40 | The Lion King
Investment
How GIS manages
your investment
By Taiwo Sonola
G
lobal Investment Services (GIS)
is a division of UBA Plc set up in
September 2007 to process se-
curities trades, and ensure safekeeping
of financial assets and service associ-
ated portfolios. GIS provides custody
services for financial assets or instru-
ments. This involves safekeeping of the
securities, accurate book keeping and
efficient handling of securities transac-
tions.
GIS acts as custodian to a full range of
financial assets in Nigeria and the fran-
cophone countries. The financial instru-
ments that GIS take custody of include
bonds, shares, Treasury Bills as well as
Eurobonds and Staff Share Investment
Trust Scheme (SSIT).
Though GIS services are mainly em-
ployed by Global Custodians and
depositories including the Bank of New
York Mellon, Fund and Asset Managers,
Insurance companies, Banks, Nigerian
Discount Houses, Merchant Banks, Col-
lective Investment Schemes (CIS) and
Institutional Investors, GIS also provides
services for High Net-worth Individuals
(HNIs) seeking professional manage-
ment of their investments in financial
instruments and assets.
HNIs that choose GIS services enjoy ef-
ficient handling of their securities trans-
actions, the collection and disburse-
ment of dividends, interest, coupon on
their behalf and an accurate record
keeping and timely reports of their
financial position.
Specifically, GIS provides daily valuation
of fund holdings based on the current
market price as frequently as it is re-
quired by the Client.
GIS monitors, collects, reports on and
pays dividends, interest income and bo-
nuses to clients and also advises clients
appropriately on rights issues. GIS also
maintains electronic records of out-
standing corporate entitlements
and monitors till full collection.
Foreign currencies can be pur-
chased from UBA Treasury on
behalf of GIS Clients to ena-
ble the settlement of trades
offshore or invest in assets like
Eurobonds
GIS also helps clients take
advantage of cost efficien-
cies on a wide range of accounts by
collecting dividends and interest pay-
ments, depositing or remitting income
as directed and automatically investing
available cash in a money market fund
to ensure competitive rate of return.
The services provided by GIS is regu-
lated by the Securities and Exchange
Commission (Custody Services), Central
Bank of Nigeria (For Money market
and other fixed instruments) and is also
empowered by a sub regional custo-
dy license for the eight francophone
countries; Senegal, Benin, Burkina Faso,
Guinea Bissau, Togo, Benin, Niger and
Mali.
