Economy
MAN Laments Effect of Fuel Price Hike on Operations
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has lamented the difficulty in the operations of its members worsened by the recent fuel pump price increase.
Recall that the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited reviewed the price of PMS from N580 per litre to N855 in Lagos and over N900 depending on the location to another across the country.
The MAN Southwest chairman, Mr Lanre Popoola, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan on Friday, noted how difficult it has been to operate manufacturing firms on full scale under the current economic hardship.
He said the group was already facing difficulties before the increase in the price of the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) otherwise known as petrol.
Mr Popoola said it was unfortunate that amidst the increase and instability in the economy, the Federal Government expected the private sector to implement N70,000 new national minimum wage.
“Can we increase salary now? No. We are in a dilemma,” he said.
According to him, the sector has been plagued with economic challenges, such as inflation and the devaluation of naira amidst forex scarcity.
“The present hard situation in the country has been worsened by the fuel increase, and there is no respite in sight.
“It has been difficult to operate manufacturing industries on a full scale.
“ Even before the fuel increment, and now that the worst has happened, it has been difficult to operate under the economic hardship’’, he told NAN.
Despite this, Business Post reports that fuel queues remain across the country with supply issues remaining.
In a related development, the federal government has dismissed its involvement in the increase of prices of petrol across the country.
Mr Heineken Lokpobiri, Minister of State (Oil) Petroleum Resources, on Thursday, said the federal government was not responsible for the recent while briefing State House correspondents after a meeting with Vice-President Kashim Shettima.
Mr Lokpobiri said the industry had been deregulated, and that the government was not fixing prices.
“This sector is deregulated. And we believe that with the availability of products, the price will find its level.
“What is important is that the product is available in the country; between now and the weekend, there will be availability of the product across the length and breadth of the country,” he said.
He said it was important to convey to Nigerians that the President was empathetic about what was going on in the country.
“He is concerned about the hardship of Nigerians, and that was why he directed the Vice President to call this meeting, for us to reflect on what is going on in the country.
“But, we believe that by the time the product is available across the country, the price itself will stabilise,” said the minister.
Mr Lokpobiri said Mr Shettima had summoned him along with Mr Mele Kyari, the Group Managing Director of NNPC and Mr Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser, over the recent hike in the price of petrol.
Also, Mr Ogbugo Ukoha, Executive Director of Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), said regulatory efforts were geared toward stabilising the supply of petrol in the country, which he said would impact positively on the stability of price.
Economy
Presco, GTCO List Additional Shares on Stock Exchange
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The duo of Presco Plc and Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO) Plc has listed additional shares on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited.
The extra equities of these two publicly-listed organisations were admitted to the local stock exchange last Friday, increasing their respective total issued and fully paid-up shares.
For Presco, it listed fresh 166,666,667 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each on the daily official list of the NGX on Friday, January 30, 2026, increasing its total issued and fully paid-up stocks from 1,000,000,000 units to 1,166,666,667 units.
The additional equities were from the rights issue of the firm allotted to shareholders on the basis of one new share for every existing six ordinary shares held as at close of business on Monday, October 13, 2025.
In a circular issued over the weekend, the NGX said, “Trading licence holders are hereby notified that additional 166,666,667 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each of Presco Plc were on Friday, January 30, 2026, listed on the daily official list of Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited (NGX).
“The additional shares arose from the company’s rights issue of 166,666,667 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each at N1,420.00 per share on the basis of one new share for every existing six ordinary shares held as at close of business on Monday, October 13, 2025.
“With the listing of the additional 166,666,667 ordinary shares, the total issued and fully paid-up shares of Presco Plc has now increased from 1,000,000,000 to 1,166,666,667 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each.”
As for GTCO, it listed additional125,000,000 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each at N80.00 per unit offered through private placement.
The fresh equities taken to Customs Street have raised the total issued and fully paid-up shares of GTCO from 36,425,229,514 to 36,550,229,514 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each.
Economy
FG, States, Local Councils Share N1.969trn FAAC Allocation
By Adedapo Adesanya
A total of N1.969 trillion was shared to the federal government, the 36 state governments and the 774 local government councils from the gross revenue of N2.585 trillion generated by the nation in December 2025.
The money was disbursed to the three tiers of government at the January 2026 Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) meeting held in Abuja.
In a statement issued on Monday by the Director of Press and Public Relations in the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF), Mr Bawa Mokwa, it was stated that the FAAC allocation comprised statutory revenue of N1.084 trillion, distributable Value Added Tax (VAT) revenue of N846.507 billion, and Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL) revenue of N38.110 billion.
“Total deduction for cost of collection was N104.697 billion, while total transfers, refunds, and savings were N511.585 billion,” the statement partly read.
It was also revealed that from the N1.969 trillion total distributable revenue, the federal Government received the sum of N653.500 billion, and the state governments received N706.469 billion, the local government councils received N513.272 billion, and the sum of N96.083 billion was shared with the benefiting state as 13 per cent derivation revenue.
He said of the N1.084 trillion distributable statutory revenue, the central government received N520.807 billion, the state governments got N264.160 billion, the local councils were given N203.656 billion, and N96.083 billion was shared to the benefiting states as 13 per cent derivation revenue.
FAAC noted that from the N846.507 billion distributable VAT earnings, the federal government got N126.976 billion, the state governments received N423.254 billion, and the local government councils got N296.277 billion.
From the revenue from EMTL, Mr Mokwa explained that the national government was given N5.717 billion, the state governments got N19.055 billion, and the councils collected N13.338 billion.
He added that the companies’ Income Tax (CIT)/CGT and STD, Import Duty and Value Added Tax (VAT) increased significantly in December, while oil and gas royalty, CET levies and fees increase marginally, with excise duty, Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT)/Hydrocarbon Tax (HT), and EMTL considerably down.
Economy
Oil Exports to Drop as Shell Commences Maintenance on Bonga FPSO
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria’s oil exports will drop in February following the shutdown of the Bonga Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel scheduled for turnaround maintenance.
Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo) Limited confirmed the development in a statement issued, adding that gas output will also decline during the maintenance period.
This comes as SNEPCo begun turnaround maintenance on the Bonga FPSO, the statement signed by its Communications Manager, Mrs Gladys Afam-Anadu, said, describing the exercise as a statutory integrity assurance programme designed to extend the facility’s operational lifespan.
SNEPCo Managing Director, Mr Ronald Adams, said the maintenance would ensure safe, efficient operations for another 15 years.
“The scheduled maintenance is designed to reduce unplanned deferments and strengthen the asset’s overall resilience.
“We expect to resume operations in March following completion of the turnaround,” he said.
Mr Adams said the scope included inspections, certification, regulatory checks, integrity upgrades, engineering modifications and subsea assurance activities.
“The FPSO, about 120 kilometres offshore in over 1,000 metres of water, can produce 225,000 barrels of oil daily.
“It also produces 150 million standard cubic feet of gas per day,” he said.
He said maintaining the facility was critical to Nigeria’s production stability, energy security and revenue objectives.
Mr Adams noted that the 2024 Final Investment Decision on Bonga North increased the importance of the FPSO’s reliability. He said the turnaround would prepare the facility for additional volumes from the Bonga North subsea tie-back project.
According to him, the last turnaround maintenance was conducted in October 2022.
“On February 1, 2023, the asset produced its one billionth barrel since operations began in 2005,” Mr Adams said.
SNEPCo operates the Bonga field in partnership with Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria (Deepwater) Limited and Nigerian Agip Exploration Limited, under a Production Sharing Contract with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited.
The last turnaround maintenance activity on the FPSO took place in October 2022. On February 1, the following year, the asset delivered its 1 billionth barrel of oil since production commenced in 2005.
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