Business
Court dismisses NNPCL’s objection to Dangote Refinery’s suit on import licence
A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed the objection raised by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) against the competence of a suit filed by Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE (Dangote Refinery).
Dangote is seeking to void the licences issued by the Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to some oil marketing companies to import refined petroleum products.
In its objection, the NNPCL challenged the jurisdiction of the court to hear the suit and urged the court to strike out its name from the suit on the grounds that it was not properly identified by the plaintiff.
It argued that the name, “Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited,” being its registered name with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), is not the one and the same entity the second defendant sued but the “Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation”.
Ruling yesterday, Justice Inyang Ekwo held that NNPCL’s objection was incompetent as it was filed in violation of Order 29 of the Federal High Court Civil Procedure Rules (FHCCPR), 2019.
Justice Ekwo also held that the NNPCL ought to have filed a defence in the form of a counter-affidavit to the plaintiff’s suit before raising an objection.
The judge averred that under the procedure in lieu of demurrer, any party is entitled to raise, by his pleading, any point of law, and that any point so raised may be disposed of by the trial court at trial or after the trial.
He explained that where a defendant seeks to challenge the jurisdiction of the court, it is the provision of Order 29 of the Federal High Court Civil Procedure Rules (FHCCPR), 2019, that would be applicable.Justice Ekwo added that the NNPCL failed to comply with the provision.
The judge held that the NNPCL, having not complied with the provisions of the FHCCPR 2019 could not be said to have filed a competent preliminary objection.
Business
KPMG, NRS settle rifts over new tax laws
In its newsletter on January 9, KPMG said there are “errors, inconsistencies, gaps, omissions, and lacunae” in the new tax laws that require urgent reconsideration to ensure the achievement of their stated objectives.
KPMG executives and Zaach Adedeji, chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), held a meeting on Monday following the disagreement over the new tax laws.
In its newsletter on January 9, KPMG said there are “errors, inconsistencies, gaps, omissions, and lacunae” in the new tax laws that require urgent reconsideration to ensure the achievement of their stated objectives
However, on January 10, the presidential fiscal policy and tax reforms committee pushed back against KPMG’s critique, noting that KPMG does not understand the laws.
The committee said a significant proportion of the issues described as “errors,” “gaps,” or “omissions” by KPMG are either the firm’s own errors and invalid conclusions, or matters not properly understood by the firm.
In a statement on Monday, the NRS said that Adedeji hosted a courtesy visit from the delegation of the tax advisory firm.
” During the visit, the KPMG team clarified that their earlier opinion on the new tax laws “had been misconstrued and expressed regret over the misunderstanding.
“They sought further clarity on the provisions of the laws and highlighted areas where recommendations could be made.”
The source said that the meeting ended with the delegation commended the NRS chairman for efficiently and promptly implementing the reforms.
Business
IMF to release January 2026 World Economic Outlook update on Monday
The January WEO Update is expected to provide revised global growth forecasts and insights into inflation trends, monetary policy direction, and key risks facing the global economy in 2026.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) will release its January 2026 World Economic Outlook (WEO) Update on Monday, January 19, 2026.
The report will be presented during a press conference hosted at the National Bank of Belgium in Brussels.
The press conference is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. The Brussels time and will be streamed live via the IMF website and Press Centre, allowing journalists to participate both in person and virtually.
The IMF’s economic assessment will be presented by Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas, Economic Counselor and director of the Research Department; Petya Koeva Brooks, deputy director of the Research Department; and Deniz Igan, Division Chief, Research Department.
The January WEO Update is expected to provide revised global growth forecasts and insights into inflation trends, monetary policy direction, and key risks facing the global economy in 2026.
Business
Heineken boss resigns after ‘turbulent’ six-year stint
“I believe this is the right moment,” said Van den Brink, 52, after almost six years at the helm “during which he has guided the company through turbulent economic and political times”.
• Dolf Van den Brink
Dolf van den Brink said on Monday he would step down on May 31 as the chief executive of Dutch brewer Heineken.
Van den Brink unexpectedly announced his resignation, as the company grapples with lower beer sales and job cuts in a difficult economic environment.
“I believe this is the right moment,” said Van den Brink, 52, after almost six years at the helm “during which he has guided the company through turbulent economic and political times”.
The change of leader comes at a tricky moment for Heineken, the world’s second-largest brewer after AB InBev.
Its most recent quarterly results, published in October, showed a steep decline in the amount of beer sold, with Europe and the United States driving the drop.
Van den Brink acknowledged at the time that the firm was dealing with a “challenging environment, resulting in a mixed performance”.
Heineken posted total net sales of 7.3 billion euros ($8.5 billion) for the third quarter, down from 7.6 billion in the second quarter.
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