Berkshire Asset Management Limited has officially opened subscription for the Berkshire Money Market Fund (the “Fund”), an open-ended unit trust scheme registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), offering 2,000,000,000 units at N1.00 per unit.
The Fund is designed to provide investors with capital preservation, high liquidity, and competitive income returns consistent with prevailing opportunities in the Nigerian money market. It will invest primarily in short-term, investment-grade money market instruments, with its performance benchmarked against the average yield of 91-day Nigerian Treasury Bills.
Subscription opens at a minimum of 10,000 units (N10,000), with subsequent investments available in multiples of 5,000 units (N5,000). The Fund is structured for retail investors, high-net-worth individuals, as well as domestic and foreign institutional investors seeking professional management, liquidity, and exposure to low-risk, short-term debt instruments.
Speaking at the formal launch in Lagos, Adesole Odusote, managing director/CEO of Berkshire Asset Management Limited, described the Fund as a transformative step for everyday investors.
“The launch of the Berkshire Money Market Fund is a significant milestone in our journey to optimize capital allocation for economic development,” Odusote said. “By leveraging technology to democratise investment, we are pooling small amounts from everyday individuals to grant them access to low-risk, high-yielding short-term debt instruments that were previously out of reach.”
Highlighting the strategic vision behind the Fund, Usman Abdulqadir, chairman of Berkshire Asset Management Limited, noted that the initiative addresses key inefficiencies that retail investors face when attempting to manage individual fixed-income assets directly.
“Berkshire Asset Management was founded with the intent to deepen the Nigerian capital markets through suitable products for the investing public,” Abdulqadir stated. “Traditionally, investors buy individual assets like Treasury bills or bonds directly, which forces them to manage interest rate risks, duration, daily valuation changes, and macroeconomic shifts by themselves. That is a tasking job.”
“An easier, more efficient way, which is standard in developed markets, is professional management. Berkshire pools funds from investors, applies rigorous market analysis, pricing, diversification, and risk management, and delivers optimal returns. Investors enjoy higher rates than traditional savings accounts while retaining seamless access to their funds whenever needed,” he added.
Supporting the governance and investor protection structure of the Fund, Akindele Ogundepo, managing director of CFG Africa Trustees Limited, emphasized the role of independent oversight in safeguarding subscriber assets and maximizing value for everyday Nigerians.
“The Money Market Fund provides a safe, structured gateway for people to start investing and growing their wealth,” Ogundepo said.
“When an individual puts N10,000 or N20,000 in a standard savings account, the returns are modest. However, when those funds are pooled together and managed effectively by a professional manager like Berkshire, investors gain access to institutional-grade yields they ordinarily couldn’t access on their own.”
“As Trustees, our mandate is simple: we provide strict oversight to ensure that every naira is invested exactly as promised, that dividends are paid as due, and that unit holders remain fully protected,” Ogundepo assured.
The Fund launch was attended by key transaction parties, including CFG Africa Trustees Limited as Trustee, Rand Merchant Bank Nigeria Limited as Custodian, and Cordros Registrars Limited as Registrar. The Fund is rated by DataPro Limited and audited by Ijewere & Co.
Berkshire Asset Management Limited is registered and regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Nigeria, as a Fund/Portfolio Manager.
Chinwe Michael is a Nigerian business journalist and media professional with over 4 years of experience covering companies, financial markets, banking, fintech, economic policy, financial inclusion, and corporate affairs. She currently leads the Companies & Markets desk at BusinessDay, where she drives coverage of Nigeria’s corporate and capital markets, translates complex financial data into accessible stories, and mentors younger journalists. Prior to that, she was the head of the financial inclusion/fintech desk. With a background in banking and finance and extensive experience in media and communications, Michael has developed expertise in financial journalism, economic analysis, investigative reporting and market intelligence. Her work examines how monetary policy, corporate performance, capital flows, technology, and regulatory decisions affect businesses, investors, and households. She was selected from about 3,000 applicants as one of 20 journalists for Cohort 4 of the MTN Media Innovation Programme, gaining exposure to new approaches to journalism, technology, and media innovation. Her international journalism experience and engagement with professionals across Russia, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, and others in different sectors have further broadened her understanding of global communication and development.
