resulting in a 186 percent rise in operating profit to ₦10.11 billion.
CSCS reported that profit before tax increased by 115 percent to ₦13.21 billion, while earnings per share rose from 109.1 kobo in the corresponding period of 2025 to 190.1 kobo.
According to the statement, the company’s cost-to-income ratio improved to 45.4 percent from 63.2 percent in the first half of 2025, while the operating profit margin increased to 54.6 percent from 36.8 percent.
The company attributed this performance to stronger market activity, improved operational efficiency, disciplined cost management, and the scalability of its business model.
Commenting on the development, the Chairman of CSCS Plc, Mr. Temi Popoola, stated that the interim dividend reflected the board’s confidence in the company’s financial strength, quality of earnings, and long-term strategic direction.
He noted that the performance was driven by stronger market activity, sustained operational efficiency, disciplined cost management, and the continued diversification of revenue streams.
Popoola added that the board remains committed to balancing shareholder returns with investments in technology, innovation, resilience, and new growth opportunities to strengthen CSCS’s position as Nigeria’s leading financial market infrastructure and one of Africa’s foremost post-trade institutions.
Also commenting, the Managing Director of CSCS Plc, Mr. Shehu Shantali, said the company’s first-half performance underscored the resilience of its business model, the dedication of its workforce, and the confidence of market participants.
Shantali noted that the company will continue to strengthen its core market infrastructure, invest in technology and innovation, broaden revenue streams, and enhance value for stakeholders.
He expressed confidence that the company’s strategic priorities would sustain its growth trajectory and support the ongoing development of the capital market.