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New CBN Governor Working on Naira Stability, Inflation Mgt

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The acting governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Olayemi Cardoso, has given an insight into how he and his team  will address both the devaluation of the Naira and the rising inflationary trend.

Cardoso disclosed this while fielding questions from senators during his screening as the CBN governor and the deputy governor nominees on the floor of the National Assembly on Tuesday.

Cardoso said that he will use what he called short term and long term measures to address the challenges .
“On the issue of foreign exchange which everybody has been talking about is very worrisome. It goes without saying that for the sort of country we want we need to have an exchange rate that is very stable. For a country that we all dream of we need to have an exchange rate that is stable.

“The major short term measure has to do with balance of payments over a period of time like the sort of things that are being done already with respect to ensuring that you are getting more Petroleum Resources and diversifying the economic base of the country. That I believe will continue by the present administration and of course it will take time I think we should take that as a medium.

“The more immediate is what you need to look at: Number one, is what I call operational issue.

“We are aware that there are unsettled obligations by the CBN. Whether it is N$4b, N$5b or N$7b, I don’t know but definitely the immediate priority is to ascertain the extent.

“We need to find a way to take care of that. It will be naive for us to be expecting to succeed if we are not able to handle that side of the foreign exchange market.”

Cardoso further explained his second point, saying, “Second, we have to be transparent so that any of the players in that market will understand. We have to come up with rules that are transparent that any of the players in that business understands

“You cannot reasonably expect serious foreign investors, portfolio investors Foreign Direct Investment, that is why we were talking about short term we are not going to expect that players players who will have direct impact on your market will not do so if we do not have an open, transparent system that everybody understands, that can be relied on.

“Those two immediate steps will go a long way to ease up the restrictions and encourage investors to come with their money.
The short term measures is something that my team will address. The impact will help us with greater liquidity.

“In setting up those guidelines, one will also have to carry stakeholders along.

“These are two immediate steps that will go a long way to ease up the restrictions and encourage investors to come with their money. The short term measures is something that my team will address. The impact will help us with greater liquidity.

“On the issue of inflation , again there are longer term measures there are shorter term measures and I believe that some of those measures are being taken already.

“We will be looking at evidenced based monetary policies. We must do something about our data capacity to take critical decisions, based on data.”

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PENGASSAN – Dangote Rift: A needless attack on private enterprise

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The Director-General, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Segun Ajayi-Kadir, has described the rift between Dangote Refinery and Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) as unfortunate, and a needless attack on private enterprise.

He noted that the strike had far-reaching implications on residents and businesses, as factories suffered cuts in production schedules, with a hike in transportation fare.

Fielding questions from reporters at MAN House, yesterday, while announcing the association’s coming Annual General Meeting (AGM), he revealed that imported products, which were not suffering disruption, were likely to fill the gap and if the rift rears its head again, it would affect daily workers and people in the logistics value chain that rely on the products made in those factories.

Meanwhile, PENGASSAN has said it decided to suspend its two-day strike to protect the jobs of its members in Dangote Refinery.The President, Festus Osifo, explained that the union was unsatisfied with the posting of about 800 sacked staff to Dangote’s subsidiaries to prevent job loss.

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FG Spends $2.86bn on External Debts Servicing – CBN

By August 2025, debt service climbed to $302.3m, which was $22.35m or 8 per cent higher than the $279.95m of August 2024.

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The Federal Government spent a total of $2.86 billion to service external debt in the first eight months of 2025.

This was disclosed in the international payment data from the Central Bank of Nigeria.

The figure shows that external debts accounted for 69.1 percent of the country’s total foreign payments of $4.14 billion in the period.

In the same eight-month stretch of 2024, debt service stood at $3.06 billion, representing 70.7 percent of total foreign payments of $4.33 billion.

The figures show that while the absolute value of debt service fell by $198m between 2024 and 2025.

The share of debt in overall foreign payments has remained persistently high, with about seven out of every ten dollars leaving the country used to meet debt obligations.

The monthly breakdown highlights the volatility of Nigeria’s repayment schedule:

In January 2025, $540.67m was spent compared with $560.52m in January 2024, a fall of $19.85m or 3.5 per cent.

February 2025 recorded $276.73m, slightly below the $283.22m in February 2024, down by $6.49m or 2.3 per cent.March 2025 surged to $632.36m against $276.17m in March 2024, an increase of $356.19m or 129 per cent.

In April 2025, payments reached $557.79m, which was $342.59m or 159 per cent higher than the $215.20m of April 2024.

May 2025 stood at $230.92m, sharply lower than the $854.37m in May 2024, a drop of $623.45m or 73 per cent.

June 2025 rose to $143.39m compared with $50.82m in June 2024, a rise of $92.57m or 182 per cent.

July 2025 fell to $179.95m, down by $362.55m or 66.8 per cent from $542.5m in July 2024.

By August 2025, debt service climbed to $302.3m, which was $22.35m or 8 per cent higher than the $279.95m of August 2024.

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ECOWAS Bank okays $308.63m for Nigeria, Guinea

The bank gave the approval during its 93rd Ordinary Session convened at the it’s headquarters in Lomé, the Togolese capital.

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ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID), has approved $308.631 million for the implementation of various projects in Taraba State, Nigeria, and a $40 million credit line for Vista Bank, Guinea, to bolster trade-related activities, including import-export operations and commercial value chains.

The bank gave the approval during its 93rd Ordinary Session convened at the it’s headquarters in Lomé, the Togolese capital.

President and Chairman of Board of Directors of the bank, Dr. George Agyekum Donkor, said the newly approved financing would advance strategic public and private sector initiatives, aligned with EBID’s mandate to promote sustainable development throughout the Economic Community of West African States by strengthening regional integration and fostering economic diversification.

The approved facilities include the $98.18 for a 50 MW Solar Photovoltaic Power Plant in Taraba State, Nigeria, , which will augment the supply of reliable, clean electricity to spur inclusive economic development, alleviate energy poverty, and improve environmental sustainability.

Anticipated benefits include direct electricity access for roughly 390,000 individuals, enhanced power reliability for at least 200 public institutions, the creation of 400 direct jobs during construction, and approximately 50 permanent operational roles.

The bank noted that an estimated 1,200–1,500 indirect jobs were expected to emerge across supply chains, maintenance services,and small businesses.

Another facility is the $79.219 million modern rice processing complex and 10,000-hectare irrigated rice production unit also in Taraba State.

Also included is the $91.232 million facility for Taraba State Industrial Park, an initiative conceived to accelerate local industrialisation and economic diversification through the establishment of a modern, integrated industrial ecosystem.

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