Economy
Rising Oil Price: CBN Urges FG to Save to Avert Another Recession
By Dipo Olowookere
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on Tuesday warned of a looming fall into another recession if efforts are not being made to boost the economy.
This warning was given at the end of the two-day Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting held in Abuja.
Addressing reporters yesterday, CBN Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele, noted that during the meeting, the committee identified rising inflation and pressure on external reserves created by capital flow reversal as the current challenges to growth.
According to him, inflationary pressures have started rebuilding and capital flow reversals have intensified as shown by the bearish trend in the equities market even though the exchange rate remains very stable.
Mr Emefiele told newsmen that at the July meeting of the MPC, members had lauded the modest stability achieved in key indicators, including inflation, exchange rate and external reserves, buoyed by a robust level of external reserves with inflation trending downwards for the 18th consecutive month.
However, he emphasised that the gains recorded as at the last time the committee met before yesterday appear to be under threat of reversal, following new data which provides evidence of weakening fundamentals.
He said available data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed that real GDP growth declined by 45 basis points as the economy grew by 1.50 percent in the second quarter of 2018, down from 1.95 percent in the preceding quarter, but higher than 0.72 percent in the corresponding quarter of 2017.
“The committee was concerned that the exit from recession may be under threat as the economy slowed to 1.95 and 1.50 percent in Q1 and Q2 2018, respectively,” Mr Emefiele said during the briefing.
He said the committee attributed the slowdown in economy to drop in the oil sector, with strong linkages to employment and growth in other key sectors of the economy.
According to him, in order to avoid another recession, federal government must take advantage of the current rising oil prices to rebuild fiscal buffers, strengthen government finances in the medium term and reverse the current trend of decline in output growth.
“The MPC also called on the fiscal authorities to intensify the implementation of the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) to stimulate economic activity, bridge the output gap and create employment,” he said.
The CBN chief further disclosed that the committee noted that disruptions to the food supply chain in major food producing states due to the combined effects of poor infrastructure, flooding and the on-going security challenges resulted in a rise in food prices, contributing to the uptick in headline inflation.
However, he said the committee expressed optimism that as harvests progress in the coming months, pressure on food prices would gradually recede, while growth enhancing measures would over the medium term have some moderating impact on food prices.
He said the MPC was of the view that even though growth remained weak, the effective implementation of the 2018 capital budget and policies that would encourage credit delivery to the real sector of the economy would boost aggregate demand, stimulate economic activity and reduce unemployment in the country.
Business Post recalled that in the second quarter of 2016, Nigeria slipped into recession and only exited in the second quarter of 2017.
Some weeks ago, the Statistician General of the federation, Mr Yemi Kale, disclosed that the Nigerian economy was presently in a recovery stage.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The need to serve Africans living in the United Kingdom with easy, fast, and reliable remittances from to Nigeria has inspired Moniepoint to introduce a remittance product known as MonieWorld.
The company introduced this product after it got the funding support of a global tech giant, Google, as well as Verod Capital and Lightrock in October 2024, and from Visa in January 2025.
MonieWorld will complete transactions in seconds, with exchange rates adjusted throughout the day, and no transaction fees for customers.
The MonieWorld application, available via the App Store and Google Play, allows UK customers to send money to Nigeria seamlessly – making financial transactions easier.
“The launch of MonieWorld is an exciting step on our journey to create financial happiness and support Africa’s entrepreneurial potential.
“It is a natural addition to our existing suite of solutions and will be hugely valuable for customers. It makes it easy, quick and reliable to send remittances – a critical source of funds for Nigeria’s economy.
“The African diaspora needs a one-stop solution to better meet its financial services needs – and improve on the current fragmented market.
“I am thrilled Moniepoint is tackling this challenge and can’t wait to announce future additions to the MonieWorld solution.
“Our expectation is that MonieWorld will enhance financial access for everyone involved, boosting UK-Nigeria bilateral trade and benefiting the global economy,” the chief executive of Moniepoint Incorporated, Mr Tosin Eniolorunda, stated.
Remittances are a material contributor to Nigeria’s economy. They supplement foreign direct investment, while supporting household consumption and foreign exchange liquidity.
Global remittances to Nigeria rose by 9 per cent in 2024 to $20.98 billion, with the UK diaspora contributing about 50 per cent, helping to grow businesses, support families, and drive economic development.
Moniepoint is the leading financial platform for Nigeria’s vast network of SME businesses and their consumers with its integrated suite of services – digital payments, bank accounts, credit, and management tools.
The platform processes over a billion transactions monthly, with total payments volume of over $22 billion, serving 10 million businesses and individuals across Nigeria, driving financial inclusion efforts.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange rose by 0.21 per cent on Tuesday, April 15, helped by three stocks on the trading platform.
During the session, the NASD Unlisted Security Index (NSI) jumped by 6.73 points to 3,271.02 points from the previous session’s 3,264.29 points and the market capitalisation increased by N3.94 billion to close at N1.915 trillion versus the N1.911 trillion it ended on Monday.
Trading data showed that there was a 68.7 per cent rise in the volume of securities transacted in the session as 736,215 units were quoted compared to the 436,357 units traded in the previous trading day, the value of transactions jumped by 20.5 per cent to N12.2 million from N10.1 million, while the number of deals fell by 49 per cent to 26 deals from 51 deals.
Yesterday, Newrest Asl Plc gained N3.45 to close at N37.97 per share compared with the preceding day’s N34.52 per share, FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc went up by N1.82 to close at N37.45 per unit versus Monday’s price of N35.63 per unit, and Mass Telecom Innovation Plc expanded by 1 Kobo to trade at 41 Kobo per share against the 40 Kobo per share it ended a day earlier.
However, Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc lost 20 Kobo to finish at N20.70 per unit compared with the previous closing value of N20.90 per unit, and Geo-Fluids Plc dropped 20 Kobo to settle at N1.80 per share versus the previous day’s N2.00 per share.
Impresit Bakolori Plc remained the most active stock by volume (year-to-date) with 533.9 million units worth N520.9 million, followed by Okitipupa Plc with 153.6 million units sold for N4.9 billion, and Industrial and General Insurance (IGI) Plc with 71.2 million units worth N24.2 million.
Okitipupa Plc remained the most active stock by value (year-to-date) with 153.6 million sold for N4.9 billion, trailed by FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc with 14.7 million units valued at N568.1 million, and Impresit Bakolori Plc with 533.9 million units worth N520.9 million.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Naira appreciated against the US Dollar by 0.24 per cent or N3.85 at the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEX) on Tuesday, April 15, closing at N1,601.40/$1 compared with the previous day’s N1,605.25/$1.
However, according to data from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Naira depreciated against the Pound Sterling in the official market yesterday by N59.23 to sell for N2,115.26/£1 compared with Monday’s closing price of N2,056.03/£1 and tumbled against the Euro by N38.75 to trade at N1,808.89/€1, in contrast to the previous session’s N1,770.14/€1.
As for the black market, the Nigerian Naira maintained stability against the Dollar during the trading session at N1,615/$1.
The Nigerian currency closed mixed on Tuesday as Nigeria’s inflation data edged up to 24.23 per cent in March, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Tuesday.
It was the first time the Consumer Price Index (CPI) has risen since it was rebased in January. The new rate indicates an upward movement of 1.05 per cent from the 23.18 per cent reported in February 2025, signalling a return to levels (24.48 per cent) recorded in the beginning of the year after the CPI rebasing.
In the cryptocurrency market, there were major negative outcome as Nvidia, which plays a crucial role in mining cryptocurrencies, received a US ban restricting its H20 chip sales to China.
This adds to fears triggered by President Donald Trump’s trade war with China and other trading partners, leading to profit-taking.
Cardano (ADA) lost 5.5 per cent to trade at $0.6055, Solana (SOL) slumped by 4.2 per cent to $125.44, Ethereum (ETH) slid by 4.0 per cent to $1,570.96, and Ripple (XRP) dropped 3.9 per cent to $2.05.
In addition, Dogecoin (DOGE) depreciated by 3.8 per cent to $0.1535, Litecoin (LTC) went down by 2.7 per cent to $75.72, Bitcoin (BTC) fell by 2.4 per cent to $83,405.30, and Binance Coin (BNB) shrank by 1.3 per cent to $580.40, while the US Dollar Tether (USDT) and the US Dollar Coin (USDC) were flat at $1.00 each.
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