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Economy

Brent Crude Rises on Middle East Tensions, Drop in Stockpiles

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By Adedapo Adesanya

Oil traded higher on Thursday as traders resumed activities following the new year celebrations amid elevated tensions in the Middle East and reports that US crude stockpiles fell further for the fourth consecutive week.

The international benchmark, Brent crude futures, rose 20 cents to or 0.3 percent to $66.20 per barrel, while the United States’ West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was up 6 cents or 0.1 percent at $61.12 per barrel as at 9 pm Nigerian time on Thursday.

The Middle East tension took a different turn over the weekend as the United States’ military carried out air strikes against Iran-backed Katib Hezbollah militia group and on Thursday, the country’s Defense Secretary Mark Esper said the US was prepared to deploy more troops to Iraq.

Following the airstrikes over the weekend, protesters gathered at the US Embassy in Baghdad, the capital of Iraq on Wednesday but were dispersed after the United States deployed extra troops. With this high risk to security in oil producing Iraq and Iran, prices picked up.

Prices were also supported by reports from the American Petroleum Institute (API) that US crude inventories fell 7.8 million barrels last week ahead of the weekly U.S. government data due Friday. If this correlates with the expected result, it would signify the largest drop since August.

In addition, data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) is also expected on Friday, having been delayed by two days by the New Year’s holiday and if this also records drop, oil prices may settle higher next week ahead of the US-China trade deal signing.

The expected signing of the phase one agreement between the two world’s largest economies also supported prices on Thursday as President Donald Trump confirmed last week that both countries will sign the deal on Wednesday, January 15 in the United States’ capital, Washington D.C.

Also, with the new year, the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries alliance, OPEC+ deal to reduce oil supply begins as oil producing countries under the group begin the new policy of cutting oil production by 1.7 million barrels till March in order to curb oversupply and help push oil prices.

Banking on this, oil futures are expected to trade higher on Friday as traders will be out to check for indications that OPEC+ production cuts are actually tightening supply, and not being pressured by the rising supply from non-OPEC producers such as Norway, Guyana, and Brazil as expected last year.

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

CAC Introduces Direct Payment Option to Ease Business Registration

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business registration in Nigeria

By Adedapo Adesanya

Businesses operating in Nigeria can now register easily as the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) introduces a direct payment option on its portal.

A statement posted on the commission’s handle on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday noted that the move is aimed at streamlining registration services as well as optimising the portal for efficiency.

“The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) wishes to notify its esteemed customers that payments for the following filings can now be conveniently made directly on our portal via ReVOps on the Intelligent Company Registration Portal (iCRP),” it announced.

The Revenue Optimisation and Assurance Project (REV-OP) was launched last year to strengthen public financial management.

The initiative focuses on blocking revenue leakages and improving transparency across government agencies.

It is built on three pillars: transparency, efficiency, and digital transformation.

The new payment systems allow users to pay for services through ReVOps on its Intelligent Company Registration Portal (iCRP).

Before now, the previous payment structure relied on the Remita gateway, which supported debit cards, bank transfers, and branch payments.

According to the Commission, the initiative is part of efforts to improve service delivery and streamline its processes for users.

The CAC listed services now eligible for direct payment include Annual Returns Filing, Change of Business Address, Cessation of Business, Change of Name, and Change of Objects.

It added that other services, such as Change of Proprietor or Partner details, are Certified True.

The move aligns with the federal government’s broader push to digitise public finance and improve revenue collection through technology.

REV-OP enables real-time monitoring and data-driven decision-making, marking a shift toward a more technology-driven approach to government revenue systems.

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Economy

Nigerians Pay More to Buy Eggs, Beans, Garri

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garri beans eggs

By Adedapo Adesanya

Nigerians paid more to buy staple foods, including eggs, beans, and garri, in March 2026 compared with what they paid in the preceding month, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

The agency, in its Selected Food Prices Watch report for March 2026, released on Wednesday, said that the average price of eggs (a crate of 30 pieces) on a month-on-month basis went up by 2.00 per cent from N6,007.35 in February 2026.

However, the price of the proteinous meal decreased by 20.12 per cent on a year-on-year basis from N7,670.56 recorded in March 2025 to N6,127.63 in March 2026.

Similarly, the report said that the average price of 1kg of brown beans decreased by 49.39 per cent on a year-on-year basis from N2,616.26 in March 2025 to N1,325.85 in March 2026, but on a month-on-month basis, the price increased by 1.41 per cent from the N1,307.44 recorded in February 2026. It also showed the average price of 1kg of white garri decreased by 41.19 per cent on a year-on-year basis from N1,362.96 in March 2025 to N801.4 in March 2026, and on a month-on-month basis, it rose by 1.38 per cent from the N790.62 recorded in February 2026.

The report said that the average price of 1kg of onion decreased by 19.63 per cent from N1,434.85 recorded in March 2025 to N1,153.14 in March 2026. On a month-on-month basis, 1kg of onions increased by 1,59 per cent in March from the N1,135.12 recorded in February 2026.

The report said the average price of 1kg of fresh ginger increased by 20.46 per cent from the N4,600.23 recorded in March 2025 to N5,541.25 in March 2026. On a month-on-month basis, 1kg of ginger increased by 0.61 per cent in March from the N5,507.43 recorded in February 2026.

However, it said the average price of one litre of palm oil decreased by 4.71 per cent on a year-on-year basis from N2,511.77 recorded in March 2025 to N2,393.38 in March 2026.

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Economy

NASD Exchange Rises 1%

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NASD Exchange bullish

By Adedapo Adesanya

Four securities buoyed the NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange by 1.00 per cent on Wednesday, May 6.

During the session, 11 Plc soared by N19.10 to sell at N210.10 per unit compared with the previous day’s N191.00 per unit, FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc gained N9.90 to close at N116.80 per share versus N106.90 per share, Food Concepts Plc rose by 23 Kobo to N2.59 per unit from N2.36 per unit, and IPWA Plc increased by 3 Kobo to trade at N7.3o per share compared with the preceding day’s N7.27 per share.

As a result, the market capitalisation went up by N24.32 billion to N2.454 trillion from N2.429 trillion, and the NASD Unlisted Security Index (NSI) grew by 40.64 points to 4,101.58 points from 4,060.94 points.

It was observed that at midweek, there were two price decliners led by Okitipupa Plc, which shrank by N5.00 to finish at N300.00 per unit compared with the previous day’s N305.00 per unit, and Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc dipped by N1.14 to N76.00 per share from N77.14 per share.

The volume of securities traded by investors fell by 9.5 per cent to 506,651 units from the 679,768 units recorded a day earlier, and the number of deals slid by 15.9 per cent to 37 deals from 44 deals, while the value of securities went up by 25.5 per cent to N44.8 million from the N30.9 million recorded on Tuesday.

At the close of business, Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) Plc remained the most traded stock by value on a year-to-date basis, with 3.4 billion units valued at N8.4 billion, followed by CSCS Plc with 60.3 million units exchanged for N4.1 billion, and Okitipupa Plc with 27.8 million units traded for N1.9 billion.

GNI Plc also ended the session as the most traded stock by volume on a year-to-date basis, with 3.4 billion units worth N8.4 billion, trailed by Resourcery Plc with 1.1 billion units sold for N415.7 million, and Infrastructure Guarantee Credit Plc with 400 million units transacted for N1.2 billion.

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