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JUST IN: Equinor Completes Assets Sale, Ends 31-Year Business Partnership With Nigeria

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Norwegian energy giant, Equinor has announced the decision to end its almost 31-year business partnership with Nigeria, after finalising the sale of its oil assets. 

A statement by the company on Monday said the sale of its assets was completed on December 6, 2024.

“With this exit, we realise the value and execute on our strategy to focus the international portfolio, and in combination with recent acquisitions and investments in our competitive projects, we seek to sustain long-term production and profitability,” says Philippe Mathieu, executive vice president for international exploration and production in Equinor.

The value of the transaction amounted to up to $1.2 billion, consisting of a purchase price of $710 million and the remainder in contingent payments.

“Nigeria has been an important country in our international portfolio for decades. Together with partners and suppliers, we have created significant value for Equinor and society at large. I would like to thank Nigeria and our employees in Nigeria for their great work and dedication over the years and wish our people well in the transition of their professional journey,” Mathieu continues.

The divestments of assets and exits from operations in Nigeria were first announced in 2023.

The international oil company said the assets sale is in line with the strategy of optimising its oil and gas portfolio.

“The exits enable investments to deepen further in countries where Equinor can add the most value and build a more focused and robust international portfolio,” he added.

The total equity production from the assets has been on average 18,700 barrels of oil per day, respectively, in the first three quarters of 2024.

The closing of these transactions will have a positive impact on the cash flow for the fourth quarter of 2024, the company said.

The deal grants Chappal Energies a 53.85 per cent ownership stake in Oil Mining Lease (OML) 128, including a unitised 20.21 per cent interest in the prolific Agbami oil field operated by Chevron.

The Agbami field is one of Nigeria’s largest deep-water oil fields, which began production in 2008 and has produced over one billion barrels of oil to date, solidifying its importance as one of  the country’s most productive offshore assets.

In addition to the acquisition, Chappal Energies will assume operatorship of OML 129, an asset with considerable potential.

The block includes the Nnwa, Bilah, and Sehki discoveries, with the Nnwa discovery being part of the larger Nnwa-Doro gas field. Nnwa-Doro, a major gas resource, has been stranded for over 20 years despite its vast reserves and strategic importance to Nigeria’s energy goals.

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OPSN Applauds President Tinubu for FRC tax halt

The OPSN urges continued engagement between regulatory institutions and the private sector to co-create regulatory policies that drive economic growth without stifling entrepreneurship.

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The OPSN and its stakeholders have been in active dialogue with the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, and other critical agencies, advocating for business-friendly policies that foster enterprise growth, protect jobs, and enhance national productivity.

The Organised Private Sector Nigeria (OPSN) comprising NACCIMA, MAN, NECA, NASSI and NASME commends President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for having suspended the implementation of certain provisions of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) Act 2023, which imposed financial caps and additional compliance dues on private companies.

Engr Jani Ibrahim, the National President of NACCIMA/Chairman OPSN, expressed gratitude on behalf of the private sector business, in a statement on Thursday.

The statement reads:” This action comes as a timely relief to the organised private sector members, including the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), many of whom had expressed deep concerns about the financial and administrative burden posed by the mandatory levies and reporting obligations under the current FRC framework.

The OPSN and its stakeholders have been in active dialogue with the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, and other critical agencies, advocating for business-friendly policies that foster enterprise growth, protect jobs, and enhance national productivity.

We therefore commend the efforts of the Government for this timely decision, which is a proactive and responsive measure that supports the Federal Government’s commitment to improving the ease of doing business and sustaining investor confidence.

The suspension provides a critical window for stakeholders to revisit the framework and ensure that future implementations of financial reporting obligations are transparent, equitable, and sensitive to the realities and legitimate concerns of Nigerian businesses.

The OPSN urges continued engagement between regulatory institutions and the private sector to co-create regulatory policies that drive economic growth without stifling entrepreneurship.

We remain committed to constructive dialogue and collaboration that will advance Nigeria’s economic transformation agenda.”

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Dangote Cement Creates 50 Agric Entrepreneurs

The beneficiaries were selected from the company’s host communities of Gboko Local Government Area of Benue State.

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Determined to support the government in its food security efforts, Dangote Cement Plc has launched a Farmers Empowerment Programme in Benue State.

The initiative is aimed at enabling 50 farmers to produce subsistence and cash crops in commercial quantities from Benue State, considered to be the food basket of the nation.

The programme is coming barely two months after the company empowered businesswomen in Gboko host communities of the State with cash grants, thus deepening business activities in the State.

Earlier, the company had increased bursary payments to students of host communities by more than 100 percent.

Speaking Thursday at the launch of the Farmers Empowerment Programme, General Manager Social Performance, Johnson Kor, described the programme as ‘historic and innovative.’

He said that the beneficiaries were selected from the company’s host communities of Gboko Local Government Area of Benue State.

According to him, the beneficiaries were carefully selected from the six catchment areas of the Local Government.

Mr. Kor said the projects have been earmarked for the communities as captured in the extant Community Development Agreement (CDA), adding that the contents of the CDA are progressively being executed. “Today we are witnessing an historic occasion in our journey of mutual development.

Farmers Empowerment Programme is the first programme to be launched since we signed the CDA with the immediate host communities in December 2024,” he said.

In his speech, Plant Director, Dangote Cement, Gboko Plant, Munusamy Murugan, said the company will also support farmers with fertilizers, Agro chemicals, Knapsack Sprayers and various types of seedlings. Mr. Murugan who was represented by Head of Production Department, Engr Soom Kiishi said: “This is the first batch but certainly just the beginning, and certainly not the end.

We plan it to be an annual event, but the choice of the Farmers programme may change, depending on the choice of the benefiting communities.”

He said that other economic empowerment programmes are lined up in the coming weeks.

“The Youth Empowerment Programme will soon be launched, and selected beneficiaries will receive training in Welding & Fabrication, and Solar Electrical Installation from Professional personnels,” he added.

He said the company’s scholarship scheme cuts across students from various disciplines and tertiary institutions.

In his address to the communities, a Consultant from Abbass Corporate Services, Dr. Ahemen Aondoaver Samuel, advised the beneficiaries to make use of what he described as a rare opportunity from the Dangote Cement Plc.

The Consultant said that the company’s effort will help transform beneficiaries into entrepreneurs in the agricultural sector and enable them to support the government’s food security effort.

A member of the community, Kwaghgba Isaac, described the Farmers Empowerment Programme as a historic and huge intervention from the company, noting that the effort will not only boost subsistence farming, but help feed the nation.

He urged members of the communities to sustain the peaceful coexistence currently being enjoyed with the company.

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Nigeria’s economy grows 3.7% in H1- Stanbic IBTC report

Muyiwa Oni, Head of Equity Research, West Africa at Stanbic IBTC Bank, said that the estimated 3.7 percent year-on-year GDP growth aligns with expectations for annual growth of 3.5 percent.

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• President Bola Tinubu

The Nigerian economy grew by 3.7 percent in the first half of 2025, driven by improved business conditions and increased oil production.

This was revealed in the Stanbic IBTC Bank Nigeria Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) report compiled by S&P Global and released on Tuesday.

Earlier, the World Bank estimated that Nigeria’s economy would grow by 3.6 percent in 2025, higher than the 3.4 percent recorded in 2024, despite shifts in global trade dynamics.

This projection is lower than the Central Bank of Nigeria’s estimate of 4.17 percent and the ambitious 5.5 percent GDP growth forecasted by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group in January.

Muyiwa Oni, Head of Equity Research, West Africa at Stanbic IBTC Bank, said that the estimated 3.7 percent year-on-year GDP growth aligns with expectations for annual growth of 3.5 percent.

He said, “Insights from the monthly PMIs and crude oil production data from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission suggest an economy that grew by an estimated 3.7 per cent y/y in H1 2025, supported by higher crude oil production and improved growth in manufacturing and services, while agriculture continues to lag its long-term average growth rate of 3.6 per cent.”

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