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
CBN Urges Public, Businesses Not To Reject N100 Bank Note
The CBN strongly cautions individuals, businesses, financial institutions, and other economic agents against rejecting the standard N100 banknote. Such rejection constitutes a violation of the provisions of the CBN Act and undermines confidence in the national currency.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has stated that the Standard N100 note is still a legal tender and must be accepted for all transactions.
The apex bank made the appeal in a statement by its Ag. Director, Corporate Communications, Mrs. Hakama Sidi-Ali, clarifying that it became necessary, following reports that some members of the public were rejecting the note.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the CBN hereby reiterates that both the commemorative N100 banknote and the standard N100 banknote remain legal tender in Nigeria and must be accepted for all transactions nationwide,” she said.
“The commemorative N100 banknote, which was introduced to mark Nigeria’s centenary, did not replace the existing standard N100 banknote.
The CBN strongly cautions individuals, businesses, financial institutions, and other economic agents against rejecting the standard N100 banknote. Such rejection constitutes a violation of the provisions of the CBN Act and undermines confidence in the national currency.
BLACK MARKET RATES
US DOLLAR (USD) Buy ₦1, 410 Sell ₦1,415
GREAT BRITISH POUND (GBP) Buy ₦1,870 Sell: ₦1,890
EURO (EUR) Buy ₦1, 575 Sell ₦1,595
CANADIAN DOLLAR (CAD) Buy ₦1,020 Sell ₦1,080
SOUTH AFRICAN RAND (ZAR) Buy ₦75 Sell ₦90
UAE DIRHAM Buy ₦350 Sell ₦370
CHINESE YUAN Buy ₦190 Sell ₦205
GHANA CEDI (GHS) Buy ₦95 Sell ₦110
WEST AFRICAN CFA Buy ₦2, 300 Sell ₦2, 400
CENTRAL AFRICAN CFA Buy ₦2,150 Sell 2,250
AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR Buy ₦800 Sell ₦900
Official CBN Exchange Rates
US DOLLAR (USD) ₦1,379.07
GREAT BRITISH POUND (GBP) ₦1,840.64
EURO (EUR) ₦1,572.00
SWISS FRANC (CHF) ₦1,704.45
JAPANESE YEN (JPN) ₦8. 48
CHINESE YUAN (CNY) ₦202.76
WEST AFRICAN CFA (XOF) ₦2.38
WEST AFRICAN UNIT ACCOUNT (WAUA) ₦1,859. 53
SAUDI RIYAL (SAR) ₦367.24
SOUTH AFRICAN RAND (ZAR) ₦84. 08
The Nigerian naira continued its recent slide against the US dollar, hitting N1,405 per dollar in the parallel (black) market amid ongoing demand pressures and supply constraints in the foreign exchange market.
According to traders and market sources, the local currency weakened from around N1,400–N1,410 levels in recent sessions, reflecting persistent challenges in the forex ecosystem. In contrast, the official Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market (NFEM) rate, managed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), stood firmer at approximately N1,368–N1,370 per dollar.
This development widens the gap between the official and parallel markets, raising concerns among analysts about liquidity, speculative activities, and the impact on importers and businesses reliant on dollar transactions.
The depreciation comes as Nigeria grapples with balancing foreign exchange inflows, including remittances and oil revenues, against high demand for imports, debt servicing, and other obligations. Market watchers attribute the pressure partly to seasonal factors and limited dollar availability at official windows, pushing more transactions toward the parallel market.
The CBN has been intervening through various measures to stabilize the naira, including boosting liquidity and tightening monetary policy. However, the parallel market remains sensitive to real-time supply and demand dynamics.
Economists warn that sustained volatility could fuel inflation and affect consumer prices, particularly for imported goods. Stakeholders are calling for stronger policy coordination to narrow the official-parallel rate disparity and restore greater confidence in the forex regime.
Further updates will depend on upcoming CBN interventions and inflows in the days ahead.
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