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CBN Forex Policy Making Nigeria Unattractive—Foreign Investor

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Forex Repatriation

By Dipo Olowookere

The foreign exchange (forex) policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has again come under criticism and this time, from a foreign investor.

Recall that recently, the CBN was hit hard by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), saying the current FX policy of the banking sector regulator was making things difficult for the country rather than make them better. And for this, the CBN did not pity the group as it lambasted its leadership, casting aspersions on its credibility.

The NESG was not the first to slam the multiple exchange rates system of the local central bank as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank and others have also criticised the policy.

Even a former Governor of the CBN, Mr Charles Soludo, has advised the central bank under the leadership of Mr Godwin Emefiele, to scrap the multiple exchange rates system though the CBN has explained why it is maintaining the policy despite the criticisms.

At a virtual conference recently, a portfolio manager at Emerging Markets Investment Management Ltd, known as Duet Group/UK, Mr Erik Renander, said the apex bank’s stance on forex was making Nigeria unattractive to foreign investors.

The London-based fund manager, according to Bloomberg, invested in Nigeria in 2017 by purchasing treasury bills after the devaluation of the Naira, when rates jumped to more than 20 per cent.

However, in February 2020, he sold all his holdings of bills and equities and has vowed not to re-enter the local market until the currency situation gets better.

Twice this year, the CBN has devalued the local currency; from N306 per Dollar to N360 per Dollar and again from N360/$1 to N380/$1.

The Naira has not had it good this year because of a shortfall in the crude oil earnings as a result of coronavirus disease, which crashed prices at the global market to below $20 per barrel at a point in the year. Now, the price has been hovering around $40 per barrel.

But with the way things are going, Mr Renander believes the Nigerian currency will remain under pressure and have suggested that to attract foreign investors, local investors must take control of the market, especially the equities segment.

“You could be sitting in front of a great opportunity,” he said, noting that, “Generally, when the currency devalues, the local stock market goes up a lot.

“Maybe the Naira is going to go to N550 per Dollar, and the Nigerian stock market [All-Share Index] could go to 50,000 points; you could easily have a double.”

But for him and other offshore investors, he may not consider returning to the local market because “it’s hard for me to come into Nigeria when I just don’t have an idea when I am going to get my money out again and yields aren’t high enough to compensate for that risk.

“The forex policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria is really hurting the attractiveness of Nigeria in general, both in equity and fixed income,” Mr Renander declared.

In April 2020, Business Post reported that some foreign investors who could not take their funds back in Dollars were forced to re-invest in the local market, which caused more liquidity in the system, making rates and yields to drop to single-digit lows.

At the last treasury bills sale last week, the CBN sold the three-month bill at 1.10 per cent, while the one-year instrument was cut to 3.05 per cent from 3.34 per cent.

Business Post reports that apart from the official exchange rate window known as the interbank, where the Dollar sells for N380, there is the Investors and Exporters (I&E) segment, the Bureaux De Change (BDC) window and the black market.

Dipo Olowookere is a journalist based in Nigeria that has passion for reporting business news stories. At his leisure time, he watches football and supports 3SC of Ibadan. Mr Olowookere can be reached via [email protected]

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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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