Economy
Dependence on Federal Allocation by States, LGs no Longer Sustainable—FG
By Dipo Olowookere
States and local governments in Nigeria have been informed by the Federal Government that their dependence on federal allocation was no longer sustainable because of dwindling revenues from crude oil sales.
In view of this, they have been challenged to consider looking for alternative sources of revenue for sustainable development in their areas.
Minister of Budget and National Planning Minister, Mr Udoma Udo Udoma, speaking on Monday at a two-day workshop organized by the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), noted that commitment in the pursuit of the objectives of the economic diversification initiatives of the Federal Government will help in increasing the revenue generating activities of states and Local Governments.
The Minister explained that it was for the purpose of shoring up liquidity levels and ensuring the continuous provision of critical services and obligations pending improvement in revenue flows that in 2016, the Federal Government initiated a series of programmes with the states.
Represented at the workshop by his Special Adviser, Mr Bassey Akpanyung, the Minister said he was glad about the relative fiscal stability that the interventions have so far brought to the states; noting however that a lot still needs to be done, which was why the workshop became imperative.
In order to gain further traction on the achievements made so far, the Minister said states and Local Governments must exploit areas of their comparative advantage to promote economic diversification for enhanced revenue generation, job creation and improved livelihood for the teaming populace.
He was convinced that all the states and local governments have diverse but untapped opportunities to generate significant internal revenues through economic diversification. agriculture, solid minerals, tourism, entertainment, arts and culture, and ICT are all emerging sectors that hold the potentials in the states and local governments, he pointed out.
Beyond ramping up internal revenue generation capacity, the Minister said states and Local Government must equally pay attention to efficiency in its utilization.
“The ideals of fiscal sustainability, accountability and transparency demands that we avoid wasteful spending of our scare resources, plug all identified leakages from our system, and channel the funds properly towards delivering the common goods to the people,” he said.
Consequently, he said it is logical to argue that the citizens will be more willing and committed to pay their taxes when public resources are seen to be better managed than otherwise; and if government expects the people to pay their taxes, it must also deliver on expectations.
Mr Udoma drew attention to the fact that the circumstances leading to the current hash economic conditions resulted from the abandonment of the non-oil revenue generating sources and surrendering to the fortunes of crude oil revenue earnings.
“Today, sadly, we are paying heavily for the many years of neglect and failure to diversify the country’s revenue sources away from crude oil,” he added.
Pointing out that the path to change usually comes through tough choices and decisions, the Minister said Nigeria has come to that point where making such choices with regard to the country’s economic survival has become imperative.
“Indeed, the time has come for us to embrace the various opportunities outside the oil sector in response to the current changing realities, to achieve sustainable growth and development,” Mr Udoma said.
Business Post reports that the workshop was organized to discuss alternative sources of revenue generation to foster sustainable growth and development of the country.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The Stanbic IBTC Bank Nigeria Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for the Nigerian private sector in July 2026 contracted to 52.5 points from 53.4 points in June 2026, a statement made available to Business Post has shown.
This occurred despite the business environment sustaining its growth last month, with an increase in new orders experienced, as inflationary pressures softened, and output and employment modestly rising.
The Head of Equity Research West Africa at Stanbic IBTC Bank, Mr Muyiwa Oni, said the PMI indicated that the private sector recorded its slowest since March 2026, as businesses also increased their input purchasing activity to keep up with current demand requirements and prepare for future workloads.
“Nigerian businesses reported improved customer demand in July while better pricing and new product launches also helped them to capture new orders arising from the increase in demand. These factors helped to keep the private sector activity in an expansionary territory, although this moderated when compared to June,” he was quoted as saying.
It was stated that while input costs increased at their slowest pace in five months, panellists reported higher costs for fuel and raw materials. Selling prices also softened in line with the picture for input costs in July.
Headline inflation eased slightly to 15.91 per cent y/y in June from 15.93 per cent y/y in May, snapping three consecutive months of price increases.
Although July inflation is likely to be higher m/m, it is expected to print lower, likely at 15.72 per cent y/y, primarily driven by favourable base effects from the corresponding period of last year, because there are no expectations of the magnitude of m/m inflation witnessed in July 2025 (1.99 per cent) to materialise this year.
“We retain our 2026 growth forecasts at 4.1 per cent as we see the oil sector growing by 3.45 per cent y/y in 2026, from 8.50 per cent y/y in 2025, while the non-oil sector is likely to grow by 4.11 per cent y/y, from 3.71 per cent y/y in 2025.
“The risks to our outlook include country-wide insecurity which may constrain food production, exchange rate pressures resurfacing, extreme-weather related conditions and higher fertiliser prices impacting crop yield, and a volatile global environment which may affect sentiment and constrain capital flows,” Mr Oni noted.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Sahara Upstream, a Nigeria-focused crude producer, has deployed a new 380,000-barrel tanker to boost exports from the OML 18 block as part of a wider push by domestic operators to invest in infrastructure and lift output and exports for Africa’s biggest oil producer.
The MT D Adesanya, which can hold more than 62,000 cubic metres of crude, will operate alongside the MT D Bayero, receiving crude from shuttle vessels at Bonny Anchorage, one of Nigeria’s main crude export hubs, before transferring it to the FSO Cawthorne storage facility.
Sahara said the tanker would help cut turnaround times, currently about 30 to 48 hours, and support a planned 50 per cent increase in exports from the block’s current level of about 950,000 barrels per month.
The block currently produces about 36,000 barrels per day, according to data from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), with Sahara targeting output of 60,000 barrels per day.
OML 18 is one of the Niger Delta’s oldest producing assets. It began production in 1970 and contains an estimated 1.5 billion barrels of oil equivalent in reserves.
Shell, Total and Eni sold their combined interests to Eroton in 2015 as part of a broader shift toward domestic ownership in Nigeria’s upstream sector.
This development comes as Sahara Upstream is deepening its exploration and production footprint through Asharami Energy Limited (AEL), its upstream E&P business, which says it is targeting 350,000 barrels of oil per day by 2030 through its subsidiary, Enageed Resources Limited (ERL).
The growth target comes as AEL also marks a major safety milestone, achieving 6 million Lost Time Injury (LTI)-free man-hours in its OML-148 operations — reinforcing the company’s commitment to operational excellence and safety leadership.
According to Asharami Energy, the milestone reflects its ability to execute complex operations safely, in line with Sahara’s Beyond XXX vision, which builds on the group’s 30-year legacy of responsible enterprise while marking its next chapter of impact, innovation, and sustainable growth.
The developments position Sahara Upstream and its subsidiaries among the domestic operators driving increased investment in Nigeria’s oil and gas infrastructure, as the group works to scale up production and exports for Africa’s biggest oil producer.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
One of the leading energy firms in Nigeria, Aradel Holdings Plc, has expressed its desire to optimise its enlarged portfolio and improve operational efficiency in the second half of 2026.
The company is planning to build on the success it recorded in the first half of the year, where it grew its revenue by 577 per cent to N2.5 trillion from N368.1 billion in H1 2025.
The significant rise in earnings was driven by higher production volumes together with stronger realised crude oil and gas prices, with the average at $90.4/bbl and $2.08/mmscf, respectively.
In the period under review, the Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization (EBITDA) increased by 688 per cent to N1.4 trillion from N176.4 billion in the corresponding period of last year, while the operating profit surged by 789 per cent to N1.1 trillion from N118.6 billion due to higher revenue and crude handling income at N149.8 billion, partly offset by underlift cost and general and administrative costs.
The net cash generated from operations was N975.6 billion between January and June 2026 versus N140.8 billion in the same period of 2025, reflecting the cash generation of the enlarged organisation.
The net debt contracted by 70 per cent on a year-to-date basis to N46.5 billion from N475.1 billion as of December 31, 2025.
Aradel, in the period under consideration, improved its post-tax profit by 30 per cent to N191.0 billion from N146.4 billion, a development that impressed its chief executive, Mr Adegbite Falade, who said, “A firmer price environment supported performance, generating net cash from operating activities of N975.6 billion and a closing cash balance of N1.7 trillion.”
“Our enlarged portfolio provides more opportunities to generate stronger cash flow and returns for shareholders and unlocking that potential is our main focus.
“We reaffirm our full year production guidance of 110 – 140 kboepd and remain committed to operating responsibly in a changing energy landscape and to delivering lasting value for our stakeholders,” he stated.
