Business
JUST IN: Equinor Completes Assets Sale, Ends 31-Year Business Partnership With Nigeria
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.
Business
Reps summon Dangote and NMDPRA over fuel imports feud
The lawmakers have formally invited both parties to provide detailed explanations, stressing that only a full understanding of the issues will allow the National Assembly to broker lasting solutions.
The House of Representatives Joint Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream and Midstream) has intervened to halt rising tensions between the Dangote Refinery group and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
The joint committee on Monday summoned Alhaji Aliko Dangote and the NMDPRA leadership to present their grievances before the committee, while both sides are ordered to cease all media hostilities pending a swift investigation.
The committees, jointly led by Hon. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere and Hon. Henry Okogie, convened an emergency meeting to address what they described as “growing tension” threatening the stability of the downstream petroleum sector.
Ugochinyere said that the intervention was necessary to prevent further escalation at a critical time when government and industry stakeholders are working to stabilise supply, pricing, and regulation in the post-subsidy era.
“The renewed tension in the downstream sector, stemming from allegations by Alhaji Aliko Dangote against the NMDPRA, demanded urgent attention,” he said.
“The committee is committed to protecting the stability achieved in the sector.”
The lawmakers have formally invited both parties to provide detailed explanations, stressing that only a full understanding of the issues will allow the National Assembly to broker lasting solutions.
Business
Dangote appoints ex-CBN director Mahmud Hassan, as chief economist
In his new role, Hassan will serve as the Group’s top adviser on economic strategy, market trends, and policy implications, reporting directly to the President of the Group, Aliko Dangote.
The Dangote Group has appointed renowned economist and former Central Bank of Nigeria Director, Dr Mahmud Hassan, as its Group Chief Economist.
In a statement released on Monday, the Group said the appointment would strengthen its economic advisory capacity at a time of heightened global and domestic market volatility.
In his new role, Hassan will serve as the Group’s top adviser on economic strategy, market trends, and policy implications, reporting directly to the President of the Group, Aliko Dangote.
Dangote Group said Hassan brings more than 30 years of experience in economic policy formulation, financial sector regulation, and central banking to his new role.
During his long career at the CBN, he held several senior positions, including Director of the Trade and Exchange Department and Director of the Monetary Policy Department.
He also served as Secretary to the Monetary Policy Committee and as Special Assistant on Economic Policy and Research to the CBN Governor
Business
NBS says rebasing behind inflation’s dropping
NBS, in the report published on its website on Monday, headline inflation further declined to 14.45 percent compared with 16.05 percent recorded in October 2025.
The National Bureau of Statistics (nbs) attributes the droppings in headline inflation to the rebasing exercise it carried out five months ago, with the new base year set at 2024 instead of 2009.
NBS, in the report published on its website on Monday, headline inflation further declined to 14.45 percent compared with 16.05 percent recorded in October 2025.
NBS said that the Consumer Price Index rose to 130.5 points in November 2025 from 128.9 points in October, reflecting a 1.6-point increase from the preceding month (128.9).“
Looking at the movement, the November 2025 Headline inflation rate showed a decrease of 1.6 per cent compared to the October 2025 Headline inflation rate,” the NBS report read.
On a month-on-month basis, headline inflation stood at 1.22 per cent in November, higher than the 0.93 per cent recorded in October, indicating that average prices still increased at a faster pace during the month despite the moderation in annual inflation.
The statistical agency noted that on a year-on-year basis, headline inflation in November 2025 was 20.15 percentage points lower than the 34.60 per cent recorded in November 2024, largely reflecting the effect of the rebasing exercise, with the new base year set at 2024 instead of 2009.
Data from the report showed that the average CPI for the twelve months ending November 2025 increased by 20.41 per cent compared with the average of the preceding twelve months, representing a sharp slowdown from the 32.77 per cent recorded in November 2024.
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