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WTO slashes 2025 trade growth forecast, warns of deeper slump

“I’m very concerned, the contraction in global merchandise trade growth is of big concern,” WTO Director General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala told reporters in Geneva.

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(Reuters): The World Trade Organization sharply cut its forecast for global merchandise trade from solid growth to a decline on Wednesday, saying further U.S. tariffs and spillover effects could lead to the heaviest slump since the height of the COVID pandemic.

The WTO said it expected trade in goods to fall by 0.2% this year, down from its expectation in October of 3.0% expansion.

It said its new estimate was based on measures in place at the start of this week.

“I’m very concerned, the contraction in global merchandise trade growth is of big concern,” WTO Director General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala told reporters in Geneva.

U.S. President Donald Trump imposed extra duties on steel and car imports as well as more sweeping global tariffs before unexpectedly pausing higher duties on a dozen economies.

His trade war with China has also intensified with tit-for-tat exchanges pushing levies on each other’s imports beyond 100%.

The WTO said that, if Trump reintroduced the full rates of his broader tariffs that would reduce goods trade growth by 0.6 percentage points, with another 0.8 point cut due to spillover effects beyond U.S.-linked trade.

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Dangote Refinery’s IPO Ends Tomorrow

“The level of investor interest reflects growing confidence in our business and in the strong financial results we have delivered,” the company said.

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[File photo] Opening ceremony of Dangote Refinery’s IPO on the NGX, September 14,2026

Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals has confirmed that its Initial Public Offering (IPO) will close on Tuesday, 27 October 2026 as scheduled, with no extension.

In a statement, the management said that the IPO has become a historic ownership moment, an opportunity for Africans at home and abroad to own a stake in one of the continent’s most strategic industrial assets.

“Investors recognise that this refinery is not merely an energy asset. It is a platform for industrial growth, foreign-exchange generation, regional trade, energy security and economic development across Africa,” management said.

The offer was structured to ensure ordinary investors participate alongside institutions, broadening ownership of the world-class asset.

“The level of investor interest reflects growing confidence in our business and in the strong financial results we have delivered,” the company said.

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Dangote Visit London Stock Exchange Ahead of November Cement Listing

Unlike an initial public offering, a secondary listing would let Dangote Cement, already listed on the Nigerian Exchange, set up an additional presence in London.

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Aliko Dangote visited the London Stock Exchange on Friday, October 23, 2026, as Dangote Cement Plc prepares a proposed $1 billion share sale and a secondary listing in the United Kingdom.

The company is reportedly targeting November 2026 for the listing, subject to market conditions and regulatory approval.

A video circulating on social media captured the visit, with exchange officials and attendees welcoming Africa’s richest man.

The trip is part of efforts to pull international investment into his business empire.

The proposed deal could see Dangote Cement offer about 10% of its equity to international investors, potentially raising roughly $1 billion.

The final timetable is not fixed and remains subject to market conditions and regulatory requirements.

Unlike an initial public offering, a secondary listing would let Dangote Cement, already listed on the Nigerian Exchange, set up an additional presence in London.

That could raise the company’s visibility with international institutional investors, including pension funds, asset managers and other investment firms.

The share sale has not been completed. Its final structure, valuation and pricing are still subject to confirmation.

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Olagunju to head JPMorgan’s Proposed Nigerian Merchant Bank

The proposed bank would expand JPMorgan’s presence beyond its representative office in Lagos. It could undertake a broader range of regulated banking activities after securing a final licence.

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The Central Bank of Nigeria has granted JPMorgan approval-in-principle to establish a merchant bank in Nigeria.

The regulator also approved Adedapo Adedayo Olagunju as Managing Director of the proposed JPMorgan Merchant Bank Nigeria Limited.

The approval came on Friday, October 23, 2026. The bank has not received its final operating licence.

Olagunju has led JPMorgan’s West African operations since 2018.

He is an Oxford-trained banker with more than two decades of experience in treasury management, financial markets, institutional banking and structured finance.

His appointment puts him in line to head the American bank’s proposed Nigerian merchant bank once final licensing is completed.

The CBN also approved four non-executive directors and three independent non-executive directors for the proposed institution.

The proposed bank would expand JPMorgan’s presence beyond its representative office in Lagos. It could undertake a broader range of regulated banking activities after securing a final licence.

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