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Economy

Asian Shares Appreciate Amidst Weak Economic Data

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By Investors Hub

Asian stocks ended mostly higher on Monday as weak economic data from the U.S. and China raised hopes of further stimulus from global central banks.

Data released Friday showed weaker than expected U.S. jobs growth in the month of August, while data from China showed that the country’s exports unexpectedly fell during the month.

Buoying market confidence were expectations that the European Central Bank would also cut interest rates on Thursday to boost growth.

Chinese stocks advanced as the country’s central bank pumped 120 billion yuan (about $16.94 billion) into the financial system to shore up the flagging economy.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index gained 25.14 points, or 0.8 percent, to close at 3,024.74, although Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index ended marginally lower at 26,681.40.

Investors shrugged off official data showing that Chinese exports unexpectedly decreased in August amid the ongoing trade dispute with the U.S. administration.

In dollar terms, exports decreased 1 percent on a yearly basis in August, confounding expectations for an increase of 2.1 percent. At the same time, imports declined 5.6 percent, slower than the expected fall of 6.3 percent.

As a result, the trade balance showed a surplus of $34.8 billion in August versus the $42.8 billion surplus forecast by economists.

Japanese shares hit a 5-1/2-week high on hopes that central banks in some of the world’s largest economies would deploy new monetary stimulus to stave off a brewing global recession.

The Nikkei 225 Index rose 118.85 points, or 0.6 percent, to 21,318.42, its highest closing level since August 2, while the broader Topix Index closed 0.9 percent higher at 1,551.11.

Nissan Motor shares edged down slightly on a Nikkei report that Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa has expressed his intention to step down.

On the economic front, the Ministry of Finance said that Japan had a current account surplus of 1,999.9 billion yen in July, down 1.3 percent from last year. That was shy of expectations for a surplus of 2,046 billion yen and up from 1,211.2 billion yen in June.

The trade balance showed a deficit of 74.5 billion yen, shy of expectations for a deficit of 24.0 billion yen and down from the 759.3-billion-yen surplus in the previous month.

Japan’s economy grew an annualized 1.3 percent in the April-June quarter, weaker than the preliminary reading for 1.8 percent annualized growth on the back of softer capital spending, Cabinet Office data showed.

Australian markets fluctuated before ending roughly flat. Both the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index and the broader All Ordinaries Index closed marginally higher at 6,648 and 6,760.10, respectively.

The big four banks rose between 0.3 percent and 1 percent on expectations of further policy easing by the U.S. Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank. Investors are also betting that Australia’s central bank will cut interest rates more steeply than previously thought.

Mining and energy stocks ended on a subdued note as investors digested new data out of China showing that exports unexpectedly fell in August with a large contraction for shipments to the United States. Gold miners Evolution and Newcrest Mining dropped 2-3 percent as gold prices fell on improved risk appetite.

Australia’s mortgage approvals increased more-than-expected in July, figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed today. The number of owner occupier loans increased 4.2 percent, much larger than the expected growth of 1.5 percent.

Seoul stocks extended gains for the fourth straight session on hopes the European Central Bank will announce new stimulus measures during its meeting slated for Thursday. Traders also remained optimistic about the upcoming U.S.-China trade talks.

The benchmark Kospi climbed 10.42 points, or 0.5 percent, to finish at 2,019.55. Market heavyweight Samsung Electronics rose 1.3 percent, while chipmaker SK Hynix rallied 2.9 percent.

Meanwhile, logistics firm Hyundai Glovis declined 1.6 percent on reports its ship accidentally tilted sideways off the east coast of the United States.

Modupe Gbadeyanka is a fast-rising journalist with Business Post Nigeria. Her passion for journalism is amazing. She is willing to learn more with a view to becoming one of the best pen-pushers in Nigeria. Her role models are the duo of CNN's Richard Quest and Christiane Amanpour.

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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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