Business

Govt’s Excise Duty Puts 950,000 Manufacturing, Allied industries jobs at Risk of Layoffs

Published

3 years ago

May 18, 2023

436 Views

The increases in excise duty on sweetend beverages, beers, tobacco and single use plastics by the Federal Government will severely affect 950,000 direct and indirect employees in the manufacturing sector’s value chain.

Based on this, the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has called on the Federal Government to reverse the 2023 Fiscal Policy Measures, and retain the 2022 -2024 excise duty roadmap as approved in the 2022 FPM.

This is to foster stability in the affected sectors and their value chain.

Otunba Francis Meshioye, President of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), said that the government had better suspend the policy in the interest of the national economy.

At a press conference in Lagos, the previous day, the MAN President noted that companies in the affected industries support other businesses in their value chain, cutting across agriculture, logistics, bottling, labelling and packaging businesses, as well as factory and office staff, distribution, wholesale and retail businesses, catering for over 950,000 direct and indirect employees.

” For instance, over 37,000 sorghum farmers rely on the brewing sector for their livelihood. Unemployment rate which stands at 41 percent , puts about 489,000 existing jobs at risk and which will further widen the unemployment gap,” he said .

He explained that a crash in sale volumes and consequent cuts in production will severely impact
these businesses in the value chain, which will have a multiplier effect on the national economy.

” For instance, supplier transactions in the sector declined by over N260 billion by the end of 2022, when compared to 2021,” he said.

He said that retaining the 2023 FPM will have a negative signalling effect on current and prospective investors.

“A continuing decline in sale volumes will necessitate production cuts and a re-evaluation of investments in the sector. Specifically, if sales proceeds can no longer sustain
business overheads and operating expenses, businesses will be forced to scale
down their operations which would result in factory closures, job losses, a decline in exports and much more.

It is instructive to note that the Excise increase is a direct attack on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI),” he said.

Commenting on the introduction of the Single Use Plastics tax, he said that it is necessary for the authority to reverse the tax on Single Use Plastics and engage with relevant stakeholders
to facilitate ongoing initiatives, which have a better prospect of achieving the desired environmental objectives.

“A good example of this is the Food & Beverage Recycling Alliance, approved by the federal government,” he said.

Business

MTN Suspends Xtratime , data credit

Xtratime allows subscribers to borrow airtime or data and repay on their next recharge, a service widely used by millions of Nigerians, particularly during periods of financial constraints.

Published

13 hours ago

April 16, 2026

OCHEFA

10 Views

MTN Nigeria has announced the temporary suspension of its airtime and data credit service, Xtratime, in compliance with new regulatory requirements governing digital lending in the country.

The company disclosed this in a corporate notice filed with the Nigerian Exchange Group, NGX, on Thursday.

Xtratime allows subscribers to borrow airtime or data and repay on their next recharge, a service widely used by millions of Nigerians, particularly during periods of financial constraints.

In the notice signed by the Company Secretary, Uto Ukpanah, MTN said the suspension is necessary to align with the Digital, Electronic, Online or Non-Traditional Consumer Lending Regulations, 2025.

Despite the suspension, MTN assured subscribers that alternative channels for purchasing airtime and data remain available, including banking applications and USSD platforms.

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Business

NDIC Seeks Court Approval For Liquidation of 89 Defunct MFBs, PMBs Nationwide

The affected institutions are largely microfinance banks operating across multiple states, including Lagos, Anambra, Ogun, Osun, Ondo, Akwa Ibom, Oyo, FCT, Kaduna, Delta, Edo and Kano.

Published

1 day ago

April 16, 2026

OCHEFA

25 Views

The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) has commenced the process of concluding the liquidation of 89 microfinance banks (MFBs) and primary mortgage banks (PMBs) whose licences were revoked.

The affected institutions are largely microfinance banks operating across multiple states, including Lagos, Anambra, Ogun, Osun, Ondo, Akwa Ibom, Oyo, FCT, Kaduna, Delta, Edo and Kano, reflecting the spread of small-scale lenders within the financial system.‎

‎The development follows the revocation of licences of 179 MFBs and four PMBs by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in May 2023, after which selected institutions acquired the assets and liabilities of 89 of the defunct banks under a purchase and assumption arrangement.

‎Under the arrangement, new operators were issued licences to take over the operations of the affected institutions, which have since resumed business under different names across several states.‎

The NDIC said it would, in its capacity as liquidator, approach the Federal High Court to obtain orders for the dissolution of the defunct banks and its discharge as liquidator, in line with its enabling law and other relevant provisions.‎‎

The move signals the conclusion of a resolution process initiated after the regulatory action taken in 2023, with the transfer of assets and liabilities already completed and successor institutions in operation.

Business

Dangote exported 434m litres petrol in March – NMDPRA

A breakdown of the figures showed that the refinery produced an average of 48.2 million litres of petrol per day, translating to 1.49 billion litres for the 31-day period. Of this volume, 34.2 million litres per day, totalling 1.06 billion litres, was supplied locally.

Published

1 day ago

April 16, 2026

OCHEFA

24 Views

• Dangote Petroleum Refinery / Credit: Instagram

The Dangote Petroleum Refinery exported about 434 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) in March 2026.

Data obtained from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA)’s March 2026 fact sheet on the state of the downstream sector on Wednesday revealed that the refinery produced a total of 1.49 billion litres of petrol during the month, while only 1.06 billion litres were supplied to the domestic market, leaving a substantial export surplus.

This implies that about 434 million litres of petrol were exported within the period.

The export of excess petrol reflects a major shift in Nigeria’s downstream sector, which has historically depended on imports to meet local demand. This development was further confirmed in a statement issued by the refinery earlier this week.It stated that, “Nigeria recorded a historic shift in its downstream petroleum trade in March, emerging as a net exporter of gasoline for the first time, driven largely by rising output from the Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals.