Business
Dangote, Adenuga maintain top positions on African billionaires’ list
- Rabiu emerges biggest gainer
Aliko Dangote of Nigeria remains the Africa’s richest person, a position he has maintained for 10 consecutive 10 years, the 2021 Forbes’ Africa Billionaires List released Friday says.
Two other Nigerians, Mike Adenuga of Globacom, and Abdulsamad Rabiu of BUA Group, are the 5th and 6th richest persons in Africa respectively.
Forbes stated that the continent’s 18 billionaires were worth an average $4.1bn, 12 per cent more than a year ago, driven in part by Nigeria’s surging stock market.
“For the tenth year in a row, Aliko Dangote of Nigeria is the continent’s richest person, worth $12.1bn, up by $2bn from last year’s list, thanks to a roughly 30 per cent rise in the share price of Dangote Cement, by far his most valuable asset,” Forbes stated in its report.
The list named the second richest person in Africa as Nassef Sawiris of Egypt, whose largest asset is about six per cent stake in sportswear maker Adidas.
The third richest person is Nicky Oppenheimer of South Africa, who inherited a stake in diamond firm DeBeers.
He ran the company until 2012, when he sold his family’s 40 per cent stake in DeBeers to mining giant AngloAmerican for $5.1bn.
Forbes said the biggest gainer this year was another Nigerian cement tycoon, Rabiu.
“Remarkably, shares of his BUA Cement Plc, which listed on the Nigeria Stock Exchange in January 2020, have doubled in value in the past year,” the report stated.
That pushed Rabiu’s fortune up by an extraordinary 77 per cent, to $5.5bn, adding that Rabiu and his son together own about 97 per cent of the company, giving the company a tiny public float.
It stated Nigerian Stock Exchange required that either 20 per cent or more of a company’s shares should be floated to the public, or that the floated shares were worth at least N20bn, about $50m, describing it as a paltry sum, to be sure.
“A spokesman for the Nigerian Stock Exchange told Forbes that BUA Cement meets the second requirement,” the report stated.
It added that while some got richer by the billions, two from the 2020 list of Africa’s richest dropped below the $1bn mark.
In fact, the only two women billionaires from Africa had both fallen off the list.
Forbes calculated that the fortune of Folorunsho Alakija of Nigeria, who owns an oil exploration company, dropped below $1bn due to lower oil prices.
It said Isabel dos Santos, who since 2013 had been the richest woman in Africa, was knocked from her perch by a series of court decisions freezing her assets in both Angola and Portugal.
Railway
Lagos Rail Mass Transit part of FG free train ride – NRC
Lagos Rail Mass Transit part of FG free train ride – NRC
The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has disclosed that the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) trains are included in the Federal Government’s free train ride initiative for the Christmas and New Year celebrations.
The LRMT, which currently includes the Phase 1 Blue Line Rail and the Phase 1 of the Red Line Rail, operates under the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA).
This announcement was made by Ben Iloanusi, the Acting Managing Director of the NRC, during an interview on NTA News TV on Friday, following the launch of the initiative earlier that day.
While Iloanusi stated that Phase 1 of both the Blue Line and Red Line Rail projects are part of the program, LAMATA has yet to confirm this inclusion.
READ ALSO:
- Nigeria denies alleged plot to destabilise Niger Republic
- Navy arrests 19 Nigerians attempting to reach Europe by hiding on ship
- Troops arrest four Ambazonian rebels in Taraba
Iloanusi outlined the other routes benefiting from the scheme, which include the Lagos-Ibadan Train Service, Kaduna-Abuja Train Service, Warri-Itakpe Train Service, Port Harcourt-Aba Train Service, and the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Mass Transit in Lagos. Notably, little was previously known about the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Mass Transit service until this disclosure.
“Let me mention the routes where this free train service is happening. We have the Lagos-Ibadan Train Service, we have the Kaduna-Abuja Train Service, we have the Warri-Itakpe Train Service, we have the Lagos Rail Mass Transit trains, we have the Port Harcourt-Aba Train Service, and we have what we call the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Mass Transit, which is also in Lagos,” he stated.
Iloanusi provided operational updates, stating that passengers nationwide can access free tickets online or, for those unable to do so, at train stations where they will be profiled and validated.
He noted that passengers using NRC-managed services (excluding the Lagos Rail Mass Transit) should reserve tickets via the official website, www.nrc.gov.ng, with a valid ID required. He also advised travelers to plan, arrive on time, and bring valid identification.
Lagos Rail Mass Transit part of FG free train ride – NRC
Business
NNPC denies claim of Port Harcourt refinery shutdown
NNPC denies claim of Port Harcourt refinery shutdown
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has denied claims in media reports that the newly refurbished Port Harcourt refinery has shut down.
The national oil company denied the claim in a press release issued by its Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye, on Saturday.
Soneye said the claim was false and urged Nigerians to disregard it. He stressed that the Port-Harcourt Refinery is fully operational.
READ ALSO:
- Like Ibadan, stampede claim 10 lives for Abuja Catholic church, 17 in Anambra
- Marketers react after NNPCL slashes petrol price to N899 per litre
- Electricity: We installed 184,507 meters, issued 50 licences in Q3, says FG
The statement read, “The attention of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) has been drawn to reports in a section of the media alleging that the Old Port Harcourt Refinery which was re-streamed two months ago has been shut down.
“We wish to clarify that such reports are totally false as the refinery is fully operational as verified a few days ago by former Group Managing Directors of NNPC.”
He noted that preparation for the day’s loading operation is currently ongoing, and added that claims of the shutdown are “figments of the imagination of those who want to create artificial scarcity and rip-off Nigerians.”
NNPC denies claim of Port Harcourt refinery shutdown
Business
CBN permits BDCs to buy up to $25,000 FX weekly from NFEM
CBN permits BDCs to buy up to $25,000 FX weekly from NFEM
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has granted Bureau de Change (BDC) operators temporary permission to purchase up to $25,000 weekly in foreign exchange (FX) from the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market (NFEM).
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has granted Bureau de Change (BDC) operators temporary permission to purchase up to $25,000 weekly in foreign exchange (FX) from the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market (NFEM).
This move, detailed in a circular dated December 19, 2024, is designed to meet seasonal retail demand for FX during the holiday period.
The circular was signed by T.G. Allu, on behalf of the Acting Director of the Trade and Exchange Department.
The arrangement will be in effect from December 19, 2024, to January 30, 2025.
Under the directive, BDCs may purchase FX from a single Authorized Dealer of their choice, provided they fully fund their accounts before accessing the market.
Transactions to occur at the prevailing NFEM rate
The transactions will occur at the prevailing NFEM rate, and BDCs are required to adhere to a maximum 1% spread when pricing FX for retail end-users.
READ ALSO:
- Badenoch’s negative portrayal of Nigeria Police unfair-PCRC
- Bitcoin price crashes to $95,000 as market continues to react to Federal rate cuts
- Bauchi high court dismisses blasphemy, cybercrime charges against Rhoda Jatau
All transactions conducted under this scheme must be reported to the CBN’s Trade and Exchange Department.
The circular read in part:
“In order to meet expected seasonal demand for foreign exchange, the CBN is allowing a temporary access for all existing BDCs to the NFEM for the purchase of FX from Authorised Dealers, subject to a weekly cap of USD 25,000.00 (Twenty-five thousand dollars only).
This window will be open between December 19, 2024 to January 30, 2025.
“BDC operators can purchase FX under this arrangement from only one Authorized Dealer of their choice and will be required to fully fund their account before accessing the market at the prevailing NFEM rate. All transactions with BDCs should be reported to the Trade and Exchange department, and a maximum spread of 1% is allowed on the pricing offered by BDCs to retail end-users.”
The CBN assured the general public that PTA (Personal Travel Allowance) and BTA (Business Travel Allowance) remain available through banks for legitimate travel and business needs.”
These transactions are to be conducted at “market-determined exchange rates” within the NFEM framework.
This initiative reflects the CBN’s strategy to stabilize the FX market and manage seasonal surges in demand.
CBN permits BDCs to buy up to $25,000 FX weekly from NFEM
-
Railway16 hours agoLagos Rail Mass Transit part of FG free train ride – NRC
-
metro2 days agoCourt stops customs from seizing imported rice in open market
-
metro3 days agoFG transfers electricity market regulatory oversight in Lagos to LASERC
-
metro2 days agoIbadan stampede: Tinubu orders probe as death toll hits 40
-
metro2 days agoAfe Babalola: Court grants Dele Farotimi bail, barred from media interviews
-
metro16 hours agoNIMC warns against extortion, reaffirms free NIN enrollment
-
metro1 day agoIbadan stampede: Ooni reacts after arrest of ex-wife
-
News2 days agoAdebayo Ogunlesi, 2 other Nigerians make Forbes 50 wealthiest Black Americans list 2024
You must be logged in to post a comment Login