Economy
Naira May Recover As Travelex Begins Weekly Dollars Sales To BDCs
Dipo Olowookere
The naira is expected to make a surprise recovery from today as Travelex, a global foreign exchange (forex) dealer, begins the sale of $15,000 weekly to each of the 3,000 Bureaux De Change (BDC) operators.
Association of Bureau De Change Operators of Nigeria (ABCON) President Aminu Gwadabe, who broke the news yesterday, said $45 million will flow into the financial system with each of the BDCs getting $15,000.
The exercise, he said, would strengthen the naira in both the official and parallel markets.
The naira was yesterday exchanging at N473 to dollar in the parallel market and N310 to dollar in the official market. The local currency has lost over 70 per cent of its value in both markets year-to-date due to plunge in crude oil prices which cut the country’s dollar earnings.
Gwadabe explained that the funds to be disbursed to BDCs today, were from the Diaspora remittances estimated at $21 billion annually. He said the CBN took the right steps by authorising Travelex to take responsibility of disbursing the Diaspora to licensed BDCs. He said the $15,000 weekly dollar sales, was an improvement from the initially approved $10,000 weekly, would deepen dollar liquidity in the system and strengthen the naira against the dollar.
The ABCON boss said the experience and integrity of Travelex will be key in getting the dollars down to BDCs.
He urged all BDC operators, as a matter of urgency, to visit CBN branches in their respective zones to validate their en-cashers and signatory mandate cards for Travelex biometric data capturing exercise.
Gwadabe said the biometric data capturing project would enable the BDCs access the International Money Transfer Operators (IMTOs)/Travelex dollars window.
He said remittances have direct positive and significant impact on consumption, investment, and demand in the country as it can be used to address short-run output shocks, and even long run growth. He said that remittances tend to be stable and to increase during periods of economic downturns and natural disasters.
He said the CBN is reaffirming the country’s commitment to building an enabling environment and level-playing field for international money transfer services to Nigeria.
He said that by increasing the number of IMTOs from three to 14, the CBN under its Governor, Godwin Emefiele, is setting the economy on the path of development in the medium- to long-term and also, restore integrity in the international money transfer business.
Gwadabe said the ongoing dollar sales to BDCs would strengthen the operators to meet the forex demand at the retail end of the market so that they can continue to enhance employment generation in the country.
The ABCON boss believes that despite the challenges facing the economy, the CBN and BDCs would continue to work together and find sustainable solutions that can help the country wriggle out of the ongoing forex crisis and achieve full economic recovery.
He pledged that ABCON would continue to ensure that purchased funds were sold to end users and for eligible transactions and also render returns promptly. He further promised to ensure strict compliance to the provisions of the anti-money laundering laws observance of appropriate Know Your Customer principles in the handling of forex transactions.
http://thenationonlineng.net/naira-recovery-likely-travelex-begins-weekly-dollars-sales-bdcs/
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The embargo earlier placed in the trading of Thomas Wyatt Nigeria shares has been lifted by the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Regulation Limited.
The regulatory subsidiary of NGX Group lifted the suspension on Monday, July 6, 2026, via a notice signed by Bonaventure Onwuji on behalf of the Head of the Issuer Regulation Department of NGX RegCo.
Investors were earlier prevented from buying and selling equities of the organisation after it failed to submit its relevant financial statements as required by the listing rules.
The embargo was placed on October 31, 2025, in line with the provisions of Rule 3.1: Rules for Filing of Accounts and Treatment of Default Filing, which provides that if an issuer fails to file the relevant accounts by the expiration of the cure period, the exchange will: a) send to the issuer a second filing deficiency notification within two business days after the end of the cure period, b) suspend trading in the issuer’s securities, and c) notify the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the market within 24 hours of the suspension.
After filing the results with NGX Limited, and pursuant to Rule 3.3 of the Default Filing Rules, which states that the suspension of trading in the issuer’s securities shall be lifted upon submission of the relevant accounts provided the exchange is satisfied that the accounts comply with all applicable rules of the exchange. The exchange shall thereafter also announce through the medium by which the public and the SEC was initially notified of the suspension, that the suspension has been lifted, the suspension was lifted.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigerian domestic oil producer Renaissance Energy has recorded its first major oil discovery since taking over Oil Mining Lease (OML) 74 last year, following the successful drilling of an exploration well offshore Nigeria in a development that could support the country’s efforts to boost crude oil production and replenish reserves.
Preliminary results showed about 1,000 feet (305 metres) of crude oil-bearing reservoirs across seven zones, with data and fluid tests confirming light oil in high-quality reservoirs, Renaissance said in a statement, without providing further details.
OML 74 is a large shallow-water block in the eastern Niger Delta off Nigeria’s coast and holds at least eight previously undeveloped discoveries.
Renaissance, which now owns Shell’s former onshore and shallow-water assets, operates Nigeria’s largest upstream joint venture with 18 oil leases, two export terminals and a FPSO vessel in the oil-rich delta.
Commenting on Tuesday, Mr Tony Attah, the managing director/chief executive of Renaissance, said the discovery reflects the company’s renewed focus on exploration and its commitment to boosting Nigeria’s long-term oil production.
“The success of JK-004, just over one year after assuming operatorship of these assets, demonstrates the strength of our exploration programme,” he said.
He lauded the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), adding that the exploration performance reflected the collaboration with the company’s joint venture partners comprising the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), TotalEnergies Limited and Agip Energy and Natural Resources.
He added that the NNPC Group Chief Executive Officer, Mr Bayo Ojulari, and the Executive Vice President, Upstream, Mr Udobong Ntia, provided the needed strategic guidance with commitment for value delivery across the joint venture assets.
On his part, the Vice President of Exploration and Chief Explorer at Renaissance, Mr Johnbosco Uche, said the exploration success was due to the company’s subsurface excellence, technical rigour, and disciplined approach to reserve replacement.
“The JK-004 well provides a strong foundation for accelerated maturation with clear pathways to early development and value realisation,” the Chief Explorer said, adding that the strategic location of JK-004 near an existing field would enable rapid commercialisation.
The chief executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, described the feat as a perfect alignment with the commission’s vision of growing the nation’s reserves “to future-proof sustainable national growth,” and pledged to continue building the enabling regulatory environment required to support the Nigerian oil and gas industry.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The mandatory takeover bid of about 1.63 per cent shares held by minority shareholders of Premier Paints Plc by Xenergi has been launched.
Business Post learned that the exercise will open at 8 am on Monday, July 13, 2026, and close on Friday, August 7, 2026, and it concerns shareholders of Premier Paint, excluding Xenergi Plc, whose names appear in the register of members of Premier Paint on the qualification date, which was Monday, July 6, 2026.
Xenergi is looking to acquire a total of 2 million shares of Premier Paints at N38 per unit, amounting to N76 million.
The reason for this offer is to enable Xenergi comply with Section 142(4) of the ISA Act 2025 and Rules 445 – 448 of the SEC New Rules and Amendment dated August 30, 2021, following its acquisition of a 49.60 per cent majority equity stake in Premier Paint.
On June 8, 2026, Xenergi Plc acquired 61,003,350 ordinary shares in Premier Paint, representing a 49.60 per cent equity stake.
Xenergi Plc and Premier Paint Plc executed a Share Sale and Purchase Agreement detailing the terms and conditions of the acquisition. The acquisition was concluded following receipt of the required regulatory approvals from the Federal Competition & Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited.
In accordance with Section 142(4) of the ISA Act 2025, Xenergi is required to make a takeover bid to all the other shareholders of Premier Paint.
Consequently, on May 25, 2026, the board of Xenergi granted approval for a Takeover to be made to all qualifying shareholders, for the acquisition of the offer shares.
