Economy
Lagos Economic Summit 2020 Set for November 10
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Lagos State Government has unveiled plans for the 2020 Lagos Economic Summit popularly known as EHINGBETI, six years after it was last held in 2014 under the Babatunde Raji Fashola administration.
The summit has been themed For Greater Lagos: Setting the Tune for the Next Decade and will run virtually from Tuesday, November 10 through Thursday, November 12 2020.
Mr Sam Egube, Lagos State Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, said at a media interaction on Sunday in Lagos that the summit had been resuscitated by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for enhanced economic growth and development.
Mr Egube said that the summit would address pertinent issues that affect Lagos as an evolving megacity and chart a course for the actualisation of the dream of the current administration.
He said that the government had implemented 109 out 119 resolutions reached during past editions of the summit.
“The summit has a rich history and is firmly established as a credible forum for stimulating economic growth for Lagos State.
“It is our belief that you cannot lead a place like Lagos with one mind, you have to bring together all the minds.
“So far, about 119 resolutions were taken in the history of EHINGBETI and 109 of them implemented.
“What Lagos State Government is trying to do is to stimulate contributions from the private sector, get them interested in the governance of the state, and lead the way in terms of the outcomes.
“For example, the whole idea about the blue line, the red line, the rail master plan are things that came out of EHINGBETI,” he said.
Mr Egube, who also doubles as the Chairman EHINGBETI, said that major developments in the state and key decisions were reached at the past editions of the summit.
He said that the summit was introduced to stimulate contributions from the private sector and corporates for a better Lagos.
The Summit Chairman noted that the platform was primarily driven by the private sector and backed by the government to show the vibrancy of Lagos.
“We are proud that the private sector in Lagos is active and responsible and takes positive outcomes with the government in the development of ideas,” he said.
Mr Olayemi Cardoso, Co-Chairman EHINGBETI, commended Mr Sanwo-Olu for bringing back the summit in line with his campaign agenda.
The Co-Chair said that the summit introduced in 2000 had yielded a number of positive results and should be maintained.
In his words, “It is timely that this is happening. I say that because COVD-19 and its aftermath wreaked havoc in economies around the world and we are no exception to that, and when it going to end, nobody knows.
“All we know is that countries around the world, paid dearly from being on lockdown, and for any lockdown, you have a corresponding loss in gross domestic product.
“With the challenges ahead, and Lagos being the economic nerve centre of the country, there is a large responsibility to ensure that it protects the citizens of the state, and this is something that can’t happen unless it is planned for.
“It is a great opportunity for us in the private sector to come together with the government again to show what Lagos is truly made off and show what Lagos can truly do in the most difficult and challenging circumstances which we are in,” Mr Cardoso said.
He added that the virtual summit would make it easier for enhanced participation of the private sector, local and foreign investors.
Mr Muda Yusuf, Director-General, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that EHINGBETI was about inclusiveness.
He noted that investment was very important for the development and growth of any economy.
“We know that making the economy to progress is about promoting investments, and that is what makes the difference between Lagos and many other states.
“The focus on investments is very key and is the top priority for Lagos State Government and we appreciate that a great deal.
“This has been the context of the very strong public/private partnership that we have witnessed in the state.
“We are part of this and we know it is going to create a lot of value. We are committed to partnering with Lagos State Government to ensure that we continue to push this forward,” Mr Yusuf said.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
On Tuesday, December 17, 2024, President Bola Tinubu will present the 2025 budget to a joint session of the National Assembly.
The size of the 2025 Appropriation Bill is about N47.9 trillion and would be presented to the parliament for approval.
Speaking at the plenary on Thursday, December 12, 2024, the President of the Senate, Mr Godswill Akpabio, said the presentation by Mr Tinubu would be at the chamber of the House of Representatives.
However, it is not certain if the lawmakers will pass the budget before December 31 to allow for a recent budget cycle of January to December.
Recall that on December 3, the senate approved the Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper (MTEF/FSP) for 2025 to 2027.
This was after the President presented this the National Assembly on November 19 ahead of the consideration of the 2025 budget proposal.
In the MTEF/FSP, the government said it planned to borrow about N9.22 trillion from local and foreign sources to finance the budget deficit.
It pegged the crude oil benchmark at $75 per barrel and a daily oil production of 2.06 million barrels at an exchange rate of N1,400 to $1, and a targeted gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of 6.4 percent.
At the plenary today, Mr Akpabio informed his colleagues that, “The President has made his intention known to the National Assembly to present the 2025 budget to the joint session of the National Assembly on December 17, 2024.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria added 150,000 barrels per day to its crude production in November 2024 as it continues to pursue an ambitious 2 million barrels per day target.
According to the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Nigeria’s oil production rose to 1.48 million barrels per day in November, up from 1.33 million barrels per day the previous month.
In its Monthly Oil Market Report (MOMR), OPEC revealed that at 1.48 million barrels per day, it is the continent’s leading oil producer, surpassing Algeria’s 908,000 barrels per day and Congo’s 268,000 barrels per day.
Business Post reports that OPEC doesn’t account for condensates, which Nigeria’s accounts for in its broader 2 million barrels per day target.
Despite the surge in production levels, Nigeria is still under producing its 1.5 million barrels per day output quota under a deal involving OPEC and 10 other producers known as OPEC+.
OPEC said it relied on primary data gotten through direct communication, noting that secondary sources reported 1.417 million barrels per day as Nigeria’s crude production in November — up from 1.4 million barrels per day in October.
The data also shows that OPEC’s total oil production among its 12 members rose by 104,000 barrels per day in the month under review.
According to secondary sources, the total of the 12 OPEC countries’ crude oil production averaged 26.66 million barrels per day in November 2024.
“Crude oil output increased mainly in Libya, Iran, and Nigeria, while production in Iraq, Venezuela, and Kuwait decreased”, OPEC said.
“At the same time, total non-OPEC DoC crude oil production averaged 14.01 mb/d in November 2024, which is 219 tb/d higher, m-o-m. Crude oil output increased mainly in Kazakhstan and Malaysia,” the organisation added.
In a related development, OPEC trimmed its 2024 and 2025 oil demand growth forecasts for the fifth time this year.
Now, the cartel expects the world’s oil demand growth at 1.61 million barrels per day from the previously 1.82 million barrels per day.
For 2025, OPEC says the world oil demand growth forecast is now at 1.45 million barrels per day, a 900,000 barrels per day cut from the previously expected 1.54 million barrels per day.
On the changes, OPEC says that the downgrade for this year owes to more bearish data received in the third quarter of 2024 while the projections for next year relate to the potential impact that will arise from US tariffs.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The duo of Afriland Properties Plc and Geo-Fluids Plc crashed the NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange by a marginal 0.06 per cent on Wednesday, December 11 due to profit-taking activities.
The OTC securities exchange experienced a downfall at midweek despite UBN Property Plc posting a price appreciation of 17 Kobo to close at N1.96 per share, in contrast to Tuesday’s closing price of N1.79.
Business Post reports that Afriland Properties Plc slid by N1.14 to finish at N15.80 per unit versus the preceding day’s N16.94 per unit, and Geo-Fluids Plc declined by 1 Kobo to trade at N3.92 per share compared with the N3.93 it ended a day earlier.
At the close of transactions, the market capitalisation of the bourse, which measures the total value of securities on the platform, shrank by N650 million to finish at N1.055 trillion compared with the previous day’s N1.056 trillion and the NASD Unlisted Security Index (NSI) went down by 1.86 points to wrap the session at 3,012.50 points compared with 3,014.36 points recorded in the previous session.
The alternative stock market was busy yesterday as the volume of securities traded by investors soared by 146.9 per cent to 5.9 million units from 2.4 million units, as the value of shares transacted by the market participants jumped by 360.9 per cent to N22.5 million from N4.9 million, and the number of deals increased by 50 per cent to 21 deals from 14 deals.
When the bourse closed for the day, Geo-Fluids Plc remained the most active stock by volume (year-to-date) with 1.7 billion units valued at N3.9 billion, followed by Okitipupa Plc with 752.2 million units worth N7.8 billion, and Afriland Properties Plc 297.5 million units sold for N5.3 million.
Also, Aradel Holdings Plc, which is now listed on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited after its exit from NASD, remained the most active stock by value (year-to-date) with 108.7 million units sold for N89.2 billion, trailed by Okitipupa Plc with 752.2 million units valued at N7.8 billion, and Afriland Properties Plc with 297.5 million units worth N5.3 billion.
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