Oando Raises N30.7 Billion Through Special Placement Exercise

Oando PLC, Nigeria's leading indigenous energy group, listed on both the Nigerian and Johannesburg Stock Exchange has raisedN30.7 billion in capital through a special placement exercise. N19.3Billion of the funds raised will be allocated to reducing the outstanding balance of Oando's ongoing $1.6 billion acquisition of ConocoPhillips' Nigerian assets, which has a scheduled completion date of January 31, 2014.

Following the Company's Completion Board Meeting held on December 16, 2014, the Company received approval from the Securities Exchange Commission to raise the full amount through the issuance of 2.5 billion ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each at N15.00 per share. The shares were fully subscribed to, and bring Oando one step closer to completing the acquisition.

Commenting on the placement exercise, Mr. Wale Tinubu, Group Chief Executive, Oando PLC said: 'This represents another key milestone in the achievement of our overall strategic re-focus. A significant portion of the proceeds will be used to finance the closure of our upstream asset acquisition process; a transaction we believe will transform us into a major indigenous producer of oil in Nigeria. The inherent value to our esteemed shareholders is evident, as we look to grow our asset base and income streams, whilst at the same time enlarging the portion of revenue we are able to declare as profits, through the increased margins the Upstream business offers us. We are excited about the future in store for our Company, as 2014 will witness the culmination of all our efforts over the past 12 months, as we begin to reap the dividends of a carefully planned and executed strategy.'

The capital raise effort is a firm indicator of Oando's short term corporate and operational strategy to vastly increase its equity portfolio through a three-pronged approach to reduce debt, improve diversification in upstream, and focus on higher margins.