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JUST IN: CBN hits Niger Republic junta with sanctions

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to implement a set of new financial sanctions against the Niger Republic’s junta as well as their associates.


Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Chief Ajuri Ngelale, said this during a briefing at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

He said: “Following the expiration of the deadline of the ultimatum and standing on the pre-existing consensus position of financial sanctions meted out on the military junta in Niger Republic by the bloc of ECOWAS Heads of State, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered an additional slew of financial sanctions, through the CBN, on entities and individuals related to or involved with the military junta in Niger Republic.”

The President’s spokesman maintained that they are being instituted under the authority of the ECOWAS.

Nigeria has already cut off electricity transmission to its northern neighbours to pressurise the military to reinstate ousted President Mohamed Bazoum.

Ngelale added: “Concerning the ultimatum given to the military Junta in the Niger Republic, it is not a Nigerian mandate.

“The Office of President Tinubu, who is the chairman of ECOWAS, seeks to emphasise this point due to certain domestic and international media coverage tending toward personalisation of the ECOWAS sub-regional position to his person and to our nation individually.

“It is because of this that Mr. President has deemed it necessary to state unequivocally that the mandate and ultimatum were issued by ECOWAS.

“President Tinubu wishes to emphasise that the response of ECOWAS to the military coup in Niger has been and will remain devoid of ethnic and religious sentiments and considerations.

“The regional bloc is made up of all sub-regional ethnic groups, religious groups, and all other forms of human diversity. 

“The response of ECOWAS, therefore, represents all of these groups, and not any of these groups individually.”

Ngelale stressed that tomorrow’s extraordinary summit of ECOWAS will come up with far-reaching decisions on the developments in the Niger Republic.

Junta rejects visit by ECOWAS, UN, AU, U.S. delegations

The Niger coup leaders vowed to resist external pressure to reinstate ousted President Mohamed Bazoum after ECOWAS imposed sanctions and Western allies suspended aid.

The junta informed ECOWAS that it cannot host a delegation from the West African regional bloc.

“The current context of anger and revolt among the population following the sanctions imposed by ECOWAS makes it impossible to welcome this delegation in the required serenity and security,” Niger’s Foreign Affairs Ministry wrote in a letter addressed to the ECOWAS representation in Niamey.

On Monday, acting U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland met with the coup leaders and said they refused to allow her to meet with ousted President Bazoum, whom she described as under “virtual house arrest.” 

She described the mutinous officers as unreceptive to her appeals to start negotiations and restore constitutional rule.

Police at alert to avert internal security crisis, says IGP

 The Acting Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Olukayode Egbetokun yesterday directed Assistants Inspector General (AIGs) of Police and Commissioners of Police (CPs) in charge of the border to be alert to avert internal security crisis following the Niger coup saga.

Egbetokun disclosed this during a meeting with top police officers in Abuja. 

He said the deployment of police officers would be done if need be alongside other security operatives.

The police boss said: “I have directed that CP of commands and AIGs, who are in charge of those border states with neighbouring countries, are to work in collaboration with our sister agencies, especially Customs to ensure that there are no internal security issues with respect to what is happening with our neighbours.”

ACF asks FG to lift economic sanctions against Niger

 The mouthpiece of Northern Nigeria, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), called on President Tinubu and ECOWAS to lift sanctions against the Niger Republic and adopt more dialogue with the military junta to prevent a further breakdown of talks.

ACF, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Prof. Tukur Muhammad-Baba, said though the group condemns the coup and demands that the personal safety of President Bazoum and members of his government be guaranteed by the coup leaders, it feels dialogue, not military action is the way out.

This, he said, is to avoid a catastrophic occurrence of events between the two nations and the West African sub-region.

Coup plotters name economist as new prime minister

 Nearly two weeks after the military took over power in the country, the coup plotters have named former economy minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine as the country’s new prime minister.

A spokesman for the military junta made the announcement on television late on Monday night.

Lamine Zeine was formerly the minister of economy and finance for several years in the cabinet of then-president Mamadou Tandja, who was ousted in 2010, and most recently worked as an economist for the African Development Bank in Chad, according to a Nigerien media report.

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CPPE Tasks Govt to Fix Cost of Living Crisis Amid GDP Growth

Reacting on Nigeria’s third quarter 2025 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of 3.98 percent , CPPE said that it’s laudable, but called for policy interventions to fix the cost of living crisis.

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The Center for the Promotion of Private Enterprises (CPPE) tasks the government to ensure that GDP Growth and macroeconomic stability translate into real improvements in citizens’ welfare.

Reacting on Nigeria’s third quarter 2025 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of 3.98 percent , CPPE said that it’s laudable, but called for policy interventions to fix the cost of living crisis.

Dr Muda Yusuf, CEO of the CPPE, notes that despite the improvment in the GDP, the cost-of-living crisis remains a concern .

He said: ” While disinflation is underway and prices of some food items and manufactured products are easing, the social outcomes of economic reforms continue to weigh on households.

” It is therefore imperative for policymaking to prioritise targeted interventions to address the uneasiness around the cost of living and ensure that GDP Growth and macroeconomic stability translate into real improvements in citizens’ welfare—particularly for vulnerable groups.”

To consolidate the gains recorded in Q3 and unlock stronger, more inclusive growth, Dr Yusuf, said that the following policy interventions are critical:

Reduce Structural Bottlenecks

Address energy supply constraints, reduce logistics costs, improve port efficiency, and accelerate transport infrastructure development.

Mitigate the Cost-of-Living Crisis

Implement targeted social interventions and remove structural impediments that elevate consumer prices.

All tiers of government [local, state and federal] must sustain targeted interventions in agriculture, pharmaceuticals, transportation and energy to fix the cost of living crisis.  

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Dangote Targets Nigeria Festive Season Monthly Supply of 1.5 billion litres of PMS

This represents 50 million litres per day. We are formally notifying the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) of this commitment.

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Dangote Petroleum Refinery says that it has concluded arrangements to supply over 50 million litres of petrol per day into the Nigerian market this festive season (December to January).

The company said that the decision was taken to ensure that there is no shortage of the product during the festive season.

This translates to 1.5 billion litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) for the month of December.

The same amount of product will also be supplied in January 2026, it was added.

President and Chief Executive of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, announced the plans.

Dangote said: “In line with our commitment to national well-being, and consistent with our track record of ensuring a holiday season free of fuel scarcity, the Dangote Petroleum Refinery will supply 1.5 billion litres of PMS to the Nigerian market this month.

This represents 50 million litres per day. We are formally notifying the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) of this commitment.

We will supply another 1.5 billion litres in January and increase to 1.75 billion litres in February, which translates to over 60 million litres per day.”

Speaking during a visit by the South-South Development Commission (SSDC) to the refinery and the Dangote Fertiliser complex, he stated that the facility currently has adequate stock and is producing between 40 and 45 million litres of PMS daily.

He added that the daily supply of 50 million litres should dispel long-standing claims that domestic refineries lack the capacity to meet national demand.

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Dangote Partners Honeywell International to Boost Refinery Capacity to 1.4 million barrels per day

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Dangote Refinery, Africa’s largest single-train petroleum refinery, has signed a landmark contract with U.S. industrial giant Honeywell International to execute a significant capacity upgrade that will boost the facility’s crude processing capability from the current 650,000 barrels per day to an ambitious 1.4 million barrels per day.

The multi-billion-dollar project, described by sources close to the deal as one of the largest refinery expansion initiatives globally in recent years, will involve the installation of advanced process units, automation systems, and energy-efficiency technologies supplied and integrated by Honeywell UOP and Honeywell Process Solutions.

Aliko Dangote, President and CEO of Dangote Industries Limited, confirmed the partnership, stating: “This strategic collaboration with Honeywell will position the Dangote Refinery as one of the top five largest refineries in the world by capacity.

The upgrade will not only enhance our ability to meet Nigeria’s complete refined products demand but also establish the refinery as a major export hub for gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and petrochemicals across Africa and beyond.

”The expansion is expected to be implemented in phases, with key units including additional crude distillation, hydrocracking, and catalytic reforming modules.

Honeywell’s proprietary technologies are anticipated to improve yield of high-value products while reducing energy consumption and emissions.Upon completion, the 1.4 million bpd Dangote Refinery will surpass the current global top-tier facilities such as Reliance Industries’ Jamnagar Refinery (1.24 million bpd) and Paraguay’s planned 1.2 million bpd project, cementing its status as the world’s largest single-train refinery.

The project is expected to create thousands of direct and indirect jobs during the construction and commissioning phases and further reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imported refined petroleum products.

A spokesperson for Honeywell confirmed the award, saying the company was “honored to partner with Dangote on this transformative project that will reshape the African downstream landscape.

”Detailed timelines and the exact value of the contract were not disclosed, but industry analysts estimate the expansion could exceed $5–7 billion in total investment.

The statement said: Dangote Group is pleased to announce that it has entered into a strategic partnership with Honeywell International Inc to support the next phase of expansion of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery.

This collaboration will provide advanced technology and services that will enable the refinery to increase its processing capacity to 1.4 million barrels per day by 2028, marking a major milestone in our long-term vision to build the world’s largest petroleum refining complex.

Through this agreement, Honeywell will supply specialised catalysts, equipment, and process technologies that will allow the refinery to process a broader slate of crude grades efficiently and to further enhance product quality and operational reliability.

Honeywell, a global Fortune 100 industrial and technology company, offers a wide portfolio of solutions across aviation, automotive, industrial automation, and advanced materials.

Honeywell’s division UOP has been a technology partner to Dangote since 2017, providing proprietary refining systems, catalyst regeneration equipment, high performance column trays, and heat exchanger technologies that support our best-in-class operations.

Dangote Group is also advancing its petrochemical footprint. As part of the wider collaboration, we are scaling our polypropylene capacity to 2.4 million metric tons annually using Honeywell’s Oleflex technology.

Polypropylene is a key industrial material widely used across packaging, manufacturing, and automotive applications.In addition to refining expansion, Dangote Group is progressing with the next phase of its fertiliser growth plan in Nigeria. We will increase our urea production capacity from 3 million metric tons to 9 million metric tons annually.

The existing plant consists of two trains of 1.5 million metric tons each. The expansion will add four additional trains to meet growing demand for high-quality fertiliser across Africa and global markets.

Dangote Group remains fully committed to delivering world-class industrial capacity, strengthening Nigeria’s energy security, and driving sustainable economic growth through long-term investment, innovation, and strategic global partnerships.

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