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Economy

Crude Hits 5-Month Low Following Coronavirus-Induced Restrictions

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crude oil

By Adedapo Adesanya

Crude prices continued to swim in the bearish territory on Friday, hitting a 5-month low as COVID-19 cases climb while more countries in Europe are imposing new lockdowns.

Renewed national lockdowns in France and Germany have shaken financial markets while the United States’ case count for COVID-19 remained at record levels and may continue to rise.

Business Post had reported that futures had reacted to the government response to the second wave of the pandemic as oil market participants remain concerned that the return of lockdowns in Europe will significantly weigh on economic recovery and fuel demand.

The situation pressured the price of the Brent crude on Friday by 19 cents or 0.56 per cent to $37.46 per barrel while the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell by 67 cents or 1.85 per cent to close at $35.50 per barrel.

Global coronavirus cases rose by a single-day record of half a million recently, prompting governments across Europe to impose mobility restrictions again to curb the spread.

The onus to restore balance in the oil market may now fall on the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies (OPEC+) as speculation show they may not maintain the production cut in 2021.

The group’s output reduction of about 7.7 million barrels per day currently may extend into next year amid lockdowns in Europe while Libya has resumed production.

Libya currently produces 680,000 barrels per day and expects production to rise to 1 million barrels a day in the coming weeks. This is an additional headache for OPEC+ which is scheduled to meet on November 30 and December 1 to set policy.

While the two leaders of the OPEC+ pact, Saudi Arabia and Russia reportedly want it, three of the biggest OPEC producers behind Saudi Arabia may not be on board with extending the current cuts into next year.

Iraq, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Kuwait are reportedly not particularly inclined to support a rollover of the cuts of 7.7 million barrels per day because such cuts are too deep for their economies and budget incomes to sustain.

These producers will want to stick to plans to add their output by 2 million barrels per day in January as part of their production agreement signed in April.

For Nigeria, earnings become threatened again as Brent, the country’s oil benchmark, has dropped below $38 per barrel. This means a majority of Nigeria’s foreign exchange earnings, about 90 per cent, which come from oil, will face an additional blow. It is, however, not clear yet if the country will support the extension or stick to the initial plan.

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.

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Economy

Trump’s Tariffs: US Faults Nigeria’s Import Ban on Beef, Poultry, Juice, Others

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Orange Fruit Juice

By Adedapo Adesanya

The United States has lamented Nigeria’s import ban on 25 different products, particularly in agriculture, pharmaceuticals, beverages, and consumer goods, as it rationalised the recent decision to slap a 14 per cent retaliatory tariff.

The United States Trade Representative, in a statement on Monday posted on its X platform, said Nigeria’s restrictions on items like beef, pork, poultry, fruit juices, medicaments, and spirits limit US market access and reduce export opportunities.

“These policies create significant trade barriers that lead to lost revenue for US businesses looking to expand in the Nigerian market,” it wrote.

Last week, the administration of President Donald Trump imposed various tariffs ranging between 10 per cent and 65 per cent on different countries across the world, including Nigeria which got a 14 per cent tariff on its exports to the US.

In response, the Nigerian Minister of Trade, Industry, and Investment, Mrs Jumoke Oduwole, said Nigeria would take a pragmatic approach and will boost non-oil exports to deal with the drawbacks from the US move.

She also said Nigeria will be willing to negotiate and will be speaking with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) on the way forward.

On his part, the Minister of Finance, Mr Wale Edun, said that the Economic Management Team (EMT) would meet to assess the likely impact of the 14 per cent tariff on goods exported from Nigeria to the US.

He said the EMT will afterwards, make recommendations to cushion its impact on the nation’s economy.

The Minister also said the federal government will boost non-revenue as a means of cushioning the adverse effects to trade tariffs imposed on countries by President Trump.

Mr Edun also assured that while the adverse effect on Nigeria will be through an oil price plunge, the government is intensifying efforts to ramp up oil production and boost non-oil revenues.

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Economy

Nigeria, Japan Launch Naira-based Venture Fund for Startups

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By Adedapo Adesanya

Nigeria and Japan have launched a strategic venture capital initiative that will channel Naira-denominated investments into high-growth startups, shielding them from currency risks while unlocking access to long-term concessional financing.

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun, met with officials from the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to finalise the framework of the fund, which has now received formal approval from the Japanese government.

Speaking on the development, Mr Edun welcomed the development, calling it a timely response to Nigeria’s youthful demography.

He said this fund provides critical financial backing across the capital structure—from equity to debt—and is aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for inclusive economic growth, he stated.

On his part, NSIA CEO, Mr Aminu Umar-Sadiq confirmed that the initiative satisfies two key conditions set by the Minister: mitigating foreign exchange volatility by investing in Naira and securing first-loss or grant capital to de-risk private investment.

“With JICA’s support, this is not just a proposed solution—it’s a fully approved, ready-to-launch initiative,” Mr Umar-Sadiq said.

Adding his input, JICA Director General, Mr Takao Shimokawa announced that diplomatic agreements would be signed within weeks, with full implementation expected thereafter.

By combining international concessional financing with domestic currency stability, the fund marks a new model for venture capital in Africa, aimed squarely at empowering the next generation of Nigerian innovators.

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Economy

Nigeria’s Economic Management Team to Assess Impact of Trump’s Tariffs

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One-Trillion Dollar Economy

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Minister of Finance, Mr Wale Edun, has said the country’s Economic Management Team (EMT) would meet to assess the likely impact of the 14 per cent tariff on goods exported from Nigeria to the United States.

Mr Edun made the disclosure while speaking at an event organised by the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI) on Monday.

The Trump administration recently imposed various tariffs ranging between 10 per cent and 65 per cent on different countries across the world, including Nigeria which got a 14 per cent tariff on its exports to the United States.

He said the EMT will afterwards make recommendations to cushion its impact on the nation’s economy, noting that the federal government will boost non-revenue as a means of cushioning the adverse effects to trade tariffs imposed on countries by President Trump.

Mr Edun stated that while the adverse effect on Nigeria will result in an oil price plunge, the government is intensifying efforts to ramp up oil production and boost non-oil revenues.

The Finance Minister noted that the US, which is at the centre of the tariff war had on April 2, announced that it would exempt mineral exports, including oil.

“Therefore, it’s the price effect, the oil price effect that may affect Nigeria. And it is the job and responsibility of the economic management team of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, amongst others, to look at the various scenarios that might play out.

“There’s global uncertainty at a huge level, so nobody knows exactly what will happen- the announcement that has been made. We’re not sure what will be delayed, what will be reversed, or what will be implemented.

“So, it is not an announcement that the budget is being reviewed. It’s an announcement that it is our responsibility to look at the various scenarios and options and advise government accordingly.”

Mr Edun also highlighted plans to look at budget adjustment, expenditure prioritisation as well as innovative non-debt financing strategies.

According to him, Nigeria had recorded a trade surplus in the last three years (2022-2024) with the US.

“Nigeria-US Trade has been in surplus in the last 3 years (2022-2024). Nigeria’s exports to the US were N1.8 trillion, N2.6 trillion and N5.5 trillion in 2022-2024, respectively.

“Fortunately, oil and mineral exports accounted for 92 per cent. Implying oil and minerals exports amounted to N5.08 trillion in value while non-oil was just N0.44 trillion.

“Consequently, the tariff effect on exports is negligible if we sustain our oil and minerals export volume.

“The adverse effect on Nigeria will be through oil price plunge. We are intensifying efforts to ramp up crude oil production to curtail any price effect

“We are also focusing on non-oil revenue mobilisation by FIRS and Customs, budget adjustment and prioritisation where possible, and also and innovative non-debt financing strategies,” the Minister said.

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