Business

WTO X-rays Impacts of Trump’s Tariffs on Global Trade

WTO members must stand together to safeguard these gains.Trade measures of this magnitude have the potential to create significant trade diversion effects.

Published

1 year ago

April 7, 2025

OCHEFA

685 Views

Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Director-General of the WTO has acknowledged that President Donald Trump’s Tariffs slammed on more than a hundred countries, will have substantial implications for global trade and economic growth prospects of member nations .

In a position statement on the U.S. tariffs, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, said:

“The WTO Secretariat is closely monitoring and analysing the measures announced by the United States on April 2, 2025.

Many members have reached out to us and we are actively engaging with them in response to their questions about the potential impact on their economies and the global trading system.

While the situation is rapidly evolving, our initial estimates suggest that these measures, coupled with those introduced since the beginning of the year, could lead to an overall contraction of around 1% in global merchandise trade volumes this year, representing a downward revision of nearly four percentage points from previous projections.

I’m deeply concerned about this decline and the potential for escalation into a tariff war with a cycle of retaliatory measures that lead to further declines in trade.

It Is important to remember that, despite these new measures, the vast majority of global trade still flows under the WTO’s Most-Favored-Nation (MFN) terms.

Our estimates now indicate that this share currently stands at 74%, down from around 80% at the beginning of the year.

WTO members must stand together to safeguard these gains.Trade measures of this magnitude have the potential to create significant trade diversion effects.

I call on Members to manage the resulting pressures responsibly to prevent trade tensions from proliferating.

The WTO was established to serve precisely in moments like this — as a platform for dialogue, to prevent trade conflicts from escalating, and to support an open and predictable trading environment.

I encourage Members to utilize this forum to engage constructively and seek cooperative solutions.”

Related Topics:Featured WTO Directors-General WTO on Trump's Tariffs

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Naira Exchange Rates Friday, 3 July 2026

Published

1 day ago

July 3, 2026

OCHEFA

24 Views

BLACK MARKET RATES

US DOLLAR (USD) Buy ₦1, 397 Sell ₦1,405

GREAT BRITISH POUND (GBP) Buy ₦1,850 Sell: ₦1,865

EURO (EUR) Buy ₦1, 580 Sell ₦1,600

CANADIAN DOLLAR (CAD) Buy ₦1,030 Sell ₦1,100

SOUTH AFRICAN RAND (ZAR) Buy ₦75 Sell ₦90

UAE DIRHAM Buy ₦350 Sell ₦370

CHINESE YUAN Buy ₦180 Sell ₦200

GHANA CEDI (GHS) Buy ₦95 Sell ₦110

WEST AFRICAN CFA Buy ₦2, 380 Sell ₦2, 460

CENTRAL AFRICAN CFA Buy ₦2, 220 Sell 2,300

AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR Buy ₦800 Sell ₦900

CBN OFFICIAL EXCHANGE RATES

US DOLLAR (USD) ₦1,370.15

GREAT BRITISH POUND (GBP) ₦1,832.17

EURO (EUR) ₦1,568.28

SWISS FRANC (CHF) ₦1,1705.44

JAPANESE YEN (JPN) ₦8. 51

CHINESE YUAN (CNY) ₦201. 80

WEST AFRICAN CFA (XOF) ₦2.38

WEST AFRICAN UNIT ACCOUNT (WAUA) ₦1,859. 98

SAUDI RIYAL (SAR) ₦364.91

SOUTH AFRICAN RAND (ZAR) ₦84. 32

Business

Issue: Cloning Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC)

Published

2 days ago

July 2, 2026

OCHEFA

50 Views

The Presidency says the bodies allegedly used by Adeyemi—including the so-called Presidential Economic Advisory Council, Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, and Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council—do not exist as government agencies.

The Presidency says a man identified as Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew allegedly created and operated fake government agencies, forged appointment letters, and falsely claimed to have been appointed by Femi Gbajabiamila.
According to the statement:
The Office of the Chief of Staff discovered the alleged scheme after complaints from the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) that an unauthorized body was operating in a way that conflicted with its functions.

The Chief of Staff petitioned the Department of State Services and the Nigeria Police Force in October 2025 to investigate alleged forged appointment letters.

The Presidency says the bodies allegedly used by Adeyemi—including the so-called Presidential Economic Advisory Council, Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, and Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council—do not exist as government agencies.

Investigators allege Adeyemi operated from an office in the Federal Secretariat Complex, held meetings with diplomats, and sought diplomatic support to obtain U.S. visas for members of the alleged organization.
Police reportedly recovered forged documents and other exhibits during searches of his office and residence.

The investigation allegedly found that Adeyemi operated 34 bank accounts, including several in the names of fictitious organizations, and used forged documents to open a Central Bank of Nigeria account.

The Presidency says no government funds were paid into that account.
Police charged Adeyemi and two others before the Federal High Court on multiple counts, including forgery, impersonation, and obtaining by false pretence. The case is scheduled for hearing on July 27.

The Presidency also denied claims that Gbajabiamila appointed Adeyemi, stating that appointments to federal offices are issued through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, not the Office of the Chief of Staff.

Current status

The Presidency maintains that:
the agencies in question are fictitious,
the appointment letter was forged,
Adeyemi is an impostor,
and the allegations against him should be resolved by the court.

As the case is pending before the court, the allegations remain subject to judicial determination.