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NNPCL, marketers clash over subsidy, operators peg petrol at N1,200/litre

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The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and fuel marketers under the aegis of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, on Tuesday, clashed again over the removal of subsidy on petrol.

This came against the backdrop of the depreciation of the naira against the United States dollar at both the official Investors & Exporters Window and the parallel market.

 On Tuesday, the local currency closed at 998/dollar at the official market, while it traded at 1,225/dollar at the black market.

On the back of the falling naira rate, economists and oil marketers said PMS subsidy was increasing in recent times, but the NNPC quickly countered these positions and declared that it was recovering its full cost on the importation of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, countering the positions of

The Chief Executive Officer, Financial Derivatives Company, Bismarck Rewane, had during a live television programme on ChannelsTV on Sunday, explained that fuel subsidy was not removed but reduced.

Similarly, oil marketers told our correspondent on Tuesday that subsidy on petrol was increasing considering the crash of the naira against the United States dollar and the cost of crude oil, stressing that PMS should sell for N1,200/litre in a free market.

Petrol, which is solely imported into Nigeria by the NNPCL, currently sells for between N617/litre to N660/litre, depending on the location of purchase in Nigeria.

Also speaking on the matter, the Chief Executive Officer, Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise, Dr Muda Yusuf, said there was partial subsidy on petrol, but noted that the commodity was subsidised by the government for political, social and economic reasons.

Full cost recovery

But when contacted, the Chief Corporate Communications Officer, NNPCL, Olufemi Soneye, described the positions of economists and marketers as assumptions, and insisted that the Federal Government had stopped subsidy on petrol.

President Bola Tinubu had during his inaugural speech on May 29, 2023, declared that subsidy on petrol was gone, a declaration that was effectively implemented the next day by NNPCL.

Before Tinubu’s declaration, the pump price of petrol was below N190/litre, but it jumped to over N500/litre after the President’s statement, and moved up again to over N600/litre a few weeks later.

Asked to state if the NNPCL, being Nigeria’s sole importer of petrol, subsidising the commodity as posited by dealers and experts, the oil firm’s CCCO replied, “We prioritise our time on substantive matters rather than responding to assumptions.

“At NNPC Ltd, we prioritise national development through energy security and sustainable growth. We reiterate that the Nigerian government does not pay subsidy on fuel; we recover full costs from our imported products.

“As a global energy company, our focus remains on fostering a vibrant and energy-secure Nigeria.”

‘Subsidy reduced’

Rewane had earlier explained that subsidy on petrol was reduced and not removed, while featuring on a live television programme on Sunday evening, as he further highlighted the effects of the reduction in fuel subsidy and how it was affecting salary earners in Nigeria.

He said, “At the inauguration, it was said that (fuel) subsidy was gone but subsidy was actually reduced.”

Buttressing his position, he explained, “There is the convergence of exchange rates and reducing the windows into one. The consequence of that is that money has been transferred from consumers to the government.

“Subsidies are reversed taxes; if you reduce them, you increase the people’s taxes and reduce their income. What has happened is that government revenue has increased by 44 per cent between May and June (2023). Money has been transferred to the government but what is the government doing with it?

“The consumers, on the other hand, had a minimum wage, which in dollar terms was $40 in 2002. In 2019, it was about $70, but it has now been reduced to $24.”

Marketers project N1,200/litre

The National Public Relations Officer, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Chief Ukadike Chinedu, stated that subsidy on petrol was rising and that the cost of the commodity should be around N1,200/litre in a free market.

“To be pragmatic in this analysis let’s consider the cost of petrol today in the United States. For premium petrol, it is $2.99, while super petrol sells for $3.15 or $3.10 depending on the part of that country where you are making the purchase.

“Now, $3 in Nigeria is over N3,000, because a dollar in the parallel market is over N1,000. You can also see the cost of diesel, that is over N1,000/litre, and it is important to state that petrol is usually higher in price than diesel in a free market.

“So if you consider the cost of diesel, dollar and other international factors, the price of petrol in Nigeria should be around N1,200/litre, but the government is subsidising it, which to an extent is understandable,” he stated.

Ukadike noted that he had earlier explained that the government was implementing quasi-subsidy, and by this it means that “the Federal Government, instead of taking out the subsidy by 100 per cent, decides to take out about 50 per cent.”

The IPMAN official, however, expressed optimism again that the cost of refined petroleum products would reduce as soon as the Port Harcourt and Dangote refineries start producing the commodities.

“I also believe that there will be a reduction in the prices of petroleum products this year when you consider what the government is currently doing. The coming onboard of the Port Harcourt refinery and the supply of crude to Dangote refinery are good developments in the sector.

“Their operations will help stabilise the price of PMS and other petroleum products in Nigeria, because it will definitely cut down the importation of products,” Ukadike stated.

Social, economic reasons.

The Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise CEO said subsidy was being retained partially because of its economic, social and political implications.

Yusuf said, “To protect the citizens from further hardship is the reason why the government seems to have applied the brakes on subsidy removal. We are all witnesses to the pain and hardship that citizens are going through.

“So when you are adopting some of these policies, especially these liberal economic policies, it comes to a point where you have to moderate your position for social reasons.

“Just as the World Bank said, if we want to leave the price fully to market forces and the liberal economic policies, the fuel price will be above N800/litre. Can any government that is sensitive to the feelings of its citizens allow that to happen?

“Even if economically that is the way to go, there must always be a human face to economics. So what the government has done is to moderate the reform, and that is why I think the government has insisted that the NNPC should still hold the price at the current level.”

Yusuf noted that the government must balance the gains and side effects of subsidy, stressing that economic hardship may worsen should subsidy be removed 100 per cent.

“All of us who were saying that they should remove the subsidy, we can see that they have partially removed it now, but look at the consequences. Economically it will sound good, but socially and politically it is very costly.

“So those in government need to balance all those considerations. They need to balance economic, political and social considerations. That is why we find ourselves in a situation where we have partial subsidies, both in petrol and electricity,” he stated.

The World Bank had stated in December that subsidy on petrol was still being implemented by the Federal Government, as it insisted that the cost of PMS should not be less than N750/litre if there was no subsidy.

Naira at N988/$

The naira closed at N988.46/$ on the first day of official trading on the Investors and Exporters Window on Tuesday.

This is an 8.97 per cent decline from the N907.11/$ it closed trading on Friday (the last day of official trading for 2023) according to data from the FMDQ Securities Exchange. This continues a worrying trend for the naira which was one of the worst performing currencies of 2023.

According to Bloomberg, the naira had one of its worst years in 2023, a title that 2024 might usurp. It noted that the national currency lost about 55 per cent of its value as of Thursday 28, 2023.

Based on Kyle Chapman, FX markets analyst at London-based Ballinger & Co, the naira was the third worst-performing global currency in 2023 due to a backlog of unsettled forwards, undelivered promises of dollar inflows, and a two-decade peak in inflation.

Chapman said, “The naira’s downward momentum is likely to continue through much of 2024, and its ultimate trajectory will depend on whether the CBN’s rhetoric transforms into concrete policy moves that drive up the flow of US dollars into Nigeria and shore up trust in the official market.

 “If the CBN’s promised measures materialise and Tinubu’s government enacts structural changes to increase oil production or to drive foreign investment, there is plenty of opportunity for the naira to lift from its record lows. But a quick fix is unlikely, and further depreciation will come to counteract supply and demand imbalances.”

In its December Nigeria Development Update, the World Bank noted that naira had depreciated against the US dollar by 41 per cent in the official market and by 30 per cent in the parallel market. It noted that the naira needs increased volume to stabilise in the official market.

It said, “Further monetary policy tightening is expected to help underpin the value of the naira. However, there is also a need to increase FX supply in the market. Facilitating FX flows, especially from all exports, through the NAFEM can help provide additional volumes in the official window that can help provide stability.

“In addition, clarity on the CBN’s net reserve position, and on the CBN’s continued progress in clearing the FX backlog, would also strengthen market confidence.”

NNPCL records thefts

Meanwhile, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, on Tuesday, said a total of 112 cases of crude oil theft were recorded in the Niger Delta in one week.

It said the oil theft incidents occurred between December 23, 2023 and December 29, 2023, adding that in the past week, 42 illegal refineries were discovered in several locations in the oil rich region.

It outlined the locations to include Konsho and Tebidaba in Bayelsa State; Obokofia in Imo State; as well as Ogidigben, Mereje and Obodo Omadina, in Delta state

The oil firm disclosed this in a documentary posted on its official X handle, adding that the “illegal refineries in Umuire, Abia State, and Upata in Rivers State, were also discovered and destroyed.”

It further stated that 14 illegal connections were uncovered in several parts of the Niger Delta, as a tunnel covering an illegal connection was also uncovered in Owaza, Abia State, while 10 cases of vandalism were discovered.

In the two minutes and 44 seconds documentary, the company stated that, “Illegal storage sites were discovered in Ebocha and Ton Kiri in Rivers State where oil pits were found.

“In Ogbia, Bayelsa State, sacks of crude oil were discovered. More illegal storage sites were uncovered in Urhonigbe, in Edo State; Ekuku-Agbor and Bomadi in Delta State.”

According to the firm, 22 wooden boats conveying stolen crude were discovered in Okrika and Tombia in Rivers State as well as Emereje, Delta State.

It stated that during an operation, 11 vehicle arrests were made in Delta State, as eight of these (oil theft) incidents took place in the deep water, 46 in the eastern region, 32 in the central region, while 26 took place in the western region.

“Between the 23rd and 26th of December, 2023, 18 suspects were arrested,” the national oil company stated, adding that it would not back down in the war against crude oil theft.

Nigeria loses billions of naira to oil theft and finds it tough to meet the production quota approved for the country by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, due to the menace of oil thieves.

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FG Announces New Procurement Policy Shift Favouring Local Manufacturing

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The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved a “Nigeria First Policy” aimed at prioritising the use of locally made goods and services in all government procurements.

The Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, made the disclosure saying that the policy seeks to domesticate all government processes.

The Nigerian government expects that with the new policy, local manufacturers will get priority in the provision of goods and services.

“No procurement of foreign goods or services already available locally shall proceed without justification, and where there is an exceptional need for these services to procure from outside, there must be a waiver to be obtained, written waiver to be obtained by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP),” Mr Idris said.

“Where no viable local option exists, contracts must include provisions for technology transfer, local production or skills development.

For example, the provision of portal allocations under the sugar master plan should take into consideration participants’ backwards integration plans and investment in Nigeria and ensure compliance with the Master Plan.

“The MDAs have also been directed to immediately conduct an audit of all procurement plans and submit revised versions in line with these directives. Breaches will attract sanctions, including cancellation of procurement processes by such MDAS, and indeed disciplinary action against responsible officers,” the minister noted.

The federal cabinet approved these proposals on Monday and the office of the Attorney General of the Federation has been directed to prepare an Executive Order to be issued by President Bola Tinubu.

This is a major shift in government policy, Mr Idris added. “It puts Nigeria – not foreign companies, not imports – at the heart of our national development.”Once signed into law, Mr Idris said, the legislation will “foster a new business culture that will be bold, confident, but also very, very Nigerian, and it aims at making the government invest in our people and our industries by changing how the government spends money, how we procure and how we also build our economy.”“Going forward, Nigerian industry will take precedence in all procurement processes,” the minister said.

This is a major shift in government policy, Mr Idris added. “It puts Nigeria – not foreign companies, not imports – at the heart of our national development.

”Once signed into law, Mr Idris said, the legislation will “foster a new business culture that will be bold, confident, but also very, very Nigerian, and it aims at making the government invest in our people and our industries by changing how the government spends money, how we procure and how we also build our economy.”

Where local supply falls short, contracts will be structured to build capacity domestically, according to Mr Idris. “Contractors will no longer serve as intermediaries sourcing foreign goods where local factories die. I take the example of the sugar industry.”

“For example, we still have so much importation of sugar coming into this country, yet we have the Nigerian sugar council that was set up to look inward to see how sugar production can be produced, you know, for the benefit of Nigerians.

President Tinubu has proposed that we will no longer just sit there and allow importation to come into this country where there is the capacity for production of these commodities locally.

Now, as I said, the president has proposed the following directives, and all of them have been approved by the Federal Executive Council.”

President Tinubu has proposed that we will no longer just sit there and allow importation to come into this country where there is the capacity for production of these commodities locally. Now, as I said, the president has proposed the following directives, and all of them have been approved by the Federal Executive Council.”

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Dangote Group Sponsors Nasarawa Trade Fair

The fair is a collaboration between NASSI and the Nasarawa State Chamber of Commerce Agriculture and Industries.

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The Dangote Group is sponsoring the 2025 Nasarawa Trade Fair Exhibition, which officially opens this Wednesday in Lafia, the state capital.

The Theme for this year’s Fair is: Investing in Nasarawa’s Future: Fostering Economic Development Through Mineral and Agricultural Cottage Industrialisation

The trade fair, according to the Chairman of the Nigeria Association of Small-Scale Industrialists (NASSI), Nasarawa State Chapter, Nidan Sambo Manasseh, will be declared open by the state governor, Abdullahi Sule.

He said the fair is a collaboration between NASSI and the Nasarawa State Chamber of Commerce Agriculture and Industries.

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Rite Foods Drags Mamuda Beverages to Court Over Products Semblance

Justice Nwite has scheduled a hearing for May 28, where the court will deliberate on Mamuda Beverages’ objection to the case and determine whether Rite Foods’ lawsuit can proceed.

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Rite Foods Ltd, the manufacturer of Fearless Energy Drinks, has filed a N1.6 billion lawsuit against Mamuda Beverages Nig. Ltd, producer of Pop Power Energy Drinks, citing trademark infringement and unauthorized replication of its product design.

The lawsuit seeks both damages and an injunction to prevent Mamuda Beverages from continuing to manufacture energy drinks that bear a striking resemblance to Rite Foods’ registered products.

In the writ of summons filed on April 14 before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja, Rite Foods claims that Mamuda Beverages has violated its intellectual property rights by introducing a nearly identical design for its Pop Power Energy Drinks.

The plaintiff alleges that the defendant has copied its distinctive bottle design, ornamental features, and brand identity, leading to consumer confusion.

Rite Foods Ltd, stated that its Fearless Energy Drinks feature a unique 500ml plastic bottle design incorporating a lion head logo, a specific shape, and color scheme, all of which were officially registered under the Patents and Designs Act on August 24, 2020.

The plaintiff argues that Mamuda Beverages’ 330ml Pop Power Energy Drinks replicate the shape, color, and overall aesthetic of the Fearless brand, with some consumers referring to it as “small Fearless” due to its resemblance.

The lawsuit demands an order of perpetual injunction restraining Mamuda Beverages, its distributors, and associates from further infringing on Rite Foods’ trademark, including manufacturing, distributing, or selling energy drinks that imitate its design.

The plaintiff also seeks N1 billion in damages for losses incurred due to the alleged unlawful use of its registered design, as well as N60 million in legal costs.

Previous injunction Rite Foods had previously secured an injunction against Mamuda Beverages in January 2025 before Justice Inyang Ekwo, restraining the defendant from continuing the production and distribution of Pop Power Energy Drinks.

The parties later reached a settlement agreement , which required Mamuda Beverages to alter elements of its product design to ensure differentiation from Fearless Energy Drinks.

However, Rite Foods claims that Mamuda Beverages has since violated the terms of the settlement, reintroducing a “remodeled” version of the Pop Power Energy Drinks that remains substantially identical to the original design.

This alleged breach prompted the fresh lawsuit, as Rite Foods insists that court intervention is necessary to protect its exclusive rights over its registered trademark and product design.

Mamuda Beverages has responded with a preliminary objection, urging the court to dismiss the case because the lawsuit constitutes an abuse of the court process.

The defendant argues that the matter was already litigated and resolved in an earlier consent judgment, rendering the court functus officio—a legal principle preventing the relitigation of settled disputes.

Justice Nwite has scheduled a hearing for May 28, where the court will deliberate on Mamuda Beverages’ objection to the case and determine whether Rite Foods’ lawsuit can proceed.

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