By Adedapo Adesanya

The oil market fell on Wednesday as investors doubted that upcoming US-China trade talks would result in a breakthrough, with Brent crude losing $1.03 or 1.66 per cent to trade at $61.12 a barrel and the US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude shedding $1.02 or 1.73 per cent to sell for $58.07 a barrel.

The US and China are due to meet in Switzerland, which could be the first step toward resolving a trade war disrupting the global economy.

The trade talks between the world’s two largest economies come after weeks of escalating tensions.

President Donald Trump had protested China’s unfair advantage in global trade and slammed tariffs on imports, which has led to reciprocity from the Asian country.

Now, duties on goods imports between the countries have soared well beyond 100 per cent.

Meanwhile, market analysts have said that unless the US receives major trade concessions, further de-escalation seems unlikely, with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent describing the talks as “the opposite of advanced.”

In other related matters, US Vice President JD Vance described talks the US and Iran as “so far, so good” adding that there was a deal to be made that would reintegrate Iran into the global economy while preventing it from getting a nuclear weapon.

Previously, the US had threatened secondary sanctions on Iran after a fourth round of talks were postponed between both countries. This could threaten production of more than 3 million barrels per day, or about 3 per cent of global output.

This deal, if reached, could see the US lift the sanctions on Iranian oil, which right now is under maximum pressure.

The US Federal Reserve held interest rates steady but said the risks of higher inflation and unemployment had risen.

This development further economic outlook as the US central bank grapples with the impact of President Trump’s tariff policies.

US crude inventories fell by 2 million barrels to 438.4 million barrels in the week, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said.

Also, rising conflict in the Middle East between Israel and the Houthis could increase the geopolitical risk premium, making prices go up.

By Adedapo Adesanya

Nigeria’s average daily crude oil production declined by 64,000 barrels per day or 4.4 per cent to 1.401 million barrels per day in April 2025 from 1.465 million barrels per day recorded in the preceding month (March).

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) April Monthly Oil Market Report revealed this, saying the numbers are based on direct communication from the producing countries.

The report also indicated that oil production fell by 6.6 per cent below OPEC’s 1.5 million barrels per day quota, and approximately 32 per cent belief of the country’s 2025 budget target of 2.06 million barrels per day.

Nigeria’s persistent shortfalls in meeting government production targets comes from challenges such as underinvestment and rampant oil theft, all contributing to suppressed output.

Nigeria’s oil production peaked at 2.5 million barrels decades ago and despite ambitious 3-4 million barrels promises by subsequent governments, the highest actualisation in recent times have been 1.8 million barrels per day.

The decline in oil production since then and the falling oil prices in the international market are likely to strain fiscal revenues, worsening budgetary pressures

Market analysts have pointed out that this will impact national reserves, thereby reducing the availability of resources for developmental spending.

While the government has no control over global oil prices, it can, to some extent, meet its OPEC production quota.

Therefore, the government must intensify efforts by enforcing stricter penalties for oil theft, while fostering greater collaboration with local communities.

Simultaneously, there is a need to attract investment in the sector by ensuring that regulatory bodies and the judiciary work together to provide an enabling environment for investment and modernisation of oil infrastructure.

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

A new report has shown the wide adoption of digital currencies in Nigeria despite efforts by the authorities to discourage the use of crypto.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has yet to lift the ban of crypto transactions through the banking system in the country after almost five years.

In a report made available to Business Post by a venture capital firm, Hashed Emergent, it was stated that the USDT/Naira stablecoin pair has become the most traded on centralized exchanges, with stablecoin transfers in Nigeria nearing $3 billion in the first quarter of 2024, signalling the practical adoption of blockchain for real-world challenges like inflation and cross-border payments.

Last year, Nigeria ranked second globally for crypto adoption, according to Chainalysis, with $59 billion in crypto value received—$24 billion of that in stablecoins.

Stablecoin trading has overtaken Bitcoin trading on centralized exchanges, reflecting changing behaviour: for many, crypto is not speculative—it’s practical; it is how people hedge against inflation, send money, and make real-world payments.

According to the report, national agencies and multiple state governments are already implementing blockchain-based solutions across areas like identity verification, land registries, education records, and healthcare systems.

These aren’t pilots; they’re operational systems designed to improve transparency, efficiency, and trust in public services.

However, integration into existing public infrastructure remains a key challenge. Many legacy systems lack the technical readiness or interoperability needed for seamless adoption, and institutional capacity gaps—such as limited digital skills and fragmented procurement processes—continue to slow implementation.

Without addressing these bottlenecks, the long-term impact of public sector blockchain adoption may remain limited despite early momentum.