Economy
Businesses Can’t Survive 25-30% Interest Rate Regime—Saraki
By Dipo Olowookere
Senate President, Mr Bukola Saraki, has disclosed that the 25-30 percent interest rate being charged by banks on loans to business owners was making it difficult for genuine businesses to survive in the country.
The number three citizen of the country described the 25-30 percent interest rate regime as a “yoke too hard to bear for any real sector business.”
“Our businesses need a breather. I am a firm believer that unless we are ready to think outside of the box and task ourselves to make sacrifices and take hard decisions with a view to the future we will not make much progress,” he posited.
The Senate President, in his speech at the stakeholders roundtable organised by the Senate to address increasing interest rates in Nigeria in Abuja on Tuesday, noted that unless a solution was found to this issue, the economy will continue to suffer.
At the summit, which took place at the Senate Conference Room 022, Senate New Building, Mr Saraki expressed satisfaction with the turnout, saying stakeholders align with vision of the Senate of a “more sustainable interest rate regime that enables our people to do business, create wealth and be empowered to follow their dreams.”
According to him, the 8th National Assembly has made efforts in creating great opportunities for private sector to grow especially with the passage of several bills to back the economy.
He listed these as “the Nigerian Railway Bill, the Public Procurement Act Amendment Bill, the Nigerian Ports & Harbour Bill, the National Road Funds Bill, the National Transport Commission Bill, and the National Inland Waterways Bill.”
Others, according to the Senate President, include the Federal Roads Bill, the Competition and Consumer Protection Bill, the Investment & Securities Act Amendment, the Companies and Allied Matters Act Amendment, the Secure Transactions in Movable Assets Bill, the Independent Warehouse Regulatory Bill, the Bankruptcy & Insolvency Act (Repeal & re-enactment) Bill, the Electronic Transactions Bill and the Nigerian Postal Commission Bill.
Mr Saraki noted that, “All these legislative actions we are taking is rooted in our believe that if we are to attract more investments, add more jobs in the market, promote business development and widen the range of possibilities and opportunities for our teeming youthful population, a demographic advantage we are yet to fully explore, we must create the right legal regulatory and institutional frameworks that is enabling in a free market.”
However, he lamented that despite these efforts, the 25-30 percent interest rate regime in the country was frustrating efforts of the legislative arm of government.
Mr Saraki queried, “How can an investor anywhere survive on these rates? How can they create jobs and make returns? But this is the situation our businesses currently live with.”
“The Senate fully appreciates the economic complexities that determine interest rate regimes. It fully recognizes that high inflation times call for interest rate hikes and such other arguments. But unless businesses are able to survive, inflation and all other market conditions alone will not make the difference,” he noted.
The Senate President warned that, “We must as a matter of deliberate policy frame our monetary policy regime towards support for businesses otherwise, our economy rescue mission may not be attained.
“It will be profoundly improbable to genuine businesses like agriculture, production and solid minerals to survive on interest rate regime of 30 percent.”
“Let’s give a chance to our poultry and cassava farmers, welders, builders, our fashion designers, filmmakers, shoemakers, furniture companies and our other numerous small and medium sized industries a chance to stay alive and make a living for their families,” he appealed.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Minister of Finance, Mr Wale Edun, says Nigeria’s crude oil production has risen to 1.8 million barrels a day, contrasting with available production data.
Speaking in an interview with Reuters on Wednesday on the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group spring meetings in Washington D.C., the Minister said the current oil output would generate fiscal breathing space that will allow the government to support vulnerable households as it ploughs ahead with reforms.
Nigeria, which is a member of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), is Africa’s largest oil producer.
Mr Edun said rising crude production was positive for Nigeria’s revenue, foreign exchange and the country’s fiscal situation.
“It gives us that extra fiscal space within which to look at … helping the vulnerable households at this time,” he told the publication, noting that support would be targeted, adding “there is no thought of any return or retardation to broad untargeted subsidies.”
Mr Edun also said the Bola Tinubu-led administration was also committed to continuing its reform programme.
“Nigeria is in a position where the resilience that has been built in the economy is actually very obvious for all to see,” he said.
Despite the 1.8 million barrels per day figure claim, Business Post reports that production data for March 2026 from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) shows that Nigeria attained 1.546 million barrels per day, made up of 1.382 million barrels per day of crude, 42,809 barrels per day of blended condensate and 120,442 barrels per day of unblended condensate.
The average crude production represents 92 per cent of the OPEC quota, which is fixed at 1.5 million barrels per day.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Securities and Exchange Commission Nigeria (SEC) has unveiled a new regulatory framework that would allow companies operating within free trade zones to raise capital from the Nigerian public, subject to strict eligibility and disclosure requirements.
The proposal, titled New Rules for Public Offering of Securities by a Free Trade Zone Entity, is anchored on provisions of the Investments and Securities Act (ISA) 2025 and is designed to integrate free trade zone enterprises into the domestic capital market while strengthening investor protection.
Under the proposed rules, only entities duly licensed by recognised free zone authorities, such as the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority and the Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority, will be eligible to issue shares to the public.
The commission clarified that the rules will apply strictly to free trade zone entities (FTZEs), excluding companies operating outside designated zones, even if licensed by zone authorities. It also emphasised that no FTZE will be permitted to offer securities to the public without prior approval from the Commission.
To qualify, an FTZE must demonstrate a minimum of three years’ operating track record immediately preceding its application, with at least two years of independent business activity within a free trade zone. Additionally, such entities are required to have competent senior management and a minimum paid-up share capital of not less than N7.5 billion.
The SEC said FTZEs seeking to access the capital market must subject themselves to Nigeria’s tax laws and comply fully with ongoing disclosure and reporting obligations applicable to publicly listed companies.
The proposed framework also outlines extensive registration requirements. Issuers will be required to submit evidence of licensing by a free zone authority, constitutional documents, and verified details of shareholding structure and board composition.
A “No Objection” letter from the relevant free zone authority will also be mandatory, alongside a commitment to list the offered shares on a registered securities exchange.
The SEC noted that the rules are intended to provide clarity on eligibility criteria and operational conditions for FTZEs seeking to conduct public offerings, thereby deepening the capital market and aligning free zone operations with national financial system standards.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Shareholders of Guinness Nigeria Plc will share about N4.38 billion as an interim dividend for the first quarter of 2026, the board has disclosed.
This cash reward amounts to N2.00 per share, as the company has shares outstanding of 2,190,382,819 on the floor of the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited.
The brewer stated that the interim dividend would be paid to investors whose names appear on the register of members as of the close of business on April 20, 2026.
The dividend payout is being proposed following the sustained profitability reflected in the unaudited financial results of the company in the first three months of this year and its “strong performance in FY 2025.”
It would be “paid from distributable profits in accordance with Sections 426–428 of the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) 2020.”
Analysis of the performance of the brewery giant between January and March 2026 showed that revenue grew by 4 per cent on a year-on-year basis to N122.77 billion from N118.34 billion in the same period of last year, while the gross profit contracted to N43.48 billion from N44.52 billion due to prevailing cost pressures within the operating environment.
The company’s operating profit also shrank to N17.18 billion from N18.00 billion in the first quarter of 2025 due to elevated marketing & distribution costs and administrative expenses.
However, the reduction in net finance costs to N1.43 billion from N7.72 billion in Q1 of 2025 helped the organisation to grow its post-tax profit to N10.39 billion in the period under review versus the N7.03 billion recorded in the corresponding period of last year.
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