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AfCFTA: Nigeria Launches Trade Intelligence Tool, Air Cargo Corridor

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China Africa AfCFTA

By Adedapo Adesanya

Nigeria has launched a cutting-edge Market Intelligence Tool and a dedicated East/Southern Africa Air Cargo Corridor, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Uganda Airlines as part of efforts to cement its leadership in African trade under the $3.4 trillion African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

The twin initiatives, unveiled at the Bank of Industry (BoI) headquarters in Abuja by the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, are designed to drastically cut logistics costs and empower Nigerian exporters, particularly women-led micro, small, and medium enterprises, MSMEs, with real-time trade data across 13 African markets.

The Nigeria-East/Southern Africa Market Intelligence Tool provides granular data on tariffs, trade flows, product demand, regulatory requirements, and buyer profiles, enabling Nigerian exporters to target high-growth sectors such as agribusiness, cosmetics, and textiles with surgical precision.

Speaking, Mr Jumoke Oduwole, Nigeria’s Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, said “With this launch, Nigeria is moving from ambition to execution. The success of this initiative will not be measured by applause, but by increased exports, expanded businesses, and transformed lives.

“This tool empowers Nigerian businesses to trade smarter. Exporters can now make data-driven decisions that reduce risk and increase profit. And with a fast, affordable air cargo route in place, we’re removing the physical barriers to market entry.” Oduwole said.

The cargo corridor, established in collaboration with Uganda Airlines and UND, offers exporters up to 75 per cent savings in freight costs, along with guaranteed delivery timelines to key logistics hubs in Nairobi, Entebbe, and Johannesburg.

Scheduled flights and dedicated cargo support will allow Nigerian goods to reach regional markets faster and more reliably than ever.

“This is not just a flight path, it’s a fast lane for Nigerian enterprise,” said Mr. Patrick Ziwa, Cargo Manager for Uganda Airlines, adding that the corridor was created “to meet the rising demand for seamless intra-African trade.”

The launch comes as Nigeria intensifies efforts to operationalise its AfCFTA strategy, following a five-year review by the AfCFTA National Coordination Office, which called for more coherence in trade facilitation, productive capacity, and policy reforms.

“Nigeria is ready to lead Africa’s trade renaissance. By linking data with delivery, this initiative transforms raw trade statistics into real economic opportunities,” said Mr Nura Abba Rimi, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment,

Also, Mrs Ify Ogo, UNDP Trade Expert, described the intelligence platform as a critical tool to expand Nigeria’s services trade schedule under AfCFTA. “This is about connecting ambition with infrastructure, both digital and physical.”

Women-led MSMEs, long marginalised in trade policy, stand to benefit significantly as Mrs Weyinmi Eribo, representing the West and Central African Women in Mining and Manufacturing Association, WCCIMMA, said the tool will give “visibility, dignity, and profitability” to female entrepreneurs.

“This marks a turning point for African women in trade. We now have access, insights, and logistics, all in one ecosystem,” Mrs Eribo said.

For her part, Mrs Nonye Ayeni, Executive Director of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), highlighted that Nigeria’s non-oil exports are on the rise and will be further accelerated by these interventions.

“From potential to performance, that is the story we’re writing,” she said.

UNDP Nigeria Resident Representative Ms Elsie Attafuah, called the market tool a “game-changer,” adding that the combination of digital intelligence and logistics coordination represents a new model for inclusive, sustainable growth.

“Nigeria is demonstrating what AfCFTA-ready looks like: data-driven, gender-conscious, and logistics-empowered,” Ms Attafuah said.

Adedapo Adesanya is a journalist, polymath, and connoisseur of everything art. When he is not writing, he has his nose buried in one of the many books or articles he has bookmarked or simply listening to good music with a bottle of beer or wine. He supports the greatest club in the world, Manchester United F.C.

Economy

Petrol Supply up 55.4% as Daily Consumption Reaches 52.1 million Litres

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sufficient supply petrol

By Adedapo Adesanya

The supply of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, increased by 55.4 per cent on a month-on-month basis to 71.5 million litres per day in November 2025 from 46 million litres per day in October.

This was contained in the November 2025 fact sheet of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) on Monday.

The data showed that the nation’s consumption also increased by 44.5 per cent or 37.4 million litres to 52.1 million litres per day in November 2025, against 28.9 million litres in October.

The significant increase in petrol supply last month was on account of the imports by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited into the Nigerian market from both the domestic and the international market.

Domestic refineries supplied in the period stood at 17.1 million litres per day, while the average daily consumption of PMS for the month was 52.9 million litres per day.

The NMDPRA noted that no production activities were recorded in all the state-owned refineries, which included Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries, in the period, as the refineries remained shut down.

According to the report, the imports were aimed at building inventory and further guaranteeing supply during the peak demand period.

Other reasons for the increase, according to the NMDPRA, were due to “low supply recorded in September and October 2025, below the national demand threshold; the need for boosting national stock level to meet the peak demand period of end of year festivities, and twelve vessels programmed to discharge into October, which spilled into November.”

On gas, the average daily gas supply climbed to 4.684 billion standard cubic feet per day in November 2025, from the 3.94 bscf/d average processing level recorded in October.

The Nigeria LNG Trains 1-6 also maintained a stable processing output of 3.5 bscf/d in November 2025, but utilisation improved slightly to 73.7 per cent compared with 71.68 per cent in October.

The increase, according to the report, was driven by higher plant utilisation across processing hubs and steady export volumes from the Nigeria LNG plant in Bonny.

“As of November 2025, Nigeria’s major gas processing facilities recorded improved output and utilisation levels, with the Nigeria LNG Trains 1-6 processing 3.50 billion standard cubic feet per day at a utilisation rate of 73.70 per cent.

“Gbaran Ubie Gas Plant processed 1.250 bscf per day, operating at 71.21 per cent utilisation, while the MPNU Bonny River Terminal recorded a throughput of 0.690 bscf per day during the period. Processing activities at the Escravos Gas Plant stood at 0.680 bscf per day, representing a 62 per cent utilisation rate, whereas the Soku Gas Plant emerged as the top performer, processing 0.600 bscf per day at 96.84 per cent utilisation,” it stated.

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Economy

Secure Electronic Technology Suspends Share Reconstruction as Investors Pull Out

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Secure Electronic Technology

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

The proposed share reconstruction of a local gaming firm, Secure Electronic Technology (SET), has been suspended.

The Lagos-based company decided to shelve the exercise after negotiations with potential investors crumbled like a house of cards.

Secure Electronic Technology was earlier in talks with some foreign investors interested in the organisation.

Plans were underway to restructure the shares of the company, which are listed on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited.

However, things did not go as planned as the potential investors pulled out, leaving the board to consider others ways to move the firm forward.

Confirming this development, the company secretary, Ms Irene Attoe, in a statement, said the board would explore other means to keep the company running to deliver value to shareholders.

“This is to notify the NGX and the investing public that a meeting of the board of SET held on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, as scheduled, to consider the status of the proposed share reconstruction and recapitalisation as approved by the members at the Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) held on April 16, 2025.

“After due deliberations, the board wishes to announce that the proposed share reconstruction will not take place as anticipated due to the inability of the parties to reach a convergence on the best and mutually viable terms.

“Thus, following an impasse in the negotiations, and the investors’ withdrawal from the transaction, the board has, in the interest of all members, decided to accept these outcomes and move ahead in the overall interest of the business.

“The board is committed to driving the strategic objectives of SEC and to seeking viable opportunities for sustainable growth of the company,” the disclosure stated.

Business Post reports that the share price of SET crashed by 3.85 per cent on Tuesday on Customs Street on Tuesday to 75 Kobo. Its 52-week high remains N1.33 and its one-year low is 45 Kobo. Today, investors transacted 39,331,958 units.

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Economy

Clea to Streamline Cross-Border Payments for African Importers

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Clea Payment platform

By Adedapo Adesanya

Clea, a blockchain-powered platform that allows African importers to pay international suppliers in USD while settling locally, has officially launched.

During its pilot phase, Clea processed more than $4 million in cross-border transactions, demonstrating strong early demand from businesses navigating the complexities of global trade.

Clea addresses persistent challenges that African importers have long struggled with, including limited FX access, unpredictable exchange rates, high bank charges, fraudulent intermediaries, and payment delays that slow or halt shipments. The continent also faces a trade-finance gap estimated at over $120 billion annually, limiting importers’ ability to access the FX and financial infrastructure needed for timely international payments by offering fast, transparent, and direct USD settlements, completed without intermediaries or banking bottlenecks.

Founded by Mr Sheriff Adedokun, Mr Iyiola Osuagwu, and Mr Sidney Egwuatu, Clea was created from the team’s own experiences dealing with unreliable international payments. The platform currently serves Nigerian importers trading with suppliers in the United States, China, and the UAE, with plans to expand into additional trade corridors.

The platform will allow local payments in Naira with instant access to Dollars as well as instant, same-day, or next-day settlement options and transparent, traceable transactions that reduce fraud risk.

Speaking on the launch, Mr Adedokun said, “Importers face unnecessary stress when payments are delayed or rejected. Clea eliminates that uncertainty by offering reliable, secure, and traceable payments completed in the importer’s own name, strengthening supplier confidence from day one.”

Mr Osuagwu, co-founder & CTO, added, “Our goal is to make global trade feel as seamless as a local transfer. By connecting local currencies to global transactions through blockchain technology, we are removing long-standing barriers that have limited African importers for years.”

According to a statement shared with Business Post, Clea is already working with shipping operators who refer merchants to the platform and is also engaging trade associations and logistics networks in key import hubs. The company remains fully bootstrapped but is open to strategic investors aligned with its mission to build a trusted global payment network for African businesses.

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