Ardova Posts Revenue Of N62.9bn In Q1

Ardova Plc has reported a revenue of N62.935 billion for the first quarter (Q1) ended March 31, 2022, showing an increase by 49.89 per cent, compared with N41.987 billion posted in the corresponding period of 2021.

The company yesterday released its full year 2021 and Q1n 2022 results on the Nigerian Exchange Limited.

Ardova stated that, “it posted a profit of N1.54 bilion in the year ended December 31, 2021. However, losses from subsidiaries Axles and Cartage, and newly acquired Enyo Retail and Supply Limited created a Group net loss position of N3.8 billion.

“In Q1 2022, AP’s performance shows significant improvements as yields from investments made in 2021 contribute to growth in revenue, sales volume, and profits.”

Speaking on the company’s performance, chief executive officer of Ardova, Olumide Adeosun said: “2021 proved to be an eventful year for Ardova Plc, as it marked the completion of our stabilization strategy, with the consequent strengthened balance sheet providing the leverage for the inorganic expansion required to evolve Ardova into an integrated energy company.”

Highlighting parts of the expansion phase that became material in 2021, Adeosun stated that, “in the course of the year, we concluded a landmark capital raise of N25.3 billion in an over-subscribed bond that was the largest by any downstream company in Nigeria, and an indication of investor confidence in Ardova’s future. We also concluded the acquisition of Enyo Retail and Supply Limited (ERSL) in a deal that makes our retail network the largest in Nigeria.”

He added that the company also made further investments in cleaner energy infrastructure, as it commenced onsite work on its 20,000 metric tonne Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) storage facility in Ijora, saying that Ardova won a license to operate an Oil Marginal Field following a successful bid in the 2020 round, thereby increasing the company’s potential for foreign currency revenue generation.

The chief financial officer of Ardova, Moshood Olajide noted that, “the company continued to deliver on profits, as we ended Q1 with a profit-after-tax position of N1.6 billion, which is a growth of 37 per cent compared to same period in 2021.

“We also continued to increase our capital expenditure, principally in investments that facilitate our strategic expansion, and we expect to see returns within a three-year windowm”

Olajide further noted that “As a group, we were negatively impacted by our subsidiaries, Axles & Cartage Limited, which faced operational environment issues and the newly acquired Enyo, which is presently undergoing a transformation process to drive operational efficiency and profitability.”

Adeosun stated that, “the loss experienced in 2021 are an expected reflection of the strategic inorganic growth programme of the company, and do not affect the viability of the company, especially as some of the immediate benefits of this programme were illustrated by the better year on year performance recorded in our Q1 2022 results.”

He also stated once fully integrated, the acquisitions alongside the AP Renewables subsidiary will provide and safeguard Ardova’s capacity to thrive as global energy consumption tilts to cleaner sources.