Business
New Premium Rates For Motor Insurance Adversely Affecting Manufacturers – MAN

The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) says that the new premium rates for motor insurance is seriously affecting its member companies.
The new premium rates for motor insurance in the country was introduced by the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) in December 2022, but took effect from January 1, 2023.
NAICOM had in a circular dated December 22, 2022, signed by its Director, Policy and Regulation, Dr. L.M. Akah, and addressed to all insurance institutions stated that the upward adjustment of rate was pursuant to the regulator’s exercise of its function of approving rates of insurance premium under the Section 7 of NAICOM Act 1997, and other extant laws.
Under the new template for motor insurance premium, third party insurance policies inclusive of ECOWAS brown card (EBC) had been reviewed.
The commission noted that effective January premium on private motor shall be N15, 000, while Third Party Property Damage (TPPD) which is the limit of claims an insured can enjoy on the policy shall be N3, 000.
Also, under the private category, Own Goods shall henceforth attract a new premium of N20,000 and TPPD of N5, 000 while staff bus will be subjected to a new premium of N20, 000, and TPPD of N3, 000.
For the commercial category, the insurance regulator stated that trucks/general cartage shall attract N100, 000 premium and TPPD of N5, 000.
Also, special type insurance will attract N20,000 premium and TPPD of N3,000 while tricycle will attract N3,000 premium rate and N2,000 in TPPD. Motorcycle will also pay N2, 000 premium and N1, 000 as TPPD.
The commission further stated that comprehensive motor insurance policy premium rate shall not be less than five per cent of the sum insured after all rebates/discounts.
The commission also warned that failure by insurance firms to comply with the directive shall attract appropriate regulatory sanction.
Seven months down the lane, Segun Ajayi-Kadir, the Director-General of MAN , said that the exorbitant new premium rates for motor insurance is taking a toll on manufacturing companies, especially the operators in Motor Vehicle & Miscellaneous Assembly sectoral group .
He noted that in the second quarter of 2023, the sector recorded an index score of 46.7, showing that the operators exhibited further loss of confidence as they fell below the 50-point benchmark in the period under review.
Business
Senate Constitutes Abdullahi Yahaya Tax Harmonisation Committee
Altogether, the four Tax Reform bills were Executive Bills transmitted by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the two chambers of the National Assembly in November last year.

The Senate on Thursday constituted a committee saddled with the responsibility of harmonizing its amendments to the tax reform bills with the House of Representatives version for final transmission to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced this during plenary after the passage of the bills.
Akpabio named senator Abdullahi Yahaya (Kebbi North) as chairman of the committee.
The members of the committee as announced by the Senate President are Senate Minority Leader, Abba Moro (PDP, Benue South), Chief Whip, Tahir Mongumo (APC, Borno North), Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South), Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara), and Solomon Adeola (APC, Ogun West).
Earlier, the remaining two Tax Reform Bills — the Nigeria Tax Bill 2025 and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Bill, 2025.
This was in addition to passage of the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, 2025, and the Nigerian Tax Administration Bill, 2025.
Altogether, the four Tax Reform bills were Executive Bills transmitted by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the two chambers of the National Assembly in November last year.
The passage of the bills was sequel to the consideration and adoption of a report of the Senate Committee on Finance presented by its Chairman, Senator Sani Musa (APC, Niger East).
Business
Meta’s Exit to Throw 20 million Nigerian MSMEs Out of Business
The Global System for Mobile Communications Association reported that Nigerian MSMEs rely heavily on Facebook and Instagram for sales, customer engagement, and brand visibility.

A Digital Marketing Consultant at EssenceMediacom, Olayinka Shobola, believes that a shutdown of Facebook and Instagram operations in Nigeria would deal a serious blow to Nigeria’s digital economy, especially millions of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
The Global System for Mobile Communications Association reported that Nigerian MSMEs rely heavily on Facebook and Instagram for sales, customer engagement, and brand visibility.
“Meta Platforms’ threat to halt operations in Nigeria could devastate 56 percent of the nation’s 39.6 players in the information technology space,” Shobola said, stressing that such an exit would erode tax revenues and force businesses to seek costly alternatives, as a $290 million fine dispute with regulators intensifies.
“Businesses that built their brands on Meta’s platforms would face immediate challenges.
The platforms have become essential tools for business survival and growth in Africa’s largest economy, where SMEs contribute nearly 50 per cent to GDP and represent more than 96 per cent of registered businesses.
“Most likely affected businesses will pivot to platforms like X or TikTok for short-term survival, but long-term, they’ll need to invest in standalone e-commerce or offline channels,” Shobola said.
“Jobs will take a hit; marketers, influencers, and agencies will lose contracts overnight.”
Statista forecasts a $148.2m social media ad market in 2025, with Facebook commanding up to $120m, driven by 38 million ad-reachable users.“My shop practically lives on these platforms, especially Instagram,” Lagos-based baker Fatima Tunde said. “If it’s gone, I’m out of business.”
Business
UAE Invests in $25bn African- Atlantic Gas Pipeline
The gas pipeline will connect Nigeria’s gas network with Morocco’s southern city of Dakhla and then go northward toward Europe.

•Gas pipelines
Morocco’s Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Leila Benali, said that the UAE is now one of the supporters of the Nigeria to Morocco gas pipeline project, which is estimated to cost $25 billion.
“The project now called the “African-Atlantic Gas Pipeline”, has won the support of IDB, OPEC Fund, EIB and the UAE,” Benali told Nigerian lawmakers, this week.
Benali also said that Morocco has finished all the feasibility and engineering studies needed for the pipeline.
Moroccan industry experts said that the project has already passed the feasibility study and Front End Engineering Design stages.
The gas pipeline will connect Nigeria’s gas network with Morocco’s southern city of Dakhla and then go northward toward Europe.
The line will pass through 15 African countries, boosting trade, development, and access to electricity in the region.
In Phase One, it will link Morocco to gas fields near Senegal and Mauritania, and connect Ghana to the Ivory Coast.
Phase Two will link Nigeria to Ghana, while Phase Three will connect the Ivory Coast to Senegal.
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