Economy
Companies Pay N1.75trn Income Tax in Q3 as Nigeria Rakes N948bn VAT
By Adedapo Adesanya
The latest set of data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed that Nigeria recorded a rise in the Value Added Tax (VAT) and the Company Income Tax (CIT) paid to the nation’s purse in the third quarter of the year.
VAT, which is a levy paid on goods and services produced within or imported into the country, saw a 21.3 per cent rise in value to N948.07 billion from N781.35 billion in the preceding quarter, Q2 of 2023. Comparatively, on a year-on-year basis, VAT collections in Q3 2023 increased by 51.6 per cent from Q3 2022.
A breakdown showed that local payments recorded were N522.08 billion and foreign VAT payments were N204.58 billion, while import VAT contributed N221.41 billion in Q3 2023.
On a quarter-on-quarter basis, agriculture, forestry, and fishing recorded the highest growth rate with 91.9 per cent, followed by the activities of extraterritorial organizations and bodies with 80.25 per cent.
On the other hand, real estate had the lowest growth rate at –37.7 per cent, followed by construction at – 9.54 per cent.
In terms of sectoral contributions, the top three largest shares in Q3 2023 were manufacturing with 26.5 per cent; information and communication with 19.0 per cent; and financial & insurance activities with 12.3 per cent.
The NBS noted that nevertheless, activities of households as employers, undifferentiated goods and services-producing activities of households for own use recorded the least share with 0.02 per cent, followed by water supply, sewerage, waste management, and remediation activities with 0.06 per cent; and activities of extraterritorial organizations and bodies with 0.10 per cent.
As for the CIT for Q3 2023, which is the tax on the profits of both local and foreign firms operating in the country, the bureau reported a 14.3 per cent growth to N1.75 trillion versus the N1.53 trillion recorded in the preceding quarter.
On a year-on-year basis, CIT collections in the quarter increased by 115.9 per cent from the same period last year.
In Nigeria, the tax is currently charged at the rate of 30 per cent for companies having more than N100 million in turnover, and 20 per cent for companies with a turnover ranging between N25 million and N100 million.
As a result, local payments received were N651.63 billion, while Foreign CIT payments contributed N1.10 trillion in Q3 2023.
On a quarter-on-quarter basis, education recorded the highest growth rate with 59.6 per cent, followed by public administration and defence, and compulsory social security with 57.0 per cent.
On the other hand, activities of households as employers, undifferentiated goods- and services-producing activities of households for own use had the lowest growth rate with –74.3 per cent, followed by Water supply, sewerage, waste management, and remediation activities with -73.3 per cent.
In terms of sectoral contributions, the top three largest shares in the quarter were information and communication with 26.2 per cent; manufacturing followed with 23.9 per cent; and mining and quarrying with 11.86 per cent.
The activities of households as employers, undifferentiated goods and services-producing activities of households for own use recorded the least share with 0.00 per cent, followed by water supply, sewerage, waste management, and remediation activities with 0.04 per cent, and activities of extraterritorial organizations and bodies with 0.10 per cent.
Economy
Oil up 3% as Hormuz Disruption Outweighs UAE OPEC Exit
By Adedapo Adesanya
Oil was up by nearly 3 per cent on Tuesday as persistent worries about supply constraints from the closed Strait of Hormuz continued, with Brent futures for June rising by $3.03 or 2.8 per cent to $111.26 a barrel, and the US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures growing by $3.56 or 3.7 per cent to $99.93 a barrel.
An earlier round of negotiations between the United States and Iran collapsed last week after face-to-face talks failed.
Ship-tracking data showed significant disruptions in the region, with six Iranian oil tankers forced to turn back due to the US blockade, but some traffic is still moving.
Prices trimmed some of the advances after the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the fourth-largest producer in the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), said on Tuesday it would exit the group on this Friday, May 1, 2026.
This dealt a blow to the oil-exporting group and its de facto leader, Saudi Arabia.
The UAE could quickly add between 1 million and 1.5 million barrels per day of output. However, with the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed, analysts said that there’s nowhere for that supply to go.
The UAE joined OPEC in 1967, but tension with Saudi Arabia over production quotas has been building for years.
Under the OPEC+ deal, the country has been held to roughly 3 million barrels per day while sitting on capacity above 4 million. It has been pushing toward 5 million barrels per day by 2027, and that target is hard to achieve with quotas built around someone else’s view of the market.
The war in Yemen broke whatever was left of diplomatic patience.
President Donald Trump said he was unhappy with the latest Iranian proposal to end the war. The proposal would avoid addressing the nuclear programme until hostilities cease and Gulf shipping disputes are resolved.
The Idemitsu Maru, a Panama-flagged tanker carrying 2 million barrels of Saudi oil, and an LNG tanker managed by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) crossed the Strait on Tuesday, shipping data showed.
Vortexa data showed that the amount of crude oil held around the world on tankers that have been stationary for at least seven days rose to 153.11 million barrels as of April 24.
The American Petroleum Institute (API) estimated that crude oil inventories in the United States fell by 1.79 million barrels in the week ending April 24. The official data from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) will be released later on Wednesday.
Economy
Nigerian Stock Market Rebounds 2.30% Amid Cautious Trading
By Dipo Olowookere
The Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited returned to winning ways on Tuesday after it closed higher by 2.30 per cent amid cautious trading.
Yesterday, investor sentiment at the Nigerian stock market was weak after finishing with 37 price gainers and 40 price losers, indicating a negative market breadth index.
It was observed that the industrial goods sector rose by 4.86 per cent, the energy index appreciated by 4.66 per cent, and the consumer goods segment soared by 2.74 per cent. They offset the 1.38 per cent loss recorded by the banking counter and the 0.20 per cent decline printed by the insurance sector.
At the close of business, the All-Share Index (ASI) was up by 5,137.90 points to 228,740.19 points from 223,602.29 points, and the market capitalisation went up by N3.308 trillion to N147.278 trillion from N143.970 trillion.
The trio of FTN Cocoa, Industrial and Medical Gases, and Lafarge Africa gained 10.00 per cent each to sell for N5.50, N39.60, and N324.50, respectively, while Austin Laz grew by 9.71 per cent to N3.73, and Aradel Holdings jumped 9.52 per cent to N1,840.00.
On the flip side, UBA lost 10.00 per cent trade at N44.55, Trans-Nationwide Express slipped by 9.99 per cent to N6.40, NASCON crashed by 9.18 per cent to N187.90, Jaiz Bank depreciated by 8.93 per cent to N8.01, and Berger Paints crumbled by 8.66 per cent to N68.00.
Yesterday, market participants traded 908.0 million equities valued at N68.2 billion in 72,886 deals compared with the 678.2 million equities worth N44.1 billion transacted in 82,838 deals on Monday, showing a drop in the number of deals by 12.01 per cent, and a spike in the trading volume and value by 33.88 per cent and 54.65 per cent, respectively.
Economy
Nigeria Records Five-Year Peak in Oil Output at 1.71mbpd
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria’s oil production recorded a five-year high of 1.71 million barrels per day, marking a significant rebound for the country’s upstream sector amid renewed efforts to restore output and improve operational stability.
The latest figure, released by Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, covers the period from April 2025 to April 2026 and underscores a steady recovery in crude production after years of disruptions caused by theft, pipeline vandalism and underinvestment.
According to the chief executive of the national oil company, Mr Bayo Ojulari, the performance reflects measurable progress across the company’s upstream, gas and downstream operations, with production gains supported by improved asset management and stronger field performance.
Within its exploration and production business, NNPC recorded a peak daily output of 365,000 barrels in December 2025, the highest level ever achieved by its upstream subsidiary. The company also advanced key contractual reforms, including revised production-sharing terms for deepwater assets aimed at unlocking additional gas reserves.
Nigeria’s gas ambitions are also gaining traction. Gas supply rose to 7.5 billion standard cubic feet per day in 2025, driven by major infrastructure milestones such as the River Niger crossing on the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano pipeline and the commissioning of the Assa North-Ohaji South gas processing plant.
These investments are beginning to strengthen domestic gas utilisation. New supply agreements with major industrial consumers, including Dangote Refinery, Dangote Fertiliser and Dangote Cement, are expected to deepen gas penetration across manufacturing and power generation.
On the downstream front, NNPC has continued crude supply to Dangote Refinery under the crude-for-naira arrangement, a policy designed to reduce foreign exchange demand, support local refining and improve fuel market stability. The company also reaffirmed its 7.25 per cent equity stake in the refinery as part of its long-term energy security strategy.
Financially, the national oil company said it has resumed full monthly remittances to the Federation Account since July 2025. It has also reinstated regular performance reporting and held its first earnings call, moves widely seen as part of a broader push towards greater transparency and corporate accountability.
Despite the progress, challenges remain. Crude theft, pipeline outages and infrastructure bottlenecks continue to threaten production stability. Sustaining this recovery will depend on stronger security, reliable infrastructure and policy consistency as Nigeria seeks to maximise the benefits of rising domestic refining capacity.
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