Business
Nigeria approves national blockchain Policy to drive digital economy
The new blockchain policy aligns with Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda.
Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy (FMCDE) has approved the National Blockchain Policy as the country doubles down on creating a blockchain-powered economy.
The adoption of the policy by the government will pave the way for the formal utilization of the technology in the country, which has seen significant crypto adoption in recent years. The FMCDE believes its implementation will have a positive effect on both the public and private sectors in Nigeria.
Blockchain Adoption
The latest push towards blockchain has also been prompted by Nigeria’s efforts to move away from its heavy economic reliance on the oil and gas sector and instead allow the economy to “leapfrog” into one driven by digital technologies.
As such, the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy developed the National Blockchain Policy to diversify the economy on behalf of the federal government. This is in line with the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS), which was unveiled by President Muhammadu Buhari in November 2019.
Subsequently, the first draft of the policy released in October 2020 outlined the strategy and stated that it aligns with the 8 pillars of the ‘DIGITAL NIGERIA’ Roadmap of the FMCDE. They focus on – Developmental Regulation, Digital Literacy & Skills, Solid Infrastructure, Service Infrastructure, Digital Services Development & Promotion, Soft Infrastructure, Digital Society & Emerging technologies, and finally, Indigenous Content Development and Adoption.
“The vision of the Policy is to create a Blockchain-powered economy that supports secure transactions, data sharing, and value exchange between people, businesses, and Government, thereby enhancing innovation, trust, growth, and prosperity for all. The implementation of the National Blockchain Policy will have a positive effect on both the public and private sectors of the country.”
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) will be tasked with coordinating the policy initiatives under the oversight of the FMCDE. The authorities have also set up a multisectoral steering committee to monitor policy implementation.
The Federal Executive Council, on the other hand, directed relevant regulatory bodies – NITDA, Nigeria’s Central Bank, the National Universities Commission, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Nigerian Communications Commission to develop regulatory structures for blockchain implementation across various sectors of the economy.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s SEC plans to support tokenization, with the main focus being real-world assets such as equities, bonds, and real estate. Cryptocurrency, however, is not on the roadmap.
Earlier this year, the country witnessed a cash shortage that led to violent protests, leaving countless citizens injured and a few dead. Nigerians have flocked to cryptocurrencies to hedge against current inflation and dodge the various limitations on naira transactions in online payments. The African country was ranked 11th on the Chainalysis 2022 Global Crypto Adoption Index and 17th for peer-to-peer exchange trade volume.
According to Binance’s West & East Africa Director Nadeem Anjarwalla, the approval of the policy indicates that Nigeria is positioning itself as a nation significantly ahead of the curve. In a statement to CryptoPotato, Anjarwalla commended the all-encompassing approach laid out in the reviewed policy document based on the key initiatives that include establishing a blockchain consortium and strengthening the regulatory and legal framework.
“We believe that growth in blockchain technology is set to become a key differentiator for economies and a key measure of international competitiveness in the next decade for attracting foreign direct investment, cultivating innovation, and creating jobs. As such, this is a welcome development and a significant milestone for the blockchain industry in Nigeria.”
Blockchain Tech Adoption Trajectory
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) recently published a report extensively analyzing blockchain technology. It observed that blockchain, which happens to be one of the “world’s fastest developing technologies,” could boost the global economy with $1.76 trillion by 2030.
The economists at the finance giant expect the majority of businesses to be leveraging blockchain by 2025. By 2025, blockchain’s GDP is estimated to reach $422 billion.
SOURCE: CryptoPotato
Business
Traders shut down Enugu ‘s Obollo-Afor market over N25,000 haulage levy
However, Chairman of ESIRS, Emmanuel Nnamani, in a letter to the traders, said the haulage levy was not paid by traders buying or selling goods in the markets, but was applicable strictly to truck drivers plying interstate routes.
All shops and markets at Obollo-Afor, Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu State were shut yesterday, as traders staged a peaceful protest against alleged selective collection of a N25,000 haulage levy in the market.
The traders, who locked their shops and took to the streets in large numbers, carried placards with various inscriptions, alleging that the Enugu State Internal Revenue Service (ESIRS) had singled out Obollo-Afor Market for the collection of N25,000 haulage fee on every truckload of goods loaded or offloaded in the market.
However, Chairman of ESIRS, Emmanuel Nnamani, in a letter to the traders, said the haulage levy was not paid by traders buying or selling goods in the markets, but was applicable strictly to truck drivers plying interstate routes.
Addressing officials of the Udenu Local Government Council at the council secretariat, where the protesters marched to present their grievances, Chairman, Obollo-Afor Market Traders Association, Charles Eze, lamented that truck operators bringing foodstuffs, building materials, and other commodities to the market had stopped coming because of the levy.
Business
Nigeria’s oil production dropped by 4% in July – NUPRC
“In the month under review, the daily peak production of crude oil and condensate was 1.78mbpd, while the lowest daily production was 1.57mbpd.”
The Nigerian Upstream Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) data has shown Nigeria’s average daily oil production fell by four percent in July, 2026.
According to the NUPRC, Nigeria produced 1.505 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil and 0.17 million bpd of condensate, bringing the combined daily production to 1.67 million bpd.
The commission said the country met and exceeded its Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) quota of 1.5 million bpd for the third consecutive month.
“In the month under review, the daily peak production of crude oil and condensate was 1.78mbpd, while the lowest daily production was 1.57mbpd.”
Business
FG approves tax waivers for 4,000 electric vehicles
Nigeria’s 2022 Energy Transition Plan targets electric vehicles accounting for 60 per cent of the country’s vehicle fleet by 2050. However, the country is still at the early stages of the transition.
The Federal Government has approved tax waivers for almost 4,000 electric vehicles imported into Nigeria in the first half of 2026.
Government data reviewed by Reuters in a report on Wednesday showed that the approvals represented the first batch processed under a new government initiative designed to encourage the adoption of cleaner vehicles through tax incentives and local vehicle assembly programmes.
The move signals an intensification of Nigeria’s efforts to shift part of its transport system away from petrol and diesel vehicles, even though the country’s electricity supply remains far below the level required to support large-scale electric vehicle adoption.
Nigeria’s 2022 Energy Transition Plan targets electric vehicles accounting for 60 per cent of the country’s vehicle fleet by 2050. However, the country is still at the early stages of the transition.
Official data on the current number of electric vehicles on Nigerian roads is unavailable, but dealers cited by Reuters estimated that EVs account for less than one per cent of the country’s vehicle fleet, translating to only tens of thousands of vehicles.
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