Business
Nigeria To Spend USD123.5BN On Industrial Minerals Development
The Ministry of Mines and Steel Development has estimated that over USD 123.5 billion will be required for the development of the country’s industrial minerals over the next five years (2023-2028).
Project Coordinator, MinDiver, Dr. Sallim Salaam, who discloses this, said that Nigeria is richly endowed with over 30 industrial mineral types found in about 752 locations.
He said that these minerals are at different stages of development, from exploration to mining, adding that the
key participants in the industrial minerals sub-sector are artisanal and small-scale operators who exploit feldspar, trona, kaolin, talc, silica sand and dolomite for the chemical polymer and pharmaceutical industries.
” Others are quarry operators that mine and process granites, limestone, and marble as aggregates for the construction industry, cement, and lime production.
” Also included are barite and mica for mud drilling in the oil industry and phosphates for fertilizer production and soil liming.
“Generally, the local production of industrial minerals has steadily grown from 43,725,070 tonnes in 2016 to 78 454,628 tonnes in 2021.
” Even at this level of progress, Nigeria currently imports over 80 percent of its industrial minerals for the local industries.
” The Federal Government is determined to develop the available industrial minerals to stimulate industrial growth further and for import substitution, ” he said.
The estimated cost for implementing the actions described in the roadmap is 123.5 USD, to be spent over five years, the direct economic benefit obtained from the substitution of mineral imports covers this cost.

Business
Meta set to charge WhatsApp Business messages from October 1
For example, a Nigerian fintech company sending 500,000 chargeable utility messages could incur about $5,050 in fees from Meta alone, excluding charges that may come from third-party providers or software platforms used to manage the messaging service.
Businesses using Meta’s WhatsApp Business Platform will begin paying for certain messages sent to customers from October 1, 2026, under a new pricing structure announced by the company.
The change applies to organisations that use the WhatsApp Business Platform, formerly known as the WhatsApp Business API, to manage customer communication on a large scale.
Regular WhatsApp users and small businesses using the standard WhatsApp Business app are not the main targets of the new charges.
Under the revised system, the amount businesses pay will depend on the type of message being sent.
Utility messages, including payment alerts, order confirmations and other service-related updates, will cost about $0.0101 per message, while marketing messages will attract a higher fee of approximately $0.062 each.
Although the individual charges appear relatively small, companies that send large volumes of messages could see their communication expenses rise significantly.
For example, a Nigerian fintech company sending 500,000 chargeable utility messages could incur about $5,050 in fees from Meta alone, excluding charges that may come from third-party providers or software platforms used to manage the messaging service.
Business
Dangote Refinery Suspends Petrol Sales To Lagos Depots
Dangote Refinery is prioritising markets where imported products are either unavailable or less dominant, rather than adding more supply to Lagos, which receives substantial volumes of imported petrol.
Dangote Petroleum Refinery has suspended coastal sales of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) to depot owners and importers in Lagos.
People familiar with the refinery’s operations said that the move is deliberate, aimed at redirecting locally refined petrol to areas where imported supply is scarce.
The suspension is ongoing. A source said: “The suspension of coastal sales to Lagos is still ongoing. It is aimed at redirecting products to locations where imported products are unavailable. Lagos has quite some imported petrol.”
Dangote Refinery is prioritising markets where imported products are either unavailable or less dominant, rather than adding more supply to Lagos, which receives substantial volumes of imported petrol.
The strategy is intended to ensure locally refined petrol reaches areas where it is most needed.
The decision comes amid concerns at the refinery over the volume of imported petrol entering Nigeria.
According to data available to the refinery, imported PMS accounted for about 43 per cent of total petrol supplied into Nigeria in July
Business
Naira Exchange Rates Friday, August 28
Today, the Naira Black Market exchange rate for 1 Great British Pound (GBP) is 1900 Naira. This means that you can get 1900 Naira for every 1 Pound that you exchange.
How much is 100 pounds in naira today?
At the current black market rate of 1900 per pound, 100 British Pounds = 190,000 Naira.
BLACK MARKET RATES
US Dollar (USD) Buy ₦1,405 Sell ₦1,410
Great British Pound(GBP) Buy ₦1,900 Sell: ₦1,920
EURO (EUR) Buy ₦1,595 Sell ₦1,615
Canadian Dollar (CAD) Buy ₦1,020 Sell ₦1,080
South African Rand (ZAR) Buy ₦75 Sell ₦90
Ghana CEDI (GHS) Buy ₦95 Sell ₦110
West African CFA Buy ₦2, 300 Sell ₦2, 400
CENTRAL AFRICAN CFA Buy ₦2,150 Sell 2,250
CBN Exchange Rates
US Dollar (USD) ₦1,338.59
Great British Pound (GBP) ₦1,820.34
EURO (EUR) ₦1,560.12
Swiss Franc (CHF) ₦1,664 91
Chinese Yuan (CNY) ₦199.19
Japanese Yen (Yen) ₦8.40
West African CFA (XOF) ₦2.39
West African Unit Account (WAUA) ₦1,843.17
Saudi Riyal (SAR) ₦356 51
South African Rand (ZAR) ₦83.72
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