Business
General Hydrocarbons Limited Vs FBN: The Explainer GHL vs FBN: The Facts, The Half-Truths and The Fiction
GHL will continue to fight for justice and damages whilst it remains open for mediation and resolution
1. Is GHL’s liability to First Bank a loan? The simple answer is NO, as it is not a normal commercial loan: it is a Project Finance relationship.
Here is how:
2. GHL is the awardee and licenced operator of OML 120. FBN approached GHL to finance the exploration, development and production of OML 120and share profit 50:50, while paying FBN cost of finance.
The FBN 50% share is dedicated to paydown its non-performing loan of $600million(discounted from $718million from AMCON’s Eligible Bank Asset) in order to resolve FBN’s solvency issues.In doing that, GHL guaranteed FBN’s liability to AMCON, through a Tripartite Agreement between GHL, FBN and AMCON.
3. The result of the Tripartite Agreement was that FBN became immediately profitable and moved from a loss of N302Billion to a profit of N151Bn for 2021 FYE. However, in return, it has failed to meet its commitment under the Tripartite Agreement to fully finance and make the payments required for the optimal exploration and development of OML 120 as agreed in the Tripartite Agreement, resulting in losses in day rates and downtimes of $47million, which has snowballed into the current impasseas FBN has failed to make further required payments for the drilling and exploration of OML 120. Essentially, FBN failed to fulfil its condition precedent to profitability in failing to finance OML 120 as agreed, leavingits financial statements open to challenge. Meanwhile the FBN’s claim of $225Million loan is not due as it is still covered by moratorium, given that the project has not achieved commercial production. So, at best FBN’sclaim is premature.
4. GHL has now gone for Arbitration which is ongoing and FBN has gone to court with a series of Exparte (temporary) Mareva measures, the first of which has been vacated and the case is now being heard on the merit, whilst the second temporary Mareva is pending at the Federal High Court in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, both supported by” wild, unfounded and unproven allegations of dissipation of assets.”
5. Did GHL dissipate any asset? The answer is no as all payments were made by First Bank DIRECTLY to 3rd parties after due diligence and verifications by FBN, and the 3rd parties are mainly global, world class, reputable companies with strict compliance regimes.
6. GHL is filing a claim of over $1Billion in various courts, while FBN is claiming $225million debt which it never complied with in line with the agreements.
GHL will continue to fight for justice and damages whilst it remains open for mediation and resolution.
BLACK MARKET RATES
US DOLLAR (USD) Buy ₦1,422 Sell ₦1,428
GREAT BRITISH POUND (GBP) Buy ₦1,885 Sell: ₦1,910
EURO (EUR) Buy ₦1,590 Sell ₦1,610
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
Commercial Bank Exchange Rates
Fidelity Bank
Currency Sell
USD / NGN ₦1370.00
GBP / NGN ₦1869.7
8EUR / NGN ₦1604.54
Sterling Bank
Currency Buy Sell
USD / NGN ₦1350.00 ₦1370.00
GBP / NGN ₦1803.95 ₦1871.77
EUR / NGN ₦1537.93 ₦1601.81
ZAR / NGN ₦82.28 ₦86.99
Official CBN Exchange Rates
US DOLLAR (USD) ₦1,364.90
GREAT BRITISH POUND (GBP) ₦1,842.61
EURO (EUR) ₦1,575..50
SWISS FRANC (CHF) ₦1,684.02
JAPANESE YEN (JPN) ₦8.57
CHINESE YUAN (CNY) ₦202.34
WEST AFRICAN CFA (XOF) ₦2. 40
WEST AFRICAN UNIT ACCOUNT (WAUA) ₦1,858.53SAUDI RIYAL (SAR) ₦363..60
SOUTH AFRICAN RAND (ZAR) ₦84.31
BLACK MARKET RATES
US Dollar (USD) Buy ₦1,423 Sell ₦1,428
Great British Pound (GBP) Buy ₦1,890 Sell: ₦1,910
EURO (EUR) Buy ₦1,600 Sell ₦1,620
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
Commercial Bank Exchange Rates
Fidelity Bank
Currency Sell
USD / NGN ₦1370.00
GBP / NGN ₦1869.78
EUR / NGN ₦1604.54
Sterling Bank
Currency Buy Sell
USD / NGN₦1350.00 ₦1370.00
GBP / NGN ₦1800.68 ₦1868.46
EUR / NGN ₦1539.16 ₦1603.07
ZAR / NGN ₦82.44 ₦87.16
Official CBN Exchange Rates
US Dollar (USD) ₦1,360. 14
Great British Pound (GBP) ₦1,838.50
EURO (EUR) ₦1,571. 10
Swiss Franc (CHF) ₦1,680.85
Japanese Yen (JPN) ₦8.56
Chinese Yuan (CNY) ₦201.61
West African CFA (XOF) ₦2. 40
West African Union Account (WAUA) ₦1,864.27
Saudi Riyal (SAR) ₦362.22
South African Rand (ZAR) ₦84.07
Business
NAICOM Revokes Nigeria Reinsurance’s Licence, Freezes Operations Over Capital Shortfall
Banire directed banks, financial institutions, policyholders and members of the public not to honour any instruction relating to the company except those issued by him or persons expressly authorised by him.
The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) has revoked the operating licence of Nigeria Reinsurance Corporation for failing to meet the statutory Minimum Capital Requirement (MCR) and appointed Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Dr. Muiz Banire, SAN, as Receiver/Provisional Liquidator to wind up the company’s affairs.
The appointment took effect on August 3, 2026, following the cancellation of the company’s certificate of registration by the insurance regulator.
In a public notice dated August 4, 2026, Banire said NAICOM appointed him, in exercise of its statutory powers, to oversee the receivership and liquidation of Nigeria Reinsurance Corporation (RR-002).
In the notice, the company’s licence was revoked after it failed to comply with the prescribed Minimum Capital Requirement applicable to its category of licence within the stipulated compliance period, in accordance with the Nigerian Insurance Industry Reform Act (NIIRA) 2025 and other extant laws, regulations and guidelines.
Banire said his appointment authorises him to immediately trace, recover, secure and take possession of the company’s assets, collate and settle its liabilities in line with the NIIRA 2025, liaise with NAICOM on matters relating to the liquidation, and submit periodic reports to the Commission.
Banire directed banks, financial institutions, policyholders and members of the public not to honour any instruction relating to the company except those issued by him or persons expressly authorised by him.
Source: ThisDay
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