Dollar Remittance: Presidency Wades Into CBN, NNPC ‘Feud’ - Newstrends
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Dollar Remittance: Presidency Wades Into CBN, NNPC ‘Feud’

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Forex Market - Dollar

The presidency has waded into the controversy raging between the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPC) over the dwindling fortune of the naira, Daily Trust gathered from reliable sources yesterday.

The CBN on Friday blamed the non-remittance of dollars to foreign reserves by NNPC as the reason for the plunge of the naira in the official and parallel markets.

At the time of the allegation, the naira traded for N700/$1 at the parallel market and N415.96/$1 at the official market.

But in what could be seen as contradicting the CBN claim, a document from the NNPC on Sunday showed that the company remitted a total of $2.7bn into its accounts with the CBN from January to June this year.

Financial experts and some Nigerians were taken aback at the counterclaims by the federal government institutions with some of them describing the development as “an embarrassment” to the country.

‘Controversy being resolved’

Although the spokesman for the CBN, Mr Osita Nwanisobi, was not immediately available for comments, some top officials of the apex bank said the presidency had waded into the matter.

One of them said, “As we speak, there is a meeting over this issue at the presidency to resolve the anomaly because the report that they (NNPC) remitted $2.7bn to the federation is misconceived as money to the government.

“The fund they remitted is not oil imports,” he said.

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According to him, “The money they remitted was not even up to the forex they require for the importation of white products and that was why they sought augmentation to meet the threshold.”

Another official said it was normal for the NNPC to have operational accounts with the CBN but that remittances into the FAAC were halted by NNPC Ltd for several months as it has been using the fund for the importation of petrol at a subsidised rate.

Daily Trust could not establish the identities of the people in the presidency discussing with leaders of the two establishments but it was learnt that “There was no big deal in the two versions of the story.”

A source said, “Both the CBN and the NNPC are meant to serve the public and we have a big problem at hand: the dwindling fortunes of the naira and the high cost of importing fuel for domestic consumption.

“While the CBN desperately needs the US dollar to stabilise the economy, the NNPC is equally battling hard to ensure that there is no relapse in fuel supply in the country. The two of them don’t want to be found wanting.

“But, of course, you know that failure has no father and this is basically why they are trying to shift the blame. Gladly, with the intervention of the presidency, the controversy will soon fizzle out,” he said.

Daily Trust found that so far, the NNPC had spent N1.1 trillion this year on petrol subsidy just as the government budgeted N4trn to cover petrol subsidy for the 2022 fiscal year ending May 2023.

Despite that, the agency had remitted some funds as explained by officials.

The remittance process

One of the CBN officials explained the remittance process that is generating controversy. The management official said: “What they (NNPC) sent so far in seven months this year is $1.6 million.

“CBN had to guarantee to give them additional funds so they can have enough forex for their imports.”

Further enquiries by this newspaper to top officials of CBN, NNPC Ltd and other agencies indicated that the remittance by the national oil company was funds meant for operations and not as accrued revenues to the government.

Before now, NNPC, a national oil corporation does business and remits oil sales proceeds to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF), which is part of the funds shared monthly by the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) to the federal, state and local governments.

However, since January, there has been no known contribution from the NNPC Ltd to the FAAC funds according to the monthly FAAC data report and official pronouncements.

How the controversy started

The CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele was summoned by the Senate last week over the rate at which the naira was crashing. This followed the adoption of a motion by Senator Olubunmi Adetunmbi (APC, Ekiti North).

Contributing to the debate, Senator Sani Musa (Niger East), said the naira would appreciate if Nigerians consume what they produce.

Senator Biodun Olujimi (Ekiti South) said, “The time has come for us to look holistically into what is happening. What is happening to the dollar is a replica of what is happening to Nigeria,” she said.

The Senate thereafter asked the CBN to stop the rapid decline of the value of the naira.

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It was after the resolution of the Senate that the CBN governor brought in the NNPC angle to the matter.

While the CBN said there had been a “zero-dollar” remittance to the country’s foreign reserve by the NNPC Ltd, the report attributed to the NNPC payment document at the weekend stated that the corporation had remitted $2.7 billion into its accounts with the CBN from January to June this year, which could strengthen the naira.

According to the document, $645 million was for dividends paid by the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas Company Ltd, while $1.786bn was from the NNPC operational activities.

A breakdown of the NNPC remittances showed that funds into the NNPC accounts included; $18,770,418.97 paid into its account with CBN in January; $194,563,276.49 paid in February and $373,232,875.20 paid in March 2022. In April, NNPC Ltd paid $247,884,295.52; paid $591,565,425.41 in May and $880,906,761.81 in June.

When contacted to explain what is happening, the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division at NNPC Ltd, Garbadeen Mohammed, confirmed the payment to this paper but stated that he does not know the exact amount and also said the payment was made to the NNPC account with the CBN.

This indicates that the payment was not a cash inflow to the federal account or to FAAC which is shared by the three tiers of government.

“I cannot confirm the exact figure but it is true that NNPC Ltd has remitted over two billion dollars into NNPC’s accounts with the CBN in the last six months,” he said.

Data from FAAC showed that NNPC ought to remit N122.7bn every month to FAAC this year from its trade and so far, it has not remitted for six months.

During a side-line interview a fortnight ago at the unveiling of the commercialised NNPC Ltd by President Muhammadu Buhari, the Group CEO of NNPC Ltd, Mele Kyari, said: “We are now a private company. Will MTN go to FAAC? We will pay our taxes; we will pay our royalties and we will deliver dividends to our shareholders.”

On the arrears before the July 19 transition, the GCEO said, “Which arrears? That was the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.”

Finance minister mum

When contacted for clarification on the $2.7bn NNPC payments by NNPC and why it did not reflect in the June FAAC report, the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, did not respond to a text message sent to her mobile line and WhatsApp.

However, at the public consultation on the 2023 – 2025 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategic Paper (MTEF and FSP) in Abuja recently, she explained why the NNPC stopped remittances to FAAC.

She had said, “The new arrangement (is that) NNPC will not be contributing to FAAC on a monthly basis, but NNPC will still be paying taxes, royalties and dividends.

“But let me also say that prior to the NNPC transiting, for about eight months we have not been receiving any revenues. Why are we not receiving any revenues from the NNPC? (It is) because the NNPC has been instructed to cover the cost of fuel subsidy on behalf of the federation.”

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Transport Expert Segun Musa to Chair 12th Nigeria Transport Lecture

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Transport Expert Segun Musa to Chair 12th Nigeria Transport Lecture

 

Renowned transport and logistics expert, Dr. Segun Musa, has been named chairman of the 12th edition of the Nigeria Transport Lecture scheduled to hold in Lagos on June 18, 2026.

Organised by Transport Day newspaper, this year’s lecture will focus on the theme, “Multi-modal Transportation Safety in Nigeria: Prospects, Challenges and Contribution to National Growth.”

Musa, Chairman and Managing Director of Widescope Logistics International, is widely respected for his extensive experience in transportation, logistics and supply chain management spanning several decades.

The event will also feature a keynote presentation by the Registrar of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), Mr. Kingsley Onyekachi Igwe.

Scheduled to take place at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Ikeja, the lecture is expected to attract key stakeholders from both the public and private sectors to deliberate on critical safety issues, policy reforms and strategies for strengthening Nigeria’s multi-modal transportation network.

Other notable speakers include the National President of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transportation (CILT), Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi, and the Dean of the School of Transportation and Logistics, Lagos State University (LASU), Prof. Ogochukwu Ugboma.

Over the years, the Nigeria Transport Lecture has evolved into a leading industry platform, bringing together policymakers, regulators, academics and business leaders to discuss solutions to challenges confronting the transport and logistics sector.

Previous editions have featured distinguished personalities such as former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside; former Federal Permanent Secretary, Dr. Anthonia Ekpa; and Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Dr. Kayode Opeifa, among others.

Ahead of the gathering, the Editor of Transport Day Media, Mr. Frank Kintum, said the annual lecture has become an important platform for industry stakeholders to examine emerging issues and develop practical solutions for the transport sector.

He noted that this year’s focus on multi-modal transportation safety was informed by the increasing integration of road, rail, maritime and air transport systems, stressing that safety must remain at the centre of efforts to modernise the sector.

“As governments continue to invest in transport infrastructure and interconnectivity, safety cannot be treated as an afterthought. The success and sustainability of these investments depend largely on how effectively safety concerns are addressed across all modes of transport,” Kintum stated.

He further explained that the lecture forms part of Transport Day Media’s broader mission to encourage policy dialogue, knowledge sharing and industry collaboration aimed at building a safer, more efficient and globally competitive transport and logistics ecosystem in Nigeria and the wider African region.

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NERC Orders Compensation for Band A Customers Over Power Supply Shortfalls

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Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC)

NERC Orders Compensation for Band A Customers Over Power Supply Shortfalls

 

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has approved a special compensation package for eligible Band A electricity customers affected by power supply shortfalls between February and March 2026.

The regulator announced the measure in a public notice issued on Thursday, citing widespread generation constraints that prevented electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) from meeting the minimum service levels promised to some Band A customers during the period.

According to NERC, the disruptions were largely triggered by inadequate gas supply as well as vandalism of critical gas and transmission infrastructure, factors it said were beyond the control of the DisCos.

Under the directive, Band A feeders that maintained an average daily supply of between 18 and 20 hours will continue to receive compensation under the existing framework contained in Addendum No. NERC/2024/003, covering both Maximum Demand (MD) and Non-Maximum Demand (Non-MD) customers.

For feeders that recorded less than 18 hours of daily electricity supply, NERC ruled that they would not be downgraded during the affected period.

Instead, eligible Non-MD customers will receive compensation equivalent to 20 per cent of the approved February 2026 energy cap for their feeders, while MD customers will receive credits equal to 20 per cent of the average energy billed per MD customer in February 2026.

The commission said prepaid customers would receive the compensation through energy token credits, while postpaid customers would benefit through adjustments to their electricity bills.

NERC directed all DisCos to complete compensation for February 2026 by May 31, 2026, and for March 2026 no later than June 30, 2026.

The regulator also barred DisCos from using the compensation to offset outstanding customer debts and instructed them to clearly communicate the value and period of the credits granted to beneficiaries.

Reaffirming its commitment to consumer protection, NERC said it would continue to monitor implementation of the directive and verify compliance across the industry to ensure that all eligible customers receive the compensation due to them.

The commission added that the intervention is aimed at safeguarding consumer interests while supporting the stability and long-term sustainability of the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry.

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Petrol Prices Fall Nationwide as Dangote Refinery Cuts Ex-Depot Rate

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Petrol Prices Fall Nationwide as Dangote Refinery Cuts Ex-Depot Rate

Petrol Prices Fall Nationwide as Dangote Refinery Cuts Ex-Depot Rate

Nigeria’s petrol prices have begun to decline across several parts of the country after Dangote Refinery announced a fresh reduction in its ex-depot price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), raising hopes of further relief for motorists and businesses grappling with high fuel costs.

The 650,000 barrels-per-day refinery reduced its ex-depot petrol price from N1,275 per litre to N1,250 per litre, while also lowering the ex-depot price of diesel from N1,800 per litre to N1,700 per litre. The company attributed the latest adjustment to a decline in global crude oil prices and its commitment to making refined petroleum products more affordable for Nigerians.

The development has already triggered price reductions at several filling stations, particularly in Lagos and Ogun states, where some marketers are now selling petrol below N1,300 per litre.

Checks along the Mowe-Ibafo axis of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway showed that marketers moved swiftly to adjust pump prices following the refinery’s announcement. MRS stations reduced petrol prices to N1,286 per litre, while NIPCO and Heyden sold at N1,290 per litre. SGR outlets adjusted their pump price to N1,297 per litre.

The downward trend was also noticeable in the diesel market, where several stations reduced prices to around N1,800 per litre from previous levels of about N1,900 per litre.

However, not all retailers have fully reflected the latest reduction. Some outlets operated by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) were still selling petrol above the N1,300 mark. In Ibafo, NNPC stations dispensed fuel at N1,305 per litre, while Mobil and Asharami stations sold at N1,310 and N1,320 per litre respectively.

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Industry observers believe the latest move by Dangote Refinery could lead to additional price adjustments nationwide as marketers exhaust existing inventories and take delivery of products purchased at the new rate.

The reduction comes after months of sustained pressure on consumers following a sharp rise in fuel prices. Petrol prices had surged from around N830 per litre to over N1,300 per litre in many parts of the country as global crude oil prices climbed above $115 per barrel amid tensions involving the United States and Iran.

Energy analysts say increasing local refining capacity is beginning to reshape Nigeria’s downstream petroleum market. Since commencing large-scale operations, Dangote Refinery has emerged as the country’s dominant fuel supplier, significantly reducing dependence on imported petroleum products and introducing stronger competition among marketers.

The latest price cut is expected to provide some relief to households and businesses struggling with rising transportation, logistics and production costs. Many Nigerians are also hoping that continued declines in global crude prices and improved local supply will force further reductions in pump prices in the coming weeks.

Stakeholders, however, caution that future petrol price movements will continue to depend on global oil market trends, foreign exchange stability, transportation costs and overall supply conditions within the domestic market.

For now, motorists are beginning to enjoy modest savings at the pump, with the prospect of more competitive pricing as marketers respond to changing market realities.

Petrol Prices Fall Nationwide as Dangote Refinery Cuts Ex-Depot Rate

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