FG licenses six firms to import petrol, Dangote excluded – Newstrends
Connect with us

Business

FG licenses six firms to import petrol, Dangote excluded

Published

on

FG licenses six firms to import petrol, Dangote excluded

The Federal Government has granted approval to six companies to import petroleum products.

Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, said this.

He also denied claims that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) had given approval to Dangote Group to import petroleum products.

The NMDPRA had earlier said three oil marketers would start importing petroleum products in July.

Briefing journalists after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu on Monday, Farouk Ahmed,the

Ahmed gave the updates while briefing journalists in Abuja after his meeting with President Bola Tinubu on Monday.

He said apart from the six firms, a number of companies had applied for permits.

He however did not give names of the approved companies .

“There are several companies that applied for fuel importation permit. So, you can apply for importation to get access to the port. And by the way, we are open to all those who are interested in importing,” he said.

“There are six companies who said they want to import fuel in July. Of course, all the others may import in December in November, or anytime but those who expressed interest to bring in fuel in July there were six of them as of this morning.

“The beauty of it is that there are interests which means that they have been able to have access to foreign exchange in order to import.

“Now, as we go along, of course, we’ll be briefing you on the progress or the achievements so far, but the important thing is that NNPC has 30 days fuel sufficiency, so we do not anticipate any gap in supply or in distribution.”

 

Business

FULL LIST: Phones that WhatsApp will no longer work on in 2025

Published

on

FULL LIST: Phones that WhatsApp will no longer work on in 2025

WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business will no longer be available on some older smartphones starting May 5, 2025, as Meta phases out support for devices that don’t meet its updated system requirements.

This update is part of Meta’s commitment to enhancing security and ensuring the app performs smoothly on modern hardware and software. The company says the decision is aimed at helping the platform maintain its efficiency and safeguard user data.

While this change will mostly affect older phones — especially those released over a decade ago — users are advised to upgrade their devices to avoid losing access.

READ ALSO:

Apple devices affected:

WhatsApp will require iOS 15.1 or later iPhone models that won’t meet the minimum requirement include:

iPhone 5s

iPhone 6

iPhone 6 Plus

These models can only run iOS 12.5.7, which falls below WhatsApp’s new cutoff.

Android Devices Affected:

Back on January 1, 2025, WhatsApp ended support for Android phones running version 4.4 (KitKat) or older. Users with these devices were urged to update their operating systems where possible — but for phones stuck without official updates, using WhatsApp is no longer an option.

Affected Android phones include:

Samsung:

Galaxy S3

Galaxy Note 2

Galaxy Ace 3

Galaxy S4 Mini

Motorola:

Moto G (1st Generation)

Moto E (2014)

Razr HD

HTC:

One X

One X+

Desire 500

Desire 601

LG:

Optimus G

G2 Mini

L90

Nexus 4

Sony:

Xperia Z

Xperia SP

Xperia T

Xperia V

Users still relying on these older devices will need to upgrade to newer models if they want to keep using WhatsApp.

 

FULL LIST: Phones that WhatsApp will no longer work on in 2025

Continue Reading

Auto

FCT traffic service confirms sale of number plates by touts

Published

on

FCT traffic service confirms sale of number plates by touts

The Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS), Federal Capital Territory (FCT), yesterday advised  residents not to patronise touts in registering  their vehicles.

A statement by the Director, DRTS, Abdulateef Bello said: “ The Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS), Federal Capital Territory (FCT), wishes to inform the general public that the current scarcity of vehicle number plates in the FCT is due to irregular and insufficient supply from the National Vehicle Identification Scheme (NVIS) Plant and efforts are ongoing to remedy the situation.

“We also wish to draw the attention of the motoring public to the activities of fraudsters impersonating DRTS officials in the attempt to take advantage of the situation to exploit vehicle owners.

READ ALSO:

“The DRTS firmly disassociates itself from these illegal activities and strongly caution members of the public against dealing with any individual either staff or agent who claim to be in position of number plates outside what is uploaded in the DRTS self-service portal (https://selfservice.fctevreg.com).

“Moreover, in order to ensure transparency, the approved costs of number plates and related services are readily available on our official communication platforms, and particularly our website.

“The Directorate therefore encourages the public to stick and insist on the stipulated prices.

‘‘In collaboration with the Security Agencies, the Directorate has intensified efforts to bring these impostors to justice.’’

“We urge the public to report suspicious individuals or illegal activities to the Management of the DRTS. The DRTS remains steadfast in its commitment to delivering transparent, efficient, and accountable services to the motoring public”.

 

FCT traffic service confirms sale of number plates by touts

Continue Reading

Business

Filling stations yet to reduce petrol price after Dangote slashes rate

Published

on

Filling stations yet to reduce petrol price after Dangote slashes rate

For the second time in one week, Dangote Petroleum Refinery has announced a reduction in the price of premium motor spirit (PMS) otherwise known as petrol.

With effect from yesterday (April 16th, 2025), the gantry price (ex-depot price) of petrol would now go from N865 to N835.

This would be the second price reduction within a week as Dangote Refinery earlier slashed the price from N880 to N865 per litre.

However, as of yesterday, prices are yet to change at most filling stations including the retail outlets belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).

While marketers welcomed the decision by Dangote, they however expressed mixed reactions over what they called, “arbitrary” reduction which portends losses to the market.

Group Chief Branding and Communications Officer of Dangote Industries, Anthony Chiejina, in a statement said, “High-quality Dangote petrol will now be available at the following prices across all our partner retail outlets….”

He said key partners, including MRS, AP (Ardova), Heyden, Optima Energy, Hyde and Techno Oil, will offer petrol at N890 per litre, down from N920 in Lagos.

In the South West, the price will be N900 per litre, reduced from N930 while in the North West and North Central, the price will be N910 per litre, lowered from N940.

READ ALSO:

In the South East, South South, and North East, the price will be N920 per litre, down from N950.

The statement said, “These price reductions reaffirm our commitment to providing high-quality petrol at affordable rates, benefiting consumers across the nation. In addition, we are working collaboratively with our partners to ensure equitable reflection of this price reduction.

“Dangote Petroleum Refinery has consistently worked to reduce the prices of petrol and other refined petroleum products, ensuring the continued benefit of Nigerian consumers. For example, in February, the refinery reduced prices twice by N125.  In addition, products such as diesel and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) have also experienced significant price reductions due to the refinery’s sustained efforts.

“We anticipate that this latest reduction in PMS prices will generate a positive ripple effect throughout various sectors of the economy, providing much-needed relief to consumers and contributing to broader economic growth, particularly during the Easter season.

“Dangote Petroleum Refinery remains steadfast in its commitment to ensuring a steady supply of premium-quality petroleum products, with sufficient reserves to meet domestic demand, along with a surplus for export. This strategy is designed to support the stability of the domestic market while also contributing to the growth of Nigeria’s foreign exchange reserves.”

The refinery however called on industry stakeholders, including marketers and distributors, to continue sourcing their products from the refinery, ensuring that the benefits of these price reductions are fully realised across the country.

It was learnt that the reduction in price of crude oil was one of the reasons behind the price change.

Global crude oil price has been experiencing volatility in recent times as the US tariff war rages.

Crude oil edged more than 2% higher on Wednesday following expectations of tensions easing in the US-China trade war.

At 1:28 p.m. ET, Brent crude was trading up 2.09% at $66.02, while the US benchmark, West Texas Intermediate (WTI), was trading up 2.12% at $62.63.

But as of 8 p.m. yesterday, Brent Crude further dipped to 65.77.

As of the time of filing this report, most filling stations across the country are yet to adjust their pump prices with a litre of PMS still sold as much as N990 in some parts of Nigeria.

In Kano, some independent stations were selling at N990 while the NNPC and MRS were selling at N945. In Maiduguri, Bornu State, a litre was sold at between N950 and N980.

In Abuja, NNPCL sells at N950 per litre while other major stations sell between N955 and N960.

There are indications that NNPCL would also adjust its pump price as it is always the case when Dangote slashes its price but as of the time of filing this report, the price adjustment has not been done.

Filling stations yet to reduce petrol price after Dangote slashes rate

Daily Trust

Continue Reading

Trending