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Downstream Sector:  FG’s Deficit Spending to Rise by 106%

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There were indications over the weekend, that the Federal Government’s deficit spending in the downstream sector will increase by 106 per cent as landing cost of petrol rise to N315.46 per litre, from N295 per litre.

The most recent driver of the trend is the recent increase of freight rate to N20.

46 per litre, from N10.
46 per litre.

At the current price of N165 per litre of petrol, the government through the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC Limited, pays about N295 per litre as an under-recovery or subsidy.

But the level of government exposure would hit the roofs at N315.46 per litre, as the government has already expressed commitment to paying the new rate from June 2022.

Already the petroleum industry authorities are said to be racking their heads on ways and means to pay the new freight rate which was not provided for in the 2022 budget.

A top industry source, who pleaded anonymity, said: “The government has made a pronouncement after considering different options. Consultations are still ongoing. Let us wait and  see what happens.”

The officials of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA, created in August 2021 in line with the Petroleum Industry Act 2021, did not respond, at the weekend.

NMDPRA, had earlier stated: “President Muhammadu Buhari has considered and approved the upward review in freight rate for transporters to alleviate the challenges associated with the distribution of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) nationwide.

“The approval was after due consultations with industry-wide stakeholders at the instance of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (the Authority).

“The review was necessitated by the upswing in the global price of petroleum products especially Automotive Gasoil (Diesel) and its implication on the cost of transporting Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) nationwide.

“Consequently, the Authority wishes to advise that in line with the mandate of the Authority as prescribed in the PIA (Section 31(i)) to develop and enforce a framework on tariffing and pricing for natural gas and petroleum products, the transporters freight rate has been reviewed to reflect current market realities.

“The revised freight rate takes effect from 1st June 2022 while still maintaining the current regulated PMS pump price of N165.00/Litre.

“An Inter-agency Team is being constituted to ensure reconciliation and payment of outstanding transporters claims in line with established payment procedure under the Bridging Fund Scheme. NNPC, the sole supplier of PMS, has maintained over 32 days of sufficiency in-country.

“We believe the increase in transporters freight rate will further encourage Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) and other stakeholders to deploy more trucks to transport PMS nationwide to ensure adequate supply of the product”.

In any case, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), has blamed ongoing petrol scarcity across the country on supply shortage and the high cost of running their operations.

IPMAN Public Relations Officer, Chief Chinedu Ukadike in a chat said most inland depots were dry and had no product from Lagos and other coastal depots.

Chief Ukadike stated that the high cost of freighting the product from the southern depots has also made it impossible for marketers to operate profitably despite the recent N10.46 per litre rate hike by the government.

According to him, “Depots in Makurdi, Enugu, Mossimi and Owerri cannot access petroleum products because they cannot be pumped. Since our refineries are bad, products are no longer being pumped through the pipelines. It cost marketers close to N40 per litre to freight the product to the stations from the South and that is after buying it for N162/litre from the private depot owners.”

The Executive Director, NMDPRA, Ugbugo Ukoha, who inspected facilities in Lagos, had said: “When we observed that the high price of diesel poses a big challenge in the movement of other products, we made the representation to the minister of state for petroleum and Mr. President graciously approved that the freight rate for trucks is increased.”

 ”There is an addition, which we will apply to the different routes to enable trucks to move to docks easily with less burden. With these kinds of efforts from the government, we can only continue to appeal to operators within this industry to play by the rules.

“PMS is a regulated product and the prices are fixed. The ex-depot price is known. The pump price remains N165 and the authority is ever ready to enforce those rules. So, we will continue to urge Nigerians to keep within these operating rules.”

But industry leaders, who pleaded anonymity, said the government must have made adequate plans before declaring its commitment to paying the new freight rate.

Also, in a telephone interview over the weekend, the President, NARTO, Yusuf Othman, said: “The situation in the downstream sector is very critical, due mainly to the high cost of diesel. We thank the government for coming up with the new freight, which we hope will go a long way to enhancing operations.”

“Indeed, we are hopeful that it will enable our members to deliver petrol to all parts of the nation, which has been constrained in the high price of diesel.”

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Business News

Tinubu Congratulates Dangote on World Bank Appointment

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By Jennifer Enuma, Abuja

President Bola Tinubu has congratulated Alhaji Aliko Dangote, the President of Dangote Group, on his appointment to the World Bank’s Private Sector Investment Lab, a body tasked with promoting investment and job creation in emerging economies.

In a statement by Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Bayo Onanauga, the President described the appointment as apt, given Dangote’s rich private sector experience, strategic investments, and many employment opportunities created through his Dangote Group.

The Dangote Group became one of Africa’s leading conglomerates through innovation and continuous investment.

Dangote Group’s business interests span cement, fertiliser, salt, sugar, oil, and gas. However, the $20 billion Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals remains Africa’s most daring project and most significant single private investment.

“President Tinubu urges Dangote to bring to bear on the World Bank appointment his transformative ideas and initiatives to impact the emerging markets across the world fully” the statement said.

The World Bank announced Dangote’s appointment on Wednesday, as part of a broader expansion of its Private Sector Investment Lab. The lab now enters a new phase aimed at scaling up solutions to attract private capital and create jobs in the developing world.

The CEO of Bayer AG, Bill Anderson, the Chair of Bharti Enterprises, Sunil Bharti Mittal, and the President and CEO of Hyatt Hotels Corporation, Mark Hoplamazian, are on the Private Sector Investment Lab with Dangote.

The World Bank said the expanded membership brings together business leaders with proven track records in generating employment in developing economies, supporting the Bank’s focus on job creation as a central pillar of global development.

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Business Analysis

Nigeria Customs Generates over N1.75trn Revenue in 2025

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By Joel Oladele, Abuja

The Nigeria Customs Service (NSC) has generated an impressive N1,751,502,252,298.05 in revenue during the first quarter of 2025.

The Comptroller-General (CG) of the Service, Bashir Adeniyi, disclosed this yesterday, during a press briefing in Abuja.

According to Adeniyi, the achievement not only surpasses the quarterly target but also marks a substantial increase compared to the same period last year, reflecting the effectiveness of recent reforms and the dedication of customs officers across the nation.

“This first quarter of 2025 has seen our officers working tirelessly at borders and ports across the nation.

I’m proud to report we’ve made real progress on multiple fronts—from increasing revenue collections to intercepting dangerous shipments,” Adeniyi stated.

He attributed this success to the reforms initiated under President Bola Tinubu’s administration and the guidance of the Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Olawale Edun.

The CG noted that the revenue collection for Q1 2025 exceeded the quarterly benchmark of N1,645,000,000,000.00 by N106.5 billion, achieving 106.47% of the target. This performance represents a remarkable 29.96% increase compared to the N1,347,705,251,658.31 collected in Q1 2024.

Adeniyi highlighted the month-by-month growth, noting that January’s collection of N647,880,245,243.67 surpassed its target by 18.12%, while February and March also showed positive trends.

 “I’m pleased to report the Service’s revenue collection for Q1 2025 totaled N1,751,502,252,298.05.

“Against our annual target of N6,580,000,000,000.00, the first quarter’s proportional benchmark stood at N1,645,000,000,000.00. I’m proud to announce we’ve exceeded this target by N106.5 billion, achieving 106.47% of our quarterly projection. This outstanding performance represents a substantial 29.96% increase  compared  to  the  same  period  in  2024,  where  we  collected N1,347,705,251,658.31.

“Our month-by-month analysis reveals even more encouraging details of this growth trajectory,” Adeniyi said.

In addition to revenue collection, Adeniyi said the NCS maintained robust anti-smuggling operations, recording 298 seizures with a total Duty Paid Value (DPV) of ₦7,698,557,347.67.

He stated that rice was the most seized commodity, with 135,474 bags intercepted, followed by petroleum products and narcotics.

“From rice to wildlife, these seizures show our targeted approach,” Adeniyi remarked, noting the NCS’s commitment to combating smuggling and protecting national revenue.

Adeniyi also highlighted key initiatives, including the expansion of the B’Odogwu customs clearance platform and the launch of the Authorized Economic Operators Programme, which aims to streamline processes for compliant businesses. The NCS’s Corporate Social Responsibility Programme, “Customs Cares,” was also launched, focusing on education, health, and environmental sustainability.

Despite these achievements, the CG noted that the NCS faced challenges, including exchange rate volatility and non-compliance issues. Adeniyi acknowledged the need for ongoing adaptation and collaboration with stakeholders to address these challenges effectively.

Looking ahead, the NCS aims to continue its modernization efforts and enhance service delivery, ensuring that it remains a critical institution in Nigeria’s economic and security landscape.

“Results speak louder than plans; faster clearances through B’Odogwu, trusted traders in the AEO program, and measurable food price relief from our exemptions. We’ll keep scaling what works,” he concluded.

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BUSINESS

NSIA Net Assets Hit N4.35trn in 2024

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By Tony Obiechina Abuja

The Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) yesterday disclosed that its net assets grew from N156bn in 2013 to N4.35 trillion in 2024.

Similarly, the Authority has remained profitable for 12 consecutive years, leading to cumulative retained earnings of N3.

74 trillion in 2024.

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NSIA, Aminu Umar- Sadiq made these disclosures at a media engagement in Abuja, highlighting its audited financial results for the 2024 fiscal year.

According to him, the results underscored the resilience of the authority’s investment strategy and the strength of its earnings, driven by a well-diversified revenue base and robust risk management practices, despite a challenging global macroeconomic and geopolitical environment.

Total operating profits, excluding share of profits from associates and Joint Venture (JV) entities, increased from N1.17 trillion in 2023 to N1.86 trillion in 2024, driven by the strong performance of

NSIA’s diversified investment portfolio, infrastructure assets, gains from foreign exchange movements, and derivative valuations.

In addition, Total Comprehensive Income (TCI), inclusive of share of profits from associates and JV entities, reached N1.89 trillion in 2024, reflecting a 59 per cent increase from N1.18 trillion in 2023.

Core TCI (excluding foreign exchange and derivative valuation gains) rose by 148 per cent to N407.9 billion in 2024 compared to N164.7 billion in 2023, supported by robust returns on financial assets measured at fair value through profit and loss, including collateralised securities, private equity, hedge funds, and Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs).

Umar-Sadiq said the authority’s outstanding financial performance in 2024 reflected the “strength of our strategic vision, disciplined execution and unwavering commitment to sustainable socio-economic advancement.”

He said, “By leveraging innovation, strategic partnerships and sound risk management, we have not only delivered strong returns but also created value for our stakeholders

“As we move forward, we remain focused on driving economic transformation, expanding opportunities, scaling transformative impact and ensuring long-term prosperity for current and future generations of Nigerians.”

The CEO reaffirmed the authority’s commitment to managing the country’s SWF, and delivering the mandates enshrined in the NSIA Act.

He said NSIA remained poised to continually create long-term value for its stakeholders by delivering excellent risk-adjusted financial results, developing a healthy and well-diversified portfolio of assets and large-scale infrastructure projects, and enhancing the desired social outcomes.

He noted that NSIA was committed to its mandate of prudent management and investment of Nigeria’s sovereign wealth.

“In adherence to its Establishment Act, NSIA prioritises transparency, disclosure, and effective communication with all stakeholders and counterparties,” he said.

He pointed out that in the year under review, a new board, led by Olusegun Ogunsanya as Chairman, was appointed by President Bola Tinubu, in accordance with the provisions of the NSIA Act.

The new board will provide strategic direction and oversight, in addition to playing a pivotal role in critical decision making.

He remarked that under the guidance of the Board, the Authority will retain focus on its primary mandate of creating shared value for all stakeholders based on its continued adoption of corporate governance practices.

“NSIA prides itself an investment institution of the federation established to manage funds in excess of budgeted oil revenues and its mission is to play a pivotal role in driving sustained economic development for the benefit of all Nigerians through building a savings base for the Nigerian people, enhancing the development of the county’s infrastructure, and providing stabilisation support in times of economic misadventure,” he added.

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