Economy
MAN Urges CBN to Consider Interest Rate Cut
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has appealed to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to reduce interest rates to ease the rising cost of borrowing.
This is in reaction to the outcome of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting on November 24 and 25, where the apex bank kept the benchmark rate at 27 per cent.
On Wednesday, the group acknowledged MPC’s decision to retain the Monetary Policy Rate at 27 per cent but stressed that the current lending environment remains “punitive for manufacturers.”
Following its 303rd meeting on November 25, the MPC maintained the benchmark rate at 27 per cent, adjusted the Standing Facilities Corridor to +50/-450 basis points, retained the Cash Reserve Ratio at 45 per cent for commercial banks and 16 per cent for merchant banks, and kept the liquidity ratio at 30 per cent.
The MPC also expressed satisfaction with improving macroeconomic indicators, noting what they called a “continued slowdown in inflation” and the “accelerated pace of disinflation,” which stood at 16.05 per cent in October.
In his statement, the Director-General of MAN, Mr Segun Ajayi-Kadir, said the association “appreciates the decision of the MPC to halt the increase in MPR” but insisted that manufacturers had expected “a further reduction in the rate to reduce the cost of borrowing.”
Mr Ajayi-Kadir noted that despite the improvement recorded at the last meeting, manufacturers still contend with borrowing costs “ranging between 30 and 37 per cent,” describing the rates as “high, restrictive, and damaging to competitiveness.”
“The rate hinders production and reduces the competitiveness of the sector. While the emphasis on exchange rate stability and improved forex liquidity is crucial, it is essential to reduce the cost of funds to encourage borrowing for expansion and investment.”
The organisation warned that persistent high lending rates would continue to limit manufacturers’ access to affordable credit, particularly those in the small and medium industrial cadre, adding that the challenge was compounded by structural bottlenecks such as poor infrastructure, high logistics costs, erratic electricity supply, soaring energy costs, and insecurity, which it said “cumulatively raise production costs and weaken competitiveness.”
MAN urged the CBN and policymakers to strengthen monetary–fiscal coordination and pursue reforms that unlock industrial potential to sustain stability and drive inclusive growth, stressing that the apex bank should “strengthen handshake with the fiscal authority to promote reforms capable of unlocking the full potential of the manufacturing sector.”
It also highlighted a series of recommendations aimed at positioning the sector for productive growth. It advised the CBN to “adopt a downward review of the rate in subsequent MPC meetings to lessen the burden of high borrowing costs and incentivise long-term investments,” particularly in capital-intensive sub-sectors.
The body further recommended that the apex bank introduce additional policy instruments to facilitate credit flow to the real sector while the federal government strengthens fiscal discipline and scales up investments in roads, electricity, and logistics to boost supply capacity.
On exchange rate management, MAN urged the government to work closely with the Central Bank to stabilise the Naira and manage potential risks linked to capital flight arising from the new MPC corridor adjustment “that will push banks to lend more.”
It also called for complementary fiscal measures that support industrial development, promote structural reforms in agriculture, manufacturing, and energy, and address inflationary pressures.
The body added that insecurity in agricultural and industrial zones must be urgently resolved to stabilise raw material supplies and food output, stressing that “a secure environment is critical to sustained industrial growth.”
While commending the MPC for measures aimed at strengthening liquidity and encouraging lending, MAN said the government must seize the moment to drive credit-led growth in productive sectors. The Association urged the CBN to “monitor and evaluate the impacts of previous MPC decisions on credit access to the real sector” to inform future policy decisions.
MAN concluded by reaffirming its appreciation of the CBN’s efforts to stabilise the economy but maintained that stronger coordination between fiscal and monetary authorities remains essential to ensure that the MPC’s decisions translate into real sector gains, sustained growth, and broader economic development.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is seeking a reduction in import duty exemptions, which rose to N34 trillion, limiting its ability to increase its revenue generation threshold.
The Comptroller-General of the Customs Service, Mr Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed that the value of import duty exemption certificate approvals increased to that level in 2025, describing the policy as one of the major factors restricting its revenue generation.
At an investigative session of the Senate Committee on Finance with revenue-generating agencies in Abuja on Monday, Mr Adeniyi explained that government fiscal policies have continued to impact the revenue-generating capacity of the Customs Service, both positively and negatively.
“The NCS would have generated significantly higher revenue over the years if not for government-approved import duty waivers and other external factors affecting collections,” he said.
He added that the Import Duty Exemption Certificate scheme, introduced in March 2020, accounted for about N34 trillion in approvals in 2025, with nearly 60 per cent covering duty-free importation of military hardware due to Nigeria’s prevailing security challenges.
Other government-backed duty waivers, he noted, covered the importation of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), electric and hybrid vehicles, healthcare equipment and medical supplies, industrial machinery and manufacturing inputs, as well as food import intervention programmes.
While acknowledging the impact of the waivers on Customs revenue, Mr Adeniyi argued that fiscal policy should not be assessed solely on the basis of revenue generation but also on its broader economic and social objectives.
He, however, urged the federal government to establish stronger monitoring mechanisms to ensure beneficiaries of duty waivers deliver the intended economic outcomes, including lower consumer prices, increased local production and improved healthcare access.
The committee also expressed displeasure over the absence of several heads of government agencies invited to the hearing, including the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Industrial Training Fund (ITF), and the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jabi.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, Mr Sani Musa, warned that the affected chief executives must appear at the committee’s next sitting or face severe sanctions under the Senate’s rules.
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By Adedapo Adesanya
The NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange rose by 0.40 per cent on Monday, July 13, buoyed by buying interest in 11 Plc, Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc and UBN Property Plc, which offset the profit-taking in Food Concepts Plc, the parent company of Chicken Republic.
11 Plc gained N20.69 to end at N227.64 per share compared with last Friday’s price of N206.95 per share, CSCS Plc grew by N1.83 to N91.48 per unit from N89.65 per unit, and UBN Property Plc added 1 Kobo to sell at N1.81 per share versus N1.80 per share.
On the flip side, Food Concepts Plc depreciated by 24 Kobo to close at N2.45 per unit, in contrast to the preceding session’s N2.69 per unit.
As a result, the market capitalisation increased by N9.2 billion to N2.587 trillion from N2.578 trillion, and the NASD Security Index (NSI) improved by 15.33 points to 4,311.67 points from 4,296.34 points.
Yesterday, the volume of securities traded by investors surged by 615.9 per cent to 9.1 million units from the previous 1.3 million units, and the value of securities rose by 997.1 per cent to N320.4 million from the preceding session’s N29.2 million, while the number of deals decreased by 12.5 per cent to 28 deals from last Friday’s 32 deals.
At the close of trades, Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) Plc remained the most active stock by value on a year-to-date basis, with 3.4 billion units valued at N8.4 billion, followed by Infrastructure Credit Guarantee (Infracredit) Plc with 2.3 billion units worth N6.5 billion, and CSCS Plc with 73.9 million units exchanged for N5.2 billion.
GNI Plc also closed the session as the most traded stock by volume on a year-to-date basis, with 3.4 billion units sold for N8.4 billion, followed by Infracredit Plc with 2.3 billion units traded for N6.5 billion, and Resourcery Plc with 1.1 billion units transacted for N415.7 million.
