Paying for oil exports, others in naira will strengthen our currency, says Dogara  – Newstrends
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Paying for oil exports, others in naira will strengthen our currency, says Dogara 

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Paying for oil exports, others in naira will strengthen our currency, says Dogara 

Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has offered a number of suggestions on how to immediately strengthen the nation’s currency, the naira.

One of the measures, he said, was for the Federal Government to mandate those buying Nigeria’s crude oil to pay in naira and not United States dollar.

Similarly, he said all payments for exports should be made in the local currency, which he noted would reduce the desperation for the USD and continued fall in the naira’s value.

Dogara also asked the Federal Government to unlock “idle dollars” in private vaults to crash the foreign exchange (FX) rate.

Dogara spoke on Wednesday at the special edition of The Platform, an event powered by The Covenant Nation to facilitate national development.

Themed, ‘Democracy and the Free Market Economy’, the programme was held to mark Nigeria’s 25 years of unbroken democracy.

The naira had appreciated marginally to N1,480/$ at the parallel section of the FX market on June 10 — but fell to N1,483 at the official window on the same trading day.

Dogara said the naira was grossly undervalued, attributing this to an insatiable demand for dollars.

The former lawmaker said the forex issue is the primary problem currently affecting Nigeria’s economy.

He said both legitimate and shady transactions were being conducted in dollars, stressing that unless the appetite for dollars was curbed, the demand would always exceed the supply.

He said, “So many reasons have been adduced by pundits to be responsible for FX rate instability in Nigeria.

“I believe the naira is grossly undervalued. This is because the most productive nations are not necessarily the nations with the strongest currencies.

“I think the only infliction point we witnessed was due to the advent of the BVN, which crippled the ability of corrupt officials and other shady characters to keep their loot in anonymous bank accounts.

“Almost all ill-gotten money is stashed in USD in private vaults as the naira is too bulky to warehouse.

“Therefore, I am of the firm belief that our insatiable appetite for USD is what is killing the naira.

“Believe it or not, nearly all big-ticket deals and transactions, both legitimate and shady, are closed in USD in Nigeria.

“Just find out, there is no hefty bribe that is not paid for in USD. Some schools in Nigeria charge fees in foreign currencies, and even our most valued export is paid for in USD.

“So, to me, wittingly or unwittingly, the USD is our currency of choice and as long as we don’t kill our appetite for USD, the demand for USD will always outstrip its supplies.

“The challenge before the government is how to unlock and make the USD locked up in private vaults in Nigeria begin to chase the naira. That to me is the commonsensical solution.

“I believe we have enough dollars in this country that we can unlock to make our economy work and to crash the FX rate.”

Dogara urged the government to mandate the use of the naira for the payment of all Nigerian exports, including crude oil, to strengthen the local currency.

“To achieve this, the government must demand that all Nigerian exports, including crude oil exports, be paid for in naira, just as we don’t pay for any import into Nigeria from any country in naira. It is not too much to demand that,” he said.

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I’m honoured, excited over World Bank’s appointment – Dangote

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Africa’s richest man and Chief Executive Officer of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote

I’m honoured, excited over World Bank’s appointment – Dangote

President and CEO of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has expressed gratitude following his appointment to the World Bank’s Private Sector Investment Lab, a global initiative aimed at accelerating private investment and job creation in emerging economies.

In a statement confirming the development, Dangote described the appointment as both an honour and a reflection of his long-standing commitment to economic development through private enterprise.

“I am both honoured and excited to accept my appointment to the World Bank’s Private Sector Investment Lab, dedicated to advancing investment and employment in emerging economies,” Dangote said.

“This opportunity aligns with my long-standing commitment to sustainable development and unlocking the potential of developing economies.”

He referenced the successes of the so-called Asian Tigers, economies that experienced rapid growth through strategic investment, as a source of inspiration for advancing similar outcomes in other parts of the world.

The World Bank announced Dangote’s inclusion on Wednesday as part of a broader expansion of the Lab, which enters a new phase focused on scaling up solutions that attract private capital and generate employment in developing countries.

Other newly appointed members include Bill Anderson, CEO of Bayer AG; Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman of Bharti Enterprises; and Mark Hoplamazian, President and CEO of Hyatt Hotels Corporation.

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World Bank Group President Ajay Banga noted that the expanded membership underscores the institution’s focus on integrating private-sector leadership into its strategy for global job creation.

“With the expanded membership, we are mainstreaming this work across our operations and tying it directly to the jobs agenda that is driving our strategy,” Banga said.

“This isn’t about altruism—it’s about helping the private sector see a path to investments that will deliver returns, and lift people and economies alike. It’s central to our mandate.”

The lab, which was co-chaired in 2023 by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, previously sought to mobilise £1 trillion in sustainable investment, particularly targeting energy transition projects in emerging markets.

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Air Peace suspends flights nationwide over NiMet strike

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Air Peace suspends flights nationwide over NiMet strike

 

Air Peace has suspended all its flight operations across the country due to the ongoing strike by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet).

The airline said in a statement on Wednesday that it was also suspending operations due to the unavailability of QNH (hazardous weather) reports required for safe landings.

“Due to the ongoing NiMet strike and the unavailability of QNH (hazardous weather) reports required for safe landings, Air Peace has suspended all flight operations nationwide until the strike is over,” Air Peace said.

“Your safety is our top priority. We appreciate your understanding and will share updates as the situation unfolds.”

The airline had earlier announced that the NiMet strike could lead to flight delays and cancellations across its network.

Air Peace added that it was monitoring the situation and working with relevant stakeholders to minimise the impact on customers’ travel plans.

Employees of NiMet commenced a nationwide indefinite strike over welfare issues on Wednesday.

Some of the issues raised involve “NiMet’s refusal to negotiate or implement agreed financial allowances and unresolved entitlements,” including wage awards, peculiar allowances, and outstanding payments from the 2019 minimum wage.

They also accused the management of the agency of withholding important documents, ignoring requests for inclusion of omitted staff in past payments, and neglecting key training programmes in favour of executive retreats.

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Nigeria’s gas production increases by 15.6% to 227,931.65 mscf

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Nigeria’s gas production increases by 15.6% to 227,931.65 mscf

 

Nigeria’s gas output has increased 15,6 percent month-on-month, MoM, to 227,931.65 million standard cubic feet, mscf, in March 2025.

But on year-on-year, YoY basis, the nation’s gas output recorded a marginal increase to 227,931.65 mscf in March 2025, from 198,353.62 mscf, recorded in the corresponding period of 2024.

Data obtained from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, NUPRC, Gas Production Status reports indicated that of the total of 227,931.65 mscf produced in March 2025, 119,552.75 mscf was associated while 108,378.90 mscf was non-associated gas.

Associated gas is extracted in the process of producing crude oil while non-associated gas is produced without crude oil after much investment, exploration and development.

 

The Ministry of Petroleum Resources (Gas), which is directly involved in the development of policies, targeted at increasing investment in the sector said efforts have been made to increase investment and production of gas in Nigeria.

Similarly, in its recent report obtained by Vanguard, the Nigerian LNG Limited stated: “We are fully committed to expanding our operations with the NLNG Train 7 Project, which will boost our production capacity by 35%, increasing from 22 Million Tonnes Per Annum (mtpa) to 30 mtpa. This project underscores our role as a key player in the global LNG market and positions Nigeria as a top-tier supplier of LNG, leveraging its vast proven gas reserves of 202 trillion cubic feet (the 9th largest globally).

Vanguard

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