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Diesel price hits all-time high in Nigeria after Vice President met oil executives

Published

2 years ago

March 8, 2022

With continued scarcity of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) in Nigeria, the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo yesterday summoned the Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to the Presidential Villa.

Meanwhile, the price of diesel has hit a record height at ₦625 per litre in filling stations. The price jumped from ₦ 430 to ₦545 two days ago. The product was sold for as low as ₦ 420 last week.

The summon came less than 24 hours after President Muhammadu Buhari declared that his deputy is now in charge of the country as he departed for a two-week medical vacation to London,

Sources confirmed that Mr. Mele Kyari, the GMD of the NNPC and some other executives of the company were seen on Monday afternoon coming into the Villa and leaving soon after.

Nigerians have been reacting to the continued scarcity of the essential commodity which became scarce in the first week of February 2022 when the Nigerian government says it found an unsafe quantity of methanol in petrol imported into the country, and cited that as the reason for fuel shortage that has led to hard times for many Nigerians.

It was disclosed that in what was a short meeting, the Vice President asked for an update on how the NNPC intended to quickly resolve the lingering fuel scarcity.

“The NNPC boss gave an impressive report and plan to the VP and was seen leaving the Villa…walking briskly as if he had been given a firm order,” said a reliable source.

Sources added that a sense of urgency to resolve the fuel scarcity was stressed by the Vice President at the meeting, a cue the NNPC executives also took.

“Judging from the look of things, the scarcity would be over very soon,” said another source close to the NNPC executives.

Related Topics:DIESEL Featured Nigeria oil

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Nigeria’s Tinubu to present N27.5trn budget on Wednesday

Published

1 day ago

November 28, 2023

Ifeoluwa Dada

The Nigerian President, Bola Tinubu, will present the 2024 Appropriation Bill to a joint session of the country’s bicameral legislature, the National Assembly, on Wednesday.

The bill is an increase from the N26.01tn earlier considered by the council, according to the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Bagudu, who confirmed the approval to State House correspondents after the close of FEC’s weekly meeting presided over by President Tinubu.

In addition, the minister disclosed that the government had projected N18 trillion in revenue for the fiscal year 2024. Bagudu stated that more information regarding the appropriation bill would be made public on Wednesday when the president brought it before a joint session of the National Assembly.

The minister stated that the Council was currently reviewing the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework, which was approved by the National Assembly.

Bagudu said, “Equally, the Federal Executive Council approved the 2024 Appropriation Bill and the presentation of such to the National Assembly by His Excellency, Mr. President.

“The bill has an aggregate expenditure of N27.5tn which is an increase of over N1.5tn from the previously estimated, using the old reference prices.”

He added, “The forecast revenue is now N18.32tn which is higher than the 2023 revenues, including that provided in the two supplementary budgets. Equally and commendably, the deficit is lower than that of 2023. Details of the Renewed Hope Budget will be announced by Mr. President when he makes the presentation to the National Assembly”.

With two key policy initiatives—halting the fiscal bleeding caused by petrol subsidies, and unifying the exchange rate—the Nigerian government, led by Bola Tinubu, has attempted to stabilise the economy of the nation. With its currency value declining even further and the cost of living rising sharply, the results have not been favourable.

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Nigeria’s cabinet approves $1billion AfDB loan

Published

2 days ago

November 27, 2023

Ifeoluwa Dada

Nigeria’s Finance Minister, Olawale Edun, confirmed on Monday that the Federal cabinet had approved a $1 billion concessionary loan from the African Development Bank (AfDB).

The coordinating minister of the economy said the loan would support financing the budget and improving foreign exchange supply.

“(Federal Executive Council) approved a $1 billion concessionary loan for general budget support and to be used to improve forex availability in the country,” Edun said.

“The $1 billion loan from AfDB is a budget support fund for ongoing economic reforms. It is to support government programs … in power sector, social inclusion and the fiscal policy reforms as a whole sector policy initiative.”

The Nigerian government under Bola Tinubu has sought to stabilize the country’s economy with two major policy actions: the removal of the fiscal bleeding through petrol subsidies and the unification of the exchange rate. The results have not been positive with the further fall of its currency value and sharp rise in cost of living.

Falling oil prices, large-scale crude oil theft, and the substantial amount spent on fuel subsidies are currently having an impact on Nigeria’s public finances as the country struggles with mounting debt.

The level of indebtedness in African countries is at its highest in more than a decade, largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and skyrocketing inflation. African nations were forced to incur even more debt, and as a result, 21 low-income African nations are currently either insolvent or at great risk of experiencing debt hardship.