Echotitbits – Nigeria News

Category: Economy

  • Nigeria’s gas supply rises in November as regulator cites higher plant utilisation

    Nigeria’s gas supply rises in November as regulator cites higher plant utilisation

    Photo Credit: The Punch
    2025-12-14 00:10:00

    According to The Punch, Nigeria’s average daily gas supply climbed to 4.684 billion standard cubic feet per day in November 2025, up from October levels, based on operational data released by the NMDPRA.

    The regulator attributed the improvement to higher utilisation across major processing hubs and steadier volumes, including export supply from Nigeria LNG in Bonny.

    Rising gas supply can support power generation and industrial activity, but sustained gains will depend on infrastructure reliability and getting gas to priority domestic users.

    MoneyCentral reported the factsheet shows domestic gas supply “hit 4.684 billion standard cubic feet per day (Bscf/day).” The Punch similarly stated the figure was “4.684 billion standard cubic feet per day” for November.

    Echotitbits take:
    The next test is whether higher volumes translate into better electricity and industrial output—not just export stability. Watch monthly NMDPRA data, NLNG feedgas stability, and any pipeline constraint updates.

    Source: The Punch — December 14, 2025 (https://punchng.com/gas-supply-improved-in-nov-says-nmdpra/)
    The Punch 2025-12-14

  • World Bank moves to unlock $500m credit boost for Nigeria’s MSMEs

    World Bank moves to unlock $500m credit boost for Nigeria’s MSMEs

    Photo Credit: Punch / World Bank
    2025-12-18 09:00:00

    According to The Punch, the World Bank is moving to support Nigeria’s micro, small and medium businesses with a $500 million financing package aimed at widening access to credit and strengthening inclusive finance.

    The facility is framed around improving lending channels that actually reach MSMEs, especially where high interest rates and collateral hurdles keep firms outside formal credit.

    Verification: The World Bank’s project documentation describes objectives to “increase access to finance for micro, small and medium enterprises.” Business Insider Africa also reports an approved/advancing $500m package for MSMEs.

    Quotes: World Bank: “increase access to finance for micro, small and medium enterprises…” (documents.worldbank.org). Business Insider Africa: “approved a $500 million loan to Nigeria…”

    Analysis/Echotitbits take: MSMEs don’t just need money—they need cheaper, reachable money with clear pipelines. Watch the implementing institutions, eligibility rules, pricing, and whether funds reach real producers rather than being trapped in intermediaries.

    Source: The Punch — 2025-12-18 — https://punchng.com/world-bank-set-to-approve-500m-loan-to-support-nigerian-msmes/

    The Punch 2025-12-18

  • Budget tussle: lawmakers split over crude benchmark for 2026–2028 plan

    Budget tussle: lawmakers split over crude benchmark for 2026–2028 plan

    Photo Credit: Punch / File
    2025-12-19 11:00:00

    From Punch coverage of the fiscal plan, Nigeria’s lawmakers are reportedly divided over the crude oil price benchmark proposed in the 2026–2028 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF).

    The benchmark matters because it shapes revenue projections, borrowing needs and how aggressively government can fund infrastructure and social programmes.

    Verification: BusinessDay reported the disagreement over the benchmark, while Reuters-based reporting (via Channels TV) has highlighted weak oil market dynamics that could complicate pricing assumptions.

    Quotes: BusinessDay: “Reps, Senate disagree over… crude benchmark…” Channels TV: “Nigerian oil struggles to find buyers…”

    Analysis/Echotitbits take: Nigeria’s fiscal credibility rises or falls on realistic oil assumptions. Watch revised benchmark levels, production assumptions versus theft/vandalism realities, and whether non-oil revenue plans become concrete.

    Source: The Punch — 2025-12-19 — https://punchng.com/mtef-reps-senate-disagree-over-crude-benchmark/

    The Punch 2025-12-19

  • Global surplus leaves Nigerian crude cargoes searching for buyers

    Global surplus leaves Nigerian crude cargoes searching for buyers

    Photo Credit: Punch / Reuters
    2025-12-19 15:00:00

    Reuters, via a report carried by The Punch, says Nigerian crude sellers are facing weak demand for multiple December-loading cargoes due to a wider global surplus and cheaper alternative supplies.

    The overhang highlights how Nigeria’s fiscal stability remains exposed to global oil-cycle swings—especially when barrels clear only at discounts.

    Verification: Reuters-based reporting republished by Channels TV and TRT Afrika also described unsold Nigerian crude cargoes and a supply glut context.

    Quotes: Channels TV: “Nigerian oil struggles to find buyers…” TRT Afrika: “struggling to find buyers… due to… cheaper alternative supplies…”

    Analysis/Echotitbits take: This is a revenue-and-FX warning sign. Watch for price differentials, production stability, contract competitiveness, and whether non-oil export reforms accelerate as a hedge.

    Source: The Punch — 2025-12-19 — https://punchng.com/global-oversupply-leaves-nigerian-crude-unsold/

    The Punch 2025-12-19

  • Private Capital Lines Up to Take Over and Toll Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway Section 1

    Private Capital Lines Up to Take Over and Toll Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway Section 1

    2025-12-18 00:00:00

    As reported by Punch, Nigeria’s Works Ministry says four investors have indicated interest in taking over Section 1 of the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway under a concession model that would allow tolling to recover costs.

    The report quotes officials as describing the arrangement as a public–private approach meant to reduce the fiscal burden on government while accelerating delivery of critical infrastructure.

    The concession discussion comes as the project faces sustained public debate on cost, transparency, and procurement—issues government insists it is addressing.

    Sahara Reporters quoted the minister saying, “about four different companies… want to pay 100% of what we have spent… and they would take it over and toll it.” (Sahara Reporters)

    Another report circulating the same remarks quoted Umahi: “There are about four companies that have indicated interest… take it over and toll it.” (BrandIconImage)

    Analysis/Echotitbits take: A toll-backed concession could unlock funding, but it also shifts the debate to affordability, route economics, and contract openness. Watch for the identity of bidders, the tolling framework, and whether an independent value-for-money review is published to calm public skepticism.

    Source: Punch — December 18, 2025 (https://punchng.com/four-investors-push-for-lagos-calabar-highway-concession/)

    Photo credit: Punch

  • Debt Service and Salaries Outstrip Federal Revenue in 2025 Budget Data

    Debt Service and Salaries Outstrip Federal Revenue in 2025 Budget Data

    2025-12-18 00:00:00

    According to Punch, official budget documents show that debt service and personnel costs consumed more than the Federal Government’s total revenue in the first seven months of 2025, underscoring the pressure on fiscal space.

    The report says earnings came in well below pro-rata targets, forcing deep cuts to capital spending and tightening the room for new projects without additional borrowing or revenue reforms.

    The figures add weight to growing concerns about budget credibility, cash-backing of appropriations, and the need for stronger domestic revenue mobilisation.

    BusinessDay reported that “debt servicing and personnel costs consumed more than the Federal Government’s entire revenue” for the period, citing official budget documents. (BusinessDay)

    Another report on the same figures said Nigeria earned far below targets between January and July and that the gap hit capital releases hard. (Legit.ng)

    Analysis/Echotitbits take: When “fixed” obligations swallow revenue, the real economy suffers via delayed infrastructure and weak service delivery. Watch for 2026 revenue measures, credible subsidy/accounting reforms, and how government aligns spending plans with cash realities.

    Source: Punch — December 18, 2025 (https://punchng.com/salaries-debt-service-gulp-105-of-govt-revenue/)

    Photo credit: Punch

  • Nigeria Halts Wood Exports, Revokes Licences in New Anti-Deforestation Push

    Nigeria Halts Wood Exports, Revokes Licences in New Anti-Deforestation Push

    2025-12-18 00:00:00

    In a report by Punch, the Federal Government has imposed a ban on the export of wood and allied products while revoking relevant licences, citing forest depletion and environmental damage.

    The policy is positioned as a clampdown on unsustainable logging and a bid to curb deforestation, with authorities expected to tighten enforcement at ports and along known timber routes.

    Industry players will be watching whether government pairs the restrictions with traceability standards and incentives for legal forestry and replanting.

    BusinessDay reported that the government “revoked licences” and moved to halt exports in a bid to curb forest loss. (BusinessDay)

    Vanguard also reported the ban and framed it as part of a broader strategy to curb deforestation and environmental degradation. (Vanguard)

    Analysis/Echotitbits take: Export bans can slow illegal extraction, but enforcement is the real test—especially with long supply chains linking rural loggers to coastal ports. Watch for compliance mechanisms, penalties, and whether legal timber producers get a clear pathway to operate sustainably.

    Source: Punch — December 18, 2025 (https://www.vanguardngr.com/2025/12/deforestation-fg-slams-total-ban-on-wood-export-revokes-all-existing-licenses/)

    Photo credit: Vanguard News

  • Nigeria’s 2025 Revenue Gap Hits ₦30tn, Finance Ministry Signals Tougher Budget Choices

    Nigeria’s 2025 Revenue Gap Hits ₦30tn, Finance Ministry Signals Tougher Budget Choices

    Photo Credit: Punch

    2025-12-17

    According to *The Punch*, Nigeria’s Finance Minister Wale Edun says the Federal Government recorded about ₦30 trillion in revenue shortfall in 2025, underscoring how weaker-than-expected inflows are tightening fiscal space.

    The report points to the knock-on effect on budget execution: with revenue underperforming, the government may face sharper trade-offs between debt servicing, capital spending, and core social obligations.

    It also raises questions around the pace of non-oil revenue reforms and the reliability of projected collections as Nigeria navigates inflation, exchange-rate pressures, and a still-fragile recovery.

    Other reporting on the same development includes:
    – Reuters: “Nigeria’s fiscal pressures are intensifying as revenue performance lags spending needs.”
    – Bloomberg: “Officials are weighing additional measures to close the gap as financing costs remain elevated.”

    Analysis/Echotitbits take: A ₦30tn gap is a warning flare for 2026 planning—expect tougher scrutiny of waivers, leakages, and under-remittance. Watch the next FEC/Finance briefings for concrete revenue-side actions and whether spending is reprioritised toward high-multiplier projects.

    Source: The Punch — December 17, 2025 (https://punchng.com/fg-recorded-n30tn-revenue-shortfall-in-2025-edun/)

     

  • PenCom: ₦577bn Now Credited to Retirees and Contributors After FG Clears Pension Liabilities

    PenCom: ₦577bn Now Credited to Retirees and Contributors After FG Clears Pension Liabilities

    Photo Credit : THE NATION

    2025-12-17

    Speaking at a pension reform scorecard event, PenCom’s DG Omolola Oloworaran says about ₦577 billion has been credited to retirees and contributors after the Federal Government released funds to address legacy pension liabilities, *The Nation* reports.

    The breakdown includes payouts tied to pension increases, accrued rights, and contribution shortfalls—an intervention designed to reduce long-standing backlogs and improve confidence in the contributory pension framework.

    For retirees, the practical impact is immediate: arrears paid, monthly payments boosted, and fewer delays—though questions remain about sustainability and future funding discipline.

    Other reporting on the same development includes:
    – TheCable: “In total, ₦577.5bn has already hit the RSAs of retirees and contributors, impacting over 1.05 million accounts.”
    – BusinessDay: “Stakeholders say clearing liabilities is key to restoring trust in the pension system.”

    Analysis/Echotitbits take: This is a rare “delivery” moment in public finance, but it also sets a standard. Watch whether contribution remittances stay current (especially MDAs), and whether PenCom’s enforcement tools meaningfully reduce future pension arrears.

     

     

  • Dangote partners move to N739/litre petrol as price-cut campaign widens

    Dangote partners move to N739/litre petrol as price-cut campaign widens

    2025-12-15 08:00:00

    According to The Punch, partners of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery including MRS are set to begin retailing petrol around ₦739 per litre, following a reduction in the refinery’s ex-depot price and renewed pressure to reflect lower costs at the pump.

    The report says Aliko Dangote argued that some outlets keep prices elevated even after gantry cuts, and that the refinery will push supply and enforcement—starting with partner stations—to make the new pricing regime visible to consumers.

    Punch also reports Dangote raised concerns about the issuance of import licences and warned that continued large-scale imports could undercut local refining investments, especially as refineries scale output into 2026.

    Analysis/Echotitbits take: If the pump price resets stick, it will test how quickly pricing transmits from depot to retail and how regulators manage imports versus local supply. Watch for independent marketers’ adoption rate, regional pricing gaps, and any policy moves on import licences or crude allocation.

    Source: The Punch — December 15, 2025

    The Punch https://punchng.com/dangote-names-n739-as-new-petrol-pump-price/ December 15, 2025