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Economy

Friction as DPR Reopens Filling Stations Shut by LASBCA

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Reopens Filling Stations

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) on Thursday reopened five filling stations shut by the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) in Ajah and Ibeju Lekki axis of the state.

The petrol stations, operated by members of the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), members were sealed by the state’s building control agency but the country’s petroleum regulatory agency, being the organisation legally allowed to carry out such an action, said the stations were sealed without consultation.

Speaking at the reopening of the fuel stations, Mr Ayorinde Cardoso, Zonal Operations Controller, DPR, Lagos Zone, argued that LASBCA lacked the constitutional power to shut petroleum products retail outlets because the industry was clearly under the Exclusive List.

He advised state and local government agencies to desist from arbitrary sealing of businesses in the oil and gas sector as it could lead to disruption in the supply of petroleum products.

Mr Cardoso said: “We got information yesterday that LASBCA has shut down about 10 filling stations. We also learnt that a local government council shut down another petrol station in the Magodo area.

“We were not consulted and we need to put the record straight. The oil and gas business is a regulated environment and we know from the 1999 Constitution that oil and gas are matters within the Exclusive Legislative List.

“The Federal Government of Nigeria through the National Assembly is endowed with exclusive power to execute on any item on the exclusive list.”

He explained that “arising from that constitutional powers, the National Assembly enacted the Petroleum Act of 1969.

“This act regulates all matters relating to petroleum such as importation, handling, storage, distribution of petroleum and petroleum products and other flammable oils.

“This act also provides granting of licences to import, handle, store, sell, distribute any petroleum product in Nigeria.”

He said as a result of this, all persons that engaged in the business were licensed by the Minister of Petroleum Resources through the DPR.

According to him, the DPR collaborates with other relevant federal and state government agencies for requisite permits and approvals before the issuance of the licences.

Mr Cardoso said there were prerequisite processes that must be completed before a licence to operate is issued to any operator.

He said these included certificates of incorporation, Memorandum and Articles of Association, Tax Clearance Certificate, Police Report, Fire Report, Approved Building Plan and a Letter from Lands and Survey.

The Zonal Head added that it also carries out an Environmental Impact Assessment Report, Site Layout Plan, Evidence of Land Ownership and Survey Plan.

“Once we have done this and we issue licences to operate, it becomes a federal government property for business and our licence gives the owner the permission to do business in that area.

“So, any issue arising from the licensee, you need to call on the licensor who is the federal government; then we will look at the issue and see how we can resolve it,” he said.

Mr Cardoso said the DPR was interacting with the Lagos State Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources to ensure that agencies of the state government did not disrupt the smooth supply of petroleum products in Lagos.

On its part, Mr Gbadeyan Abdulraheem, Public Relations Officer, LASBCA, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), noted that some of the sealed facilities did not have the agency’s approval or had deviated from the approved plan.

“The DPR can give you the approval to run a filling station but the building itself has to be approved by LASBCA and there are conditions to be met which they didn’t.

“Some of them didn’t follow the radius which is a minimum of 300 meters before siting another one while others were constructed between residential buildings.

“Lagos State government is not interested in victimising or creating problems for anybody. What we are saying is that they should follow the best practices,” Mr Abdulrasheed said.

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

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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