Echotitbits – Nigeria News

Tag: SMEs

  • NESG Report Links Slow Business Growth to High Taxes and Fuel Costs

    NESG Report Links Slow Business Growth to High Taxes and Fuel Costs

    Reporting by Vanguard indicates that the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) has identified rising tax burdens and fuel price adjustments as the primary drivers behind a slowdown in business growth during January 2026. According to the latest Business Confidence Monitor (BCM) report, business optimism has hit a six-month low as enterprises struggle with the rising cost of operations.

    The report emphasizes that while the government’s reform agenda is necessary for long-term stability, the immediate impact on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) has been severe. The NESG warns that without targeted interventions to cushion the effects of these fiscal policies, the pace of industrial productivity may continue to decline in the first quarter of the year.

    Validation from Channels TV and The Nation underscores these concerns. Channels TV reports that “the manufacturing sector is feeling the pinch of energy costs,” with a spokesperson for the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) stating, “We are operating at the edge of viability due to the triple threat of fuel, power, and taxes.” The Nation also cites the report, quoting an economist who notes, “The government must balance its revenue drive with the survival of the private sector to avoid a stagflation scenario.”

    Echotitbits take: The NESG report is a wake-up call for the fiscal authorities. While tax reforms are essential for reducing the budget deficit, the timing and execution are hitting the productive sector hard. Watch for a potential review of tax incentives or a push for more “pro-growth” adjustments in the coming mid-year budget review.

    Source: BusinessDay – https://businessday.ng/business-economy/article/cost-of-doing-business-rises-to-90-5-in-january-on-tax-reforms-fuel-price-adjustments/?utm_source=auto-read-also&utm_medium=web&amp, February 4, 2026

    Photo credit: BusinessDay

  • High Interest Rates Stifle Private Sector Lending to Five-Year Low

    High Interest Rates Stifle Private Sector Lending to Five-Year Low

    Figures cited by The Guardian show that the Central Bank of Nigeria’s aggressive monetary tightening has successfully reined in inflation but at a heavy cost to business expansion. Lending growth to the private sector has plummeted to its lowest level since 2020, as deposit money banks become increasingly wary of high-risk loans in a high-interest-rate environment. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are bearing the brunt of the credit crunch.

    Data from the apex bank indicates that credit growth fell sharply to under 1% in the last quarter, a stark contrast to the double-digit growth seen in previous years. While the CBN maintains that high rates are necessary to stabilize the Naira, business groups warn that the lack of affordable credit is forcing many local manufacturers to scale down operations or halt expansion plans entirely.

    Vanguard and The Nation also reported on the credit slowdown. Vanguard highlighted that “banks are prioritizing government securities over private loans,” while The Nation quoted a Lagos Chamber of Commerce official who said, “At 30% plus interest, no legitimate business can survive a bank loan in this climate.”

    Echotitbits take: The CBN is in a “catch-22” situation—keep rates high to fight inflation and protect the Naira, or lower them to save the real sector. Expect the pressure on the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) to mount as manufacturers begin to report shrinking margins in their Q1 results.

    Source: BusinessDay – https://businessday.ng/business-economy/article/high-interest-rates-push-lending-growth-to-five-year-low/, February 3, 2026

    Photo credit: BusinessDay

  • Sokoto begins strict enforcement of monthly tax filing with penalties for defaulters

    Sokoto begins strict enforcement of monthly tax filing with penalties for defaulters

    Figures cited by Punch show Sokoto State’s revenue service is pushing full compliance on monthly tax filings for taxable persons starting January 2026, warning that penalties will apply for non-compliance.

    The policy is positioned as a compliance reset—bringing more individuals and businesses into regular filing, tightening documentation, and strengthening the state’s ability to plan and enforce revenue rules.

    The enforcement angle extends to public contracting, where tax registration is expected to become a more visible compliance gate for suppliers.

    For SMEs and informal operators, the practical issue is capacity: monthly filing needs simple processes and predictable treatment to avoid turning compliance into harassment.

    Punch also highlighted an enforcement detail that statutory bodies or companies awarding contracts to unregistered persons risk a “₦5 million” penalty. Another Punch recap echoed the state IRS announced “full enforcement of compulsory monthly tax filings.”

    Echotitbits take: This succeeds only if enforcement is paired with ease—online filing, helpdesks, clear templates, and dispute resolution. Watch whether the net broadens or the pressure just shifts to already-compliant taxpayers.

    Source: Punch – https://punchng.com/sokoto-irs-begins-enforcement-of-compulsory-monthly-tax-filings/  January 7, 2026
    Punch January 7, 2026

    Photo Credit: Punch Newspapers

  • Manufacturers forecast stronger 2026 output but say policy execution will decide the results

    Manufacturers forecast stronger 2026 output but say policy execution will decide the results

    2026-01-02 09:00:00
    According to Punch, the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) projects improved output in 2026, with estimates pointing to stronger real growth and a higher contribution to GDP if enabling policies are implemented effectively.

    The report links the optimism to reforms that could stabilise key macro variables, but notes manufacturers remain exposed to structural constraints—energy costs, logistics bottlenecks, and expensive financing.

    Industry voices continue to push for a predictable policy environment and practical support that reduces operating costs, warning that growth projections can be missed if business conditions tighten.

    Validation: Vanguard reported MAN’s forecast and quoted: “Real growth is projected to reach 3.1 percent… contribution… rise to 10.2 percent.” AllAfrica carried CPPE-linked commentary warning that “Nigeria’s manufacturing revival hinges on managing structural risks…”

    Echotitbits take: Manufacturing is one of the fastest routes from ‘GDP growth’ to jobs. Watch Q1 indicators—grid stability vs. self-generation costs, FX predictability for imported inputs, and whether tax reforms reduce friction rather than add new compliance pain.

    Source: The Punch — 2026-01-02 (https://punchng.com/manufacturing-tipped-for-3-1-growth-10-2-gdp-contribution/)
    The Punch 2026-01-02

    Photo Credit: The Punch

  • Kwara passes harmonised taxes bill to curb multiple levies and boost collections

    Kwara passes harmonised taxes bill to curb multiple levies and boost collections

    2025-12-31 09:35:00

    Reporting by The Nation indicates the Kwara State House of Assembly has passed a harmonised taxes and levies bill aimed at streamlining revenue collection and reducing multiple taxation across the state.

    Lawmakers said the legislation is designed to clarify approved charges, cut leakages, and improve compliance for businesses and residents, with next steps focused on transmitting a clean copy for executive assent.

    The move aligns with broader sub‑national efforts to expand internally generated revenue while keeping the tax environment predictable for investors.

    New Telegraph reported the assembly “passes harmonised taxes, levies bill into law,” while Western Post also said lawmakers “pass Harmonised Taxes and Levies Bill into law.”

    Echotitbits take: Harmonisation only works if enforcement is disciplined—no parallel ‘task forces’ or informal collectors. Watch implementation rules, dispute‑resolution mechanisms, and how the state balances revenue goals with SME survival in 2026.

    Source: The Nation — December 31, 2025 (https://thenationonlineng.net/kwara-assembly-passes-harmonised-taxes-levies-bill-into-law/)

    The Nation December 31, 2025

    Photo Credit: The Nation

  • Banks begin N50 stamp-duty charge on transfers above N10,000 from Jan 1

    Banks begin N50 stamp-duty charge on transfers above N10,000 from Jan 1

    2025-12-31 08:07:00

    Reporting by Vanguard indicates Nigerian banks are notifying customers that a N50 stamp duty will apply to electronic transfers above N10,000 starting January 1, reflecting changes tied to the new tax framework.

    The key change, as communicated in customer notices, is that the levy is treated as payable by the sender for qualifying transfers—so customers may see the charge as a separate line item.

    For consumers and SMEs, the implication is straightforward: routine transfers that cross the threshold will carry a small additional cost, which can add up for high-frequency digital payments.

    Validation: Nairametrics said “Banks are set to begin charging customers N50 stamp duty on electronic transfers above N10,000 from January 1, 2026.” and TechCabal reported “Customers making electronic transfers above ₦10,000 will begin paying a ₦50 stamp duty from January 1, 2026.”

    Echotitbits take: This will test public tolerance for “small” transactional charges at scale. Watch for clarifications on exemptions, intra-bank transfers, and whether fintech rails apply the same way as traditional bank channels.

    Source: The Cable — 31 December 2025 (https://www.thecable.ng/banks-to-start-charging-senders-n50-stamp-duty-on-transfers-above-n10k-from-january/)

    The Cable 31 December 2025

    Photo Credit: The Cable

  • Tax reform countdown: Manufacturers upbeat as Labour and SMEs warn of backlash

    Tax reform countdown: Manufacturers upbeat as Labour and SMEs warn of backlash

    Photo Credit: The Punch
    2025-12-28 09:00:00

    Reporting by Punch indicates Nigeria’s new tax reform laws are still slated to take effect on January 1, 2026, despite widening pushback from some labour and SME stakeholders.

    Industry groups say the package could simplify compliance and reduce distortions, while critics argue implementation timing and transparency concerns around the final gazetted text could trigger new disputes.

    Government-linked reform advocates have framed the rollout as a shift toward fairness—targeting relief for most workers and smaller firms—while signalling willingness to fix drafting or referencing issues through the legislature without shifting the start date.

    Channels Television quoted committee chairman Taiwo Oyedele saying, “The implication of not implementing the new tax laws by January 1, 2026, is that the bottom 98 per cent of workers remain overtaxed.” AIT Live also reported the government “has affirmed that there will be no reversal in the planned implementation… scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2026.”

    Echotitbits take: The political test is whether implementation becomes a trust-building exercise (clear gazette, plain-language guidance, phased enforcement) or another elite policy fight. Watch the National Assembly’s re‑gazetting process and how quickly tax authorities publish compliance guides for SMEs.

    Source: The Punch — December 28, 2025 (https://punchng.com/four-days-to-tax-reform-manufacturers-excited-labour-smes-threaten-revolt/)

    The Punch 2025-12-28

  • AfDB Approves €25m Trade Finance Guarantee for Cameroon’s CCA-Bank to Boost SME Lending

    AfDB Approves €25m Trade Finance Guarantee for Cameroon’s CCA-Bank to Boost SME Lending

    ABIDJAN/YAOUNDÉ, December 2, 2025 — The African Development Bank Group has approved a €25 million trade finance facility for Cameroon’s Crédit Communautaire d’Afrique-Bank (CCA-Bank), aimed at expanding support to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and other businesses across key sectors of the economy.

    The facility, cleared by the Bank’s Board of Directors at a session held on 1 December in Abidjan, will be deployed as a Transaction Guarantee, a risk-sharing instrument that provides cover to eligible African banks for their trade finance operations.

    According to Lamin Drammeh, Head of the Bank Group’s Trade Finance Division, the guarantee will help unlock critical imports needed for Cameroon’s productive sectors.

    “The facility will support Cameroon’s economy by facilitating imports of equipment for the industrial, agro-industrial and telecommunications sectors. It will also enable the African Development Bank to provide up to a 100 percent guarantee to confirming banks, to facilitate the confirmation of letters of credit and other similar trade finance instruments issued by CCA-Bank for the benefit of SMEs in Cameroon,” Drammeh explained.

    Léandre Bassolé, Director General for the Bank’s Central Africa region, noted that the operation aligns with AfDB’s drive to deepen direct interventions in support of the private sector in Cameroon.

    “It will strengthen CCA-Bank’s capacity to support the activities of SMEs, including those owned by women and young people, to boost the local productive sector, facilitate economic growth, and create and maintain thousands of jobs,” he said.

    Welcoming what she described as a strategic milestone, CCA-Bank’s Managing Director, Marguerite Fonkwen Atanga, said the partnership would significantly enhance the bank’s ability to serve smaller businesses and emerging entrepreneurs.

    “We would like to express our gratitude to the African Development Bank Group for this important trade finance facility. This strategic partnership marks a major milestone for our institution and will significantly strengthen our capacity to support small and medium-sized enterprises, women entrepreneurs and start-ups in Cameroon and Africa,” she stated.

    Background: AfDB’s Transaction Guarantee

    The Transaction Guarantee is a trade finance instrument introduced by the African Development Bank in 2021 to support commercial banks operating in Africa. It covers a range of trade-related instruments, including confirmed letters of credit, commercial loans, irrevocable repayment undertakings, endorsed drafts and promissory notes, among others.

    The facility is available to banks registered and operating in Africa that have successfully passed the Bank’s due diligence process, helping them reduce perceived risk from international confirming banks and expand access to trade finance for their clients.

    About the African Development Bank Group

    The African Development Bank Group is Africa’s leading development finance institution, comprising the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). With representation in 41 African countries and a field office in Japan, the Bank supports economic development and social progress across its 54 regional member states.

    Source Credit:

    African Development Bank Group (AfDB) – press release distributed by APO Group, 2 December 2025.

  • Tony Elumelu Foundation invests $7.35 million in African entrepreneurs

    Tony Elumelu Foundation invests $7.35 million in African entrepreneurs

    By Tobiloba Kolawole

    No less than 5,000 African entrepreneurs, private and public sector leaders and the broader entrepreneurship ecosystem converged on Lagos on Thursday, October 25, 2018 for the annual Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) Entrepreneurship Forum. The event is a unique opportunity for bringing together young business talent, creating dynamic networks and transmitting the message to policymakers that a vibrant and responsible private sector will deliver economic transformation.

    The forum which is now in its fourth year,  is the graduation of the 2018 cohort of the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme, after a tedious nine-month duration of training, mentorship and funding. This brought the total number of beneficiaries of the Programme to 4,470 and about 300,000 applications received since the start of the entrepreneurial initiative.

    A major highlight of this year’s forum was the unveiling of TEFConnect, a revolutionary digital community that serves as a complete convergence of the entrepreneurship ecosystem across Africa and beyond. The platform includes entrepreneurs, investors and the broader business community in one digital community, connecting them with three vital elements for success – capital, market and business tools. TEFConnect brings to fulfillment a key responsibility in bringing together entrepreneurs across the Africa, a continent that is riding a wave of rapid technological driven change spreading through payment systems, education, agriculture and infrastructure.

    The event commenced with a battery of goodwill messages from major stakeholders in the investment, governmental and development communities. Other important highlights were pitching competition, panel discussions, as well as a vibrant interactive session between the Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo and entrepreneurs; and moderated by TEF Founder, Tony O. Elumelu.

    The event also included a marketplace exhibition where past beneficiaries of the programme showcased their products and services.