Business

Fuel marketers kick as FG rules out price hike

Published

2 years ago

August 16, 2023

Oil marketers, on Tuesday, advised President Bola Tinubu to gradually relax the removal of subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, following the inability of importers to access the United States dollars and the impact which this was having on businesses.

This came as Tinubu ruled out fuel price hike and reversal of fuel subsidy.

However, marketers of petroleum products encouraged the President to learn from Kenya, stressing that the African country had to return subsidy on petrol to curb the devastating impact which its removal had on Kenyans.

“Let them not do the needful, they will see the consequences. We learned this morning that Kenya, which equally removed subsidy and noticed that its effect was so hard on the citizens, has again resumed the subsidy regime for the period of two months,” the Secretary, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Abuja-Suleja, Mohammed Shuaibu, told our correspondent.

He added, “Government is about the people and it must have a listening ear. For Nigeria, how can we be an oil producing nation with four refineries and all of them are down. We now depend on imports.

“When he (Tinubu) announced that thing (subsidy removal), we said it was going to bring problems. Are we not feeling the consequences of that announcement now? It is forex that largely determines the cost of petroleum products here.

“Marketers are not willing to import products again, So if the government is going to relax the removal of subsidy for a while, it should better do that as a matter of urgency.”

Shuaibu argued that despite the fact that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited announced earlier on Tuesday that it had no intention of increasing petrol price, the cost of the commodity would rise above its current N617/litre in weeks, if the exchange rate continues to increase.

“Relaxing subsidy removal is going to be a very wise decision right now, because going by the price of the dollar, the cost of petrol is bound to rise. In fact, some oil marketers are ready to join the labour union to protest,” he added.

Some dealers had said subsidy on petrol would gradually creep in, should the NNPCL continue to sell at N617/litre, particularly if the rise in forex rate persists.

The National Public Relations Officer, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Chief Chinedu Ukadike, said the outright removal of subsidy would cause severe hardship.

“I’ve been saying this even before subsidy on petrol was removed. How can you stop subsidy without anything on ground as palliatives?

“Trips that used to be N5,000 in the past and now over N15,000. Businesses are shutting down. The suffering is rising. The government has to intervene now,” he stated.

The IPMAN PRO had earlier explained that the price of imported commodities, including petrol, would continue to rise as far as the rate of exchange of the dollar increases.

“Once there is a slack in the naira against the dollar, there is going to be an effect. The demand and supply of forex is a key factor. We should also understand that it is not only petroleum products that use forex.

NEITI reacts

This came as the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative advised the government to initiate and implement a deliberate policy that would attract investors to invest and help in fixing Nigeria’s refineries.

In its latest policy advisory for the oil sector, NEITI advised the Federal Government to come up with a deliberate policy to encourage private investments in refineries.

“A deliberate policy initiative should be implemented with full Presidential backing to encourage Nigerians and foreign investors already awarded licences to establish private refineries in Nigeria.

“The incentives may include tax holidays, institutional support, and availing potential investors in the downstream sector of the available opportunities within the existing ‘Federal Government ease of doing business policy.’

Also calling for intervention, the Executive Secretary, Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria, Clement Isong, earlier stated that it was high time the government intervened.

“Well, the President himself said in his speech that if they find petrol prices moving too high, they would intervene. We don’t want prices to move too high, nobody wants that.

“So if the dollar continues to climb, we are expecting some sort of intervention from the government based on what the President said,” the MOMAN official stated.

Similarly, the National President, Natural Oil and Gas Suppliers Association of Nigeria, Benneth Korie, told journalists that one of the best options before President Tinubu currently, was to hasten the repair of Nigeria’s refineries.

Tinubu reacts

Amidst the hike in cost of living brought about by the removal on Premium Motor Spirit popularly known has petrol which has led to a corresponding increase in fuel prices, the Presidency on Tuesday said Nigeria is currently the only country in West Africa enjoying the cheapest and most affordable price of PMS.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, told State House correspondents that daily consumption of fuel has dropped from 67M litres to 46M litres following the removal of subsidy.

Ngelale, who noted that he spoke to the President on Tuesday morning, noted that the President urged stakeholders in the country to hold their peace while adding that the threats of an indefinite strike by the organized labour was premature.

He said, “The President wishes first to state that it is incumbent upon all stakeholders in the country to hold their peace. We have heard very recently from the organised labour movement in the country with respect to their most recent threat.

“We believe that the threat was premature and that there is a need on all sides to ensure that fact finding and diligence is done on what the current state of the downstream and midstream petroleum industry is before any threats or conclusions are arrived at or issued.Secondly, Mr. President, wishes to assure Nigerians following the announcement by the NNPC limited just yesterday that there will be no increase in the pump price of petroleum motor spirit anywhere in the country. We repeat, the president affirms that there will be no increase in the pump price of petroleum motor spirit.”

Speaking further, Ajuri noted that the market having been deregulated would no longer allow a single entity to dominate the market.

“The market has been deregulated. It has been liberalized and we are moving forward in that direction without looking back.

“The President also wishes to affirm that there are presently inefficiencies within the midstream and downstream petroleum sub sectors that once very swiftly addressed and cleaned up will ensure that we can maintain prices where they are without having to resort to a reversal of this administration’s deregulation policy in the petroleum industry.”

Ngelale also noted that Tinubu approved that the chart containing prices of PMS in other countries be transmitted to Nigerians so as to show the cost of PMS in West African countries.

He added, “Senegal at pump price today of N1,273 equivalent per liter, Guinea at N1,075 per liter, Côte d’ Ivore at N1,048 per litre equivalent in their currency, Mali N1,113 per litre, Central African Republic N1,414 per litre, Nigeria is presently averaging between N568 and N630 per litre.

“We are presently the cheapest, most affordable purchasing state in the West African sub-region by some distance. There is no country that is below N700 per liter.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, in a post around 11.48pm on Monday on its official X (formerly Twitter) said it had no intention to increase the pump price of petrol.

Related Topics:Featured FG Fuel Marketers Price Hike

Up Next

ARCON flays For Removals of Billboards “All Eyes on The Judiciary”

Don't Miss

EFCC goes after dollar speculators, CBN slashes banks allocations

Click to comment

Business

House Public Accounts Committee Recovers Additional $14 Million from Oil Companies

Published

2 days ago

March 30, 2025

Charles Flames

The House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said on Saturday that it has successfully recovered an additional $14.2 million (N21.4 billion) from four oil and gas companies as part of its ongoing investigation into financial discrepancies in the sector.

This latest recovery follows an earlier announcement on March 16, 2025, of recoveries amounting to ₦28.7 billion ($19.24 million), bringing the total recovered so far to $33.44 million (₦50.1 billion).

In a statement by Akin Rotimi Jr, House Spokesperson, the breakdown of the latest recoveries is as follows:
✓ Platform Petroleum Ltd: $1.9 million (N2.9 billion)
✓Midwestern Oil and Gas Ltd: $1.578 million (N2.3 billion)
✓Universal Energy: $523,845 (N785.7 million)
✓Aradel Energy Ltd: $10.3 million (N15.5 billion)

Speaking on the recoveries, the Chairman of the Committee, Rep. Bamidele Salam, credited the successes recorded to the unwavering support and leadership of the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, PhD., GCON.

He noted that the Speaker’s firm commitment to legislative oversight and accountability has ensured that committees operate effectively, free from undue interference, and with a clear mandate to safeguard public resources.

“Under the leadership of Speaker Abbas, the House of Representatives has reinforced its commitment to fiscal transparency and good governance.

The independence granted to committees like ours has enabled us to carry out our mandate diligently, ensuring that public funds are properly accounted for.

This approach has been instrumental in our ability to recover these substantial sums, and we remain steadfast in our mission to strengthen financial accountability in Nigeria,” Rep. Salam stated.

In addition to the recovered funds, the Committee has issued a 20-day ultimatum for four companies to remit a total of $23.2 million (N34.8 billion).

Failure to comply within the stipulated timeframe will result in the enforcement of appropriate sanctions, including the public naming of defaulters in national newspapers.

The companies and their required payments are as follows:

Total Energies: $2 million within 7 days
Seplat Energies (SPDC): $6.036 million and N1.5 billion within 7 days
Aradel Energy Ltd: $12.1 million within 7 days
Network Exploration: $3.1 million within 7 days
Rep. Salam emphasised the Committee’s commitment to enforcing compliance, warning that companies that fail to meet their financial obligations will face the full weight of legislative oversight.
The Committee also expressed concern over several companies that have disregarded invitations to appear before it.
The following firms are now under heightened scrutiny and may face further actions if they continue to evade accountability:
Frontier Oil and Gas
Conoil Producing
Walter Smith Petrochemical
Bilton
Energia Ltd
Aiteo Petroleum Ltd
Pillar Oil Lt
Additionally, First E & P Oil Company has been directed to reconcile an outstanding balance of $90 million with the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and is expected to appear before the Committee on April 16, 2025, to finalise the matter.
The actions of the Public Accounts Committee reflect the House of Representatives’ increasing resolve to ensure transparency, accountability, and financial discipline in the Nigerian oil and gas sector.
Ongoing investigations are expected to uncover more discrepancies, with the Committee continuing its public hearings on the 2021 Auditor General’s report, which indicated that over ₦10 trillion in payments remain outstanding to the Federation Account from industry operators.
“The era of impunity and financial recklessness in the oil and gas sector is coming to an end.
We are determined to recover every kobo owed to the Nigerian people and ensure that public funds are managed with the highest level of integrity,” Rep. Salam reaffirmed.

Business

Dangote, Adenuga, Rabiu, Otedola remain on forbes Africa’s billionaires List

Published

2 days ago

March 30, 2025

Charles Flames

Nigeria’s wealthiest businessmen, Aliko Dangote, Mike Adenuga, Abdulsamad Rabiu, and Femi Otedola, have emerged as the only Nigerians on the 2025 ‘Africa’s Billionaires List’ compiled by Forbes, which was released on Saturday.

Once again, Dangote topped the list for the 14th consecutive year, with an estimated net worth of $23.9 billion, up from $13.9 billion a year ago.

The significant jump in his fortune was primarily due to Forbes factoring in the value of his refinery.

The Dangote Group operates in diverse sectors, including cement, sugar, flour, salt, seasoning, pasta, beverages, real estate, and projects in oil & gas and fertiliser.

On the other hand, Adenuga, who ranked fifth on the list, had $6.8 billion in his portfolio during the period under review, while Rabiu was worth $5.1 billion.

Adenuga runs the Pan-African telecommunications company, Globacom, while Rabiu owns the BUA Group, with interests in cement, sugar, oil, and other sectors.

Nigerian business mogul and philanthropist Otedola emerged as the 16th richest person in Africa on the Forbes list, with his wealth surging by over 30 per cent in the last year.

In the newly released list, Forbes stated that Otedola’s wealth reached $1.5 billion during the period, making him one of the fastest-growing billionaires, second only to Johann Rupert of South Africa, whose fortune grew by 39 per cent.

A prominent Nigerian businessman, Otedola has established and led several companies across various sectors, with many notable enterprises associated with his name.

Checks revealed that some of these include Geregu Power Plc, the first electricity-generating company in Nigeria to be listed on the Nigerian Exchange in October 2022, where he serves as Chairman.

Additionally, he is the Chairman of First Holdco Plc, formerly FBN Holdings Plc, a financial holding company that serves as the parent company for a diversified group of financial services businesses, including commercial banking, merchant banking, capital markets, trusteeship, and insurance brokerage, operating across Africa.

A dedicated philanthropist, Otedola has been a significant supporter of Save the Children, donating billions of naira and earning a Vice President role in recognition of his efforts to improve the lives of children in Nigeria.

Save the Children is an organisation that works to support vulnerable children worldwide.

“Another billionaire whose fortune grew by more than 30 per cent was Femi Otedola of Nigeria ($1.5 billion), chairman of listed power generation firm Geregu Power Plc.

Shares of Geregu surged by approximately 40 per cent in the past year following a rise in revenue and profits,” the Forbes report stated.

The Forbes list tracks the wealth of African billionaires who reside in Africa or have their primary business there.

Net worths were calculated using stock prices and currency exchange rates as of the close of business on 7 March 2025.

Forbes noted that net worth changes were measured from its 2024 African billionaires list, published in January 2024. To value privately held businesses, Forbes starts with estimates of revenues or profits and applies prevailing price-to-sales or price-to-earnings ratios for comparable public companies.

Similarly, the report highlighted that the cumulative wealth of Africa’s billionaires surpassed $100 billion for the first time, as the continent’s 22 billionaires saw their combined fortunes rise to $105 billion, up from $82.4 billion and 20 billionaires last year.

South Africa had the highest number of billionaires this year, with seven, followed by Nigeria and Egypt, with four billionaires each.

Business

Reps pass bill to give foreign investors Nigerian citizenship

The proposed legislation titled , “A Bill for an Act to Alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to include Citizenship by Investment as one of the classes of Citizenship in Nigeria, provide for the Acquisition of Nigerian Citizenship by Qualified Foreign Investors who meet Specified Investment Thresholds and for Related Matters (HB. 2059)” was sponsored by the, Benjamin Kalu, the deputy speaker and some other lawmakers.

Published

5 days ago

March 27, 2025

OhiBaba

The House of Representatives has passed a bill to give foreign investors Nigerian Citizenship for second reading.

Business Day reports that the bill Is among the constitutional amendment bills which the Green Chamber is considering.

In the explanatory memorandum of the Citizenship by Investment Bill, it seeks to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Cap C23 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 to introduce a new class of citizenship known as Citizenship by Investment.

The proposed alteration aims to attract foreign direct investment by granting Nigerian citizenship to individuals who invest in the Nigerian economy above a specified financial threshold or in strategic sectors critical to national development.