COVER
FG Targets N24.5trn into Federation Account in 2024
By Tony Obiechina, Abuja
Federal Government’s revenue accruals to Federation Account is projected to rise to N24.54 trillion in 2024 from N11.86 trillion estimated in 2023, as revenue from the main pool is projected to be N20.70 trillion while Value Added Tax (VAT) pool and Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL) are projected at N3.
66 trillion, and N174. 26 billion respectively.This was even as the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) shared a whopping N903.
480 billion to the three tiers (FG, States and LGAs) for the month of Sept.Director General of Budget Office of the Federation, Mr. Ben Akabueze who disclosed this on the sidelines of the 29th Nigerian Economic Summit in Abuja; gave a breakdown into the 2024-2026 Medium Term Framework and Fiscal Strategy document (MTEF).
Akabueze said the draft 2024-2026 paper was prepared against the backdrop of democratic transition to reflect current realities and new direction of President Bola Tinubu’s administration in addressing key policy and fiscal challenges.
The document showed key parameters to drive the medium-term revenue and expenditure framework for Nigeria in 2014 include: Oil benchmark:2024- $73.96; 2025- $73.76; 2026- $69.90. Oil Production (Mbps): 1.78; 1.80; 1.81. Exchange rate N/$: 700/$; 665.61/$; 669.79/$. Inflation: 21.40 per cent 20.30 percent; 18.60
Other parameters are: Non-oil GDP: Non-Oil GDP (N’bn): N223,989.2; N249,188.0; N278,251.7. Oil GDP (N’bn): 2024-N12,316.0; 2025- N13,225.7; 2026-N14,272.0. Nominal GDP (N’bn): N236,305.2; N262,413.7; N292,523.7. GDP Growth Rate (%): 3.76; 4.22; 4.78. Imports: 32,453.5; 33,401.3; 34,515.4 and Nominal Consumption (N’bn): N163,227.8; N189,992.8; N218,594.2
The projected exchange rates for the Nigerian Naira (N) against the U.S. Dollar ($) are 700 Naira to 1 Dollar in 2024, 665.61 Naira to 1 Dollar in 2025, and 669.79 Naira to 1 Dollar in 2026. These rates reflect the assumed values used for currency conversion in economic calculations.
The oil benchmark reflects the expected price of oil in the years 2024, 2025, and 2026, which increases slightly in 2025 before decreasing in 2026. Oil production is expected to increase slightly over the three-year period.
The exchange rate is expected to fluctuate, decreasing significantly in 2025 before increasing slightly in 2026 while inflation is expected to decrease over the three-year period.
Non-oil GDP is expected to increase steadily, while oil GDP is expected to increase slightly. Nominal GDP which represents the estimated total value of goods and services consumed in the Nigerian economy is expected to increase steadily, with a growth rate of around 4% each year.
Imports which are the estimated total value of goods and services imported into Nigeria are expected to increase over the three-year period, while nominal consumption which represents the estimated total value of goods and services consumed in the Nigerian economy is expected to increase steadily.
These figures indicate that Nigeria’s economy is expected to maintain steady growth over the next few years, with some fluctuations in key parameters such as the exchange rate and oil benchmark. However, there may be continued challenges with inflation and a heavy reliance on oil as a primary source of revenue.
“Accordingly, economic growth is projected to increase to 3.76 per cent, 4.22per cent and 4.78 per centin 2024, 2025 and 2026, respectively, mainly due to strong political will to take tough decisions and implement necessary reforms”, it stated.
The document added that “most of the growth in real GDP during the period will be driven by the anticipated increase in domestic oil refining capacity, telecommunications, crop production, slight growth in investment and employment, with the bulk of projected growth coming from the non-oil sector”
It noted that “the Renewed Hope Agenda (RHA) of the Tinubu Administration has significantly higher growth targets than the National Development Plan (NDP) 2021-25. The NDP is therefore undergoing a review to align its growth aspirations with the RHA”.
Consumption in nominal terms is projected to increase to N163.23 trillion in 2024 and N218.59 trillion in 2026 substantially due to expected increase in wages and cash transfers to households to mitigate the negative impact on their real income of petrol subsidy removal.
Import of goods is projected to increase to N32.45 trillion in 2024 and gradually to N34.51 billion in 2026 due mainly to the effects of depreciation of the domestic currency and imported inflation.
“Inflationary pressure is projected to continue at 21.4% in 2024. A slight reduction in inflation pressure is anticipated from 2025 and 2026 due to the lag effect of tight monetary policy on demand for goods and services, expected lower deficit financing and reduction in supply-side constraints occasioned by a drastic reduction in domestic insecurity, improved infrastructure, and generally better operating environment for businesses’”
The Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) which shared N903.480 billion to the Federal Government, States and Local Government Areas (LGAs) for the month of Sept was chaired by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun on Tuesday at the Ministry of Finance in Abuja.
From the stated amount inclusive of Gross Statutory Revenue, Value Added Tax (VAT), Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL) and Exchange Difference, the Federal Government received N320.543 billion, the States got N287.071 billion while the Local Government Councils collected N210.900 billion.
The Oil Producing States received N84.966 billion as Derivation being the 13% of Mineral Revenue allocated every month.
Also, the sum of N54.426 billion was given as cost of collection, N347,857 billion allocated to Transfers and Refunds, while the sum of N289.000 billion was transferred to Non-Oil Revenue (Savings) for the month of September 2023.
According to the communique, the Gross Revenue available from the Value Added Tax (VAT) for September 2023, was N303.550 billion, which was a decrease from the N345.727 billion distributed in the preceding month, resulting in a decrease of N42.177 billion.
From that amount, the sum of N12.142 billion was allocated for Costs of Collection and the sum of N8.742 billion given for Transfers and Refunds. The remaining sum of N282.666 billion was distributed to the three tiers of government of which the Federal Government got N42.400 billion, the States received N141.333 billion, Local Government Councils got N98.933 billion.
Accordingly, the Gross Statutory Revenue of N1014.953 billion received for the month was higher than the sum of N891.934 billion received in the previous month of August, 2023 by N123.019 billion. From that amount, the sum of N41.826 billion was allocated to Costs of Collection, a total sum of N339.115 billion for Transfers and Refunds and the sum of N211.000 was transferred to Non-Oil Revenue (Savings).
The remaining balance of N423.012 billion was distributed as follows to the three tiers of government: Federal Government was allocated the sum of N190.849 billion, States got N96.801 billion, LGCs got N74.629 billion, and Oil Derivation (13% Mineral Revenue) got N60.733 billion.
Also, the sum of N11.447 billion from Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL) was distributed to the three (3) tiers of government as follows: The Federal Government received N1.648 billion, States got N5.495 billion, Local Government Councils received N3.846 billion and N0.458 billion was allocated to Costs of Collection.
The Communique disclosed that N264.813 billion from Exchange Difference, which was shared as follows: FG received N85.647 billion, the States got N43.442 billion, the sum of N33.491 billion allocated to the LGCs, and N24.233 billion given to Derivation (13% of Mineral Revenue) while the sum of N78.000 billion was transferred to Non-Oil Revenue (Savings).
Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT) and Oil and Gas Royalties increased considerably, while Value Added Tax (VAT), Import and Excise Duties, Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL), Companies Income Tax (CIT) and Custom External Tariff (CET) levies recorded significant decreases.
According to the FAAC, the total revenue distributable for the current month of September 2023, was drawn from Statutory Revenue of N423.012 billion, Value Added Tax (VAT) of N282.666 billion, N10.989 billion from Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL) and N186.813 billion from Exchange Difference, bringing the total distributable amount for the month to N903.480 billion.
The balance in the Excess Crude Account (ECA) as at October 24, 2023 stands at $473,754.57.ade
COVER
Another Blackout as National Grid Collapses Second Time in Two Days
By Mike Odiakose, Abuja
As Nigerians await full power restoration, the national grid has collapsed once again.The national grid collapsed on Tuesday, marking the 10th such incident since January 2024.It was confirmed that, as of 11 am on Thursday, the 22 power plants were only able to generate 2,323 megawatts of electricity, with generation dropping to 0.
00MW. The peak generation for the day was 3,743MW as of 10 am. The Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company reported a power outage at 11:29 am.“Dear Esteemed Customer, please be informed that we experienced a system outage today, 7 November 2024, at 11:29 hrs, affecting supply within our network.“Restoration of supply is ongoing in collaboration with our critical stakeholders. Kindly bear with us,” IKEDC said.The Transmission Company of Nigeria has yet to provide an update on the incident at the time of this report which marks the 11th of such occurrences in 2024.The country recorded more than 93 cases of grid collapse during the eight-year administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari from 2015 to 2023.This persistent grid collapse has led to frequent blackouts, impacting businesses and daily life across the country.Nigeria had, in the past decade, secured about 10 loans totaling about $4.36bn from the World Bank to address challenges in the sector but there has not been any significant improvement even with additional funds from multilateral and donor agencies.This has heightened speculations that a sizable chunk of the loans may not have been disbursed for the purposes for which they were obtained.The frequent fluctuations in power supply have continued to take a toll on industrial and domestic consumers leaving frustration and low productivity in the aftermath.The Bola Tinubu administration has continued to seek additional World Bank loans, securing $1.901 billion in new funds since he assumed office in June 2023.The administration has also been making frantic efforts to expand the nation’s energy options through renewable energy projects.The government has also initiated massive solar energy extension, especially to rural communities across the country to bridge the gaping power gaps.With a population estimated to be more than 200 million, Nigeria has not been able to exceed 5000 Megawatts at any period in the past 10 years despite assurances by successive administrations.More disturbing to Nigerians is the astronomical increase in electricity tariffs across the board, peaking above 400 percent with the last hike that was affected earlier in the year.COVER
FG Defends CNG Vehicle Safety Amid Malaysia’s Phase-out plan
By David Torough, Abuja
The Presidency has sought to allay concerns regarding the safety of Compressed Natural Gas-powered vehicles, recently introduced in Nigeria as an alternative to petrol-powered cars.The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, dismissed these fears in a post on X on Thursday while responding to reports on Malaysia’s plan to phase out CNG-powered vehicles by 2025.
The Malaysian government announced plans to phase out CNG vehicles and end the sale of natural gas vehicles by July 2025. According to local media sources, Malaysia’s Minister of Transport, Anthony Loke, made this announcement at a press conference on Monday.He explained that the decision was intended to protect road users and the public from the potential hazards posed by ageing CNG tanks.Loke was quoted as saying, “These NGV tanks have a safe usage lifespan of approximately 15 years, and if they are not replaced, they become unsafe to use and may fail at any time.” From July 1, 2025, CNG-powered vehicles will no longer be registered or allowed to operate in Malaysia.However, Onanuga clarified that Malaysia’s policy was focused on the safety of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), not CNG.He added that Nigeria chose CNG specifically for its safety and cost-effectiveness, with plans underway to develop domestic tank manufacturing capacity.Onanuga wrote, “Some clarification on Malaysia’s plan to phase out CNG-powered vehicles:“The Malaysian issue relates to the safety of LPG, not CNG. In the original report, Transport Minister Anthony Loke stated, ‘There are also some car owners who have modified their vehicles using liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders, which are very dangerous.’“NGV covers both CNG and LPG. Nigeria, in its transition, has adopted CNG only, not both, due to valid safety and cost concerns regarding LPG.”Onanuga further noted, “Malaysia’s programme for CNG-powered vehicles struggled, achieving only a 0.2% conversion rate over 15 years. By contrast, nations like India, China, Iran, and Egypt have seen considerable success.”He added that Malaysia faced difficulties in replacing 15-year-old tanks due to limited manufacturing capacity, while Nigeria, in its first year of adopting CNG, is already addressing this.Malaysia introduced CNG for taxis and airport limousines in the late 1990s, while Nigeria began its own CNG initiative in 2024 as an alternative transportation fuel.COVER
Zenith Bank Upgrades Infrastructure, Assures of Exceptional Service
By David Torough, Abuja
Zenith Bank Plc has assured its teeming customers of exceptional service delivery and improved customer experience following the successful completion of its Information Technology Infrastructure Upgrade.
The Group Managing Director/Chief Executive of the bank, Dr.
Adaora Umeoji in a statement expressed her immense gratitude to all customers of the bank for their patience and support during its recent IT infrastructure migration to a new and more robust operating system.Umeoji emphasized that the bank was committed to delivering unparalleled service experience, saying “We undertook such an extensive endeavor in other to better position Zenith Bank Plc for improved service delivery to all our valued customers and provide memorable banking experiences at all our touchpoints,” adding that the bank now has one of the best technology infrastructure in the Nigerian banking industry, and is well positioned to ensure customers experience exceptional service delivery going forward.
Zenith Bank has continued to distinguish itself in the Nigerian financial services industry through superior service offering, unique customer experience and sound financial indices.
The bank has remained a clear leader in the digital space with several firsts in the deployment of innovative products, solutions and an assortment of alternative channels that ensure convenience, speed and safety of transactions.
The bank’s track record of excellent performance has continued to earn the brand numerous awards including being recognised as the Number One Bank in Nigeria by Tier-1 Capital for the 15th consecutive year in the 2024 Top 1000 World Banks Ranking, published by The Banker Magazine. The Bank was also awarded the Bank of the Year (Nigeria) in The Banker’s Bank of the Year Awards for 2020 and 2022; and Most Sustainable Bank, Nigeria 2023 and 2024 in the International Banker Banking Awards.
Further recognitions include being recognised as Best Bank in Nigeria for the fourth time in five years, from 2020 to 2022 and in 2024, in the Global Finance World’s Best Banks Awards; Best Commercial Bank, Nigeria for four consecutive years from 2021 to 2024 in the World Finance Banking Awards. Additionally, Zenith Bank has been acknowledged as the Best Corporate Governance Bank, Nigeria, in the World Finance Corporate Governance Awards for three consecutive years, from 2022 to 2024, ‘Best in Corporate Governance’ Financial Services’ Africa for four consecutive years from 2020 to 2023 by the Ethical Boardroom.
The Bank’s commitment to excellence saw it being named the Most Valuable Banking Brand in Nigeria in the Banker Magazine Top 500 Banking Brands for 2020 and 2021; Bank of the Year for 2023 and 2024, and Retail Bank of the Year for three consecutive years from 2020 to 2022 and in 2024 at the BusinessDay Banks and Other Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards. The Bank also received the accolades of Best Commercial Bank, Nigeria and Best
Innovation in Retail Banking, Nigeria, in the International Banker 2022 Banking Awards, Bank of the Decade (People’s Choice) at the ThisDay Awards 2020, Bank of the Year 2021 by Champion Newspaper, Bank of the Year 2022 by New Telegraph Newspaper, and Most Responsible Organisation in Africa 2021 by SERAS Awards.