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Economy

Nigeria Targets $2.7bn Yearly Revenue From New Blue Economy Policy

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Blue Economy

By Adedapo Adesanya 

Nigeria is planning to unveil a national policy on marine and blue economy which it envisaged will deliver over $2.7 billion in revenue per annum for the national economy.

This was disclosed by the Director of the Maritime Safety and Security Department at the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr Babatunde Hafiz, at a stakeholders forum in Lagos, noting that the policy will play a great role in enhancing the performance of the shipping sub-sector and boost trade facilitation as well as economic growth.

Mr Hafiz said the policy will provide a comprehensive framework/blueprint that will also tackle revenue leakages, through the envisaged streamlined approach to the management of the sector.

He said the ministry is determined to work towards the disbursement of the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF).

CVFF is an intervention fund established by the Cabotage Act to assist indigenous shipping operators in acquiring new vessels to enhance indigenous capacity building. It is also a strategic instrument within the legislative framework to stimulate the expansion of domestic shipping capability.

“To ensure the full implementation of the CVFF, the Ministry has constituted a Committee to develop clear guidelines and mechanisms to facilitate improved access to the Fund by Stakeholders in the Shipping Sub Sector. This initiative is envisaged to ensure that the Fund achieves its goal of providing the required financial support for indigenous shipowners to acquire, construct and repair their vessels,” Mr Hafiz said.

“The CVFF will allow the indigenous shipowners to fund the acquisition of more vessels at a single-digit interest rate. Limiting Cabotage trade to Nigeria-owned, crewed and operated ships, will increase the number of ship fleets/tonnage in the country and attract healthy competition with foreign shipping companies in international shipping.

“The CVFF will also enhance the employment of Nigerians in the maritime sector, increase locally induced Cabotage trade and movement of passengers and cargo by indigenous shippers,” he stated.

Mr Hafiz also said the arrangements to herald the Regional Maritime Development Bank (RMDB ) establishment are at an advanced stage.

“The RMDB establishment is ongoing, with Nigeria set to host the headquarters and having the highest share among MOWCA member states.

“The bank’s objectives include funding port infrastructure, vessel acquisition, and human capacity development, among others. The RMDB’s establishment was conceived by the Maritime Organisation of West and Central Africa (MOWCA), which comprises 25 countries.

“The RMDB’s capital base is expected to be $1 billion, with Nigeria having the highest share of 12 per cent among MOWCA member states. The bank will be a private-public sector-driven bank, with 51% shareholding for MOWCA states and 49 per cent for institutional investors.

“The bank’s establishment process is ongoing and office space has been provided for the bank at the NIMASA, Abuja Office. Its establishment will increase access to funding for the acquisition, construction and repairs of vessels by indigenous shipowners,” he said.

He added the ministry through its agency – the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) is collaborating with the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) to provide accurate sea weather forecasts to aid sea navigation and provide information for seafarers to support safe navigation and efficient operations in Nigerian waters.

“As part of the collaboration, NiMet has invested over N2 billion to enhance its marine meteorological services, including the upgrade and expansion of automatic marine stations, installation of tide gauges and buoy systems, and the establishment of a dedicated Central Marine Forecast Office (CMFO),” he stated.

Adedapo Adesanya is a journalist, polymath, and connoisseur of everything art. When he is not writing, he has his nose buried in one of the many books or articles he has bookmarked or simply listening to good music with a bottle of beer or wine. He supports the greatest club in the world, Manchester United F.C.

Economy

Petrol Supply up 55.4% as Daily Consumption Reaches 52.1 million Litres

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sufficient supply petrol

By Adedapo Adesanya

The supply of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, increased by 55.4 per cent on a month-on-month basis to 71.5 million litres per day in November 2025 from 46 million litres per day in October.

This was contained in the November 2025 fact sheet of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) on Monday.

The data showed that the nation’s consumption also increased by 44.5 per cent or 37.4 million litres to 52.1 million litres per day in November 2025, against 28.9 million litres in October.

The significant increase in petrol supply last month was on account of the imports by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited into the Nigerian market from both the domestic and the international market.

Domestic refineries supplied in the period stood at 17.1 million litres per day, while the average daily consumption of PMS for the month was 52.9 million litres per day.

The NMDPRA noted that no production activities were recorded in all the state-owned refineries, which included Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries, in the period, as the refineries remained shut down.

According to the report, the imports were aimed at building inventory and further guaranteeing supply during the peak demand period.

Other reasons for the increase, according to the NMDPRA, were due to “low supply recorded in September and October 2025, below the national demand threshold; the need for boosting national stock level to meet the peak demand period of end of year festivities, and twelve vessels programmed to discharge into October, which spilled into November.”

On gas, the average daily gas supply climbed to 4.684 billion standard cubic feet per day in November 2025, from the 3.94 bscf/d average processing level recorded in October.

The Nigeria LNG Trains 1-6 also maintained a stable processing output of 3.5 bscf/d in November 2025, but utilisation improved slightly to 73.7 per cent compared with 71.68 per cent in October.

The increase, according to the report, was driven by higher plant utilisation across processing hubs and steady export volumes from the Nigeria LNG plant in Bonny.

“As of November 2025, Nigeria’s major gas processing facilities recorded improved output and utilisation levels, with the Nigeria LNG Trains 1-6 processing 3.50 billion standard cubic feet per day at a utilisation rate of 73.70 per cent.

“Gbaran Ubie Gas Plant processed 1.250 bscf per day, operating at 71.21 per cent utilisation, while the MPNU Bonny River Terminal recorded a throughput of 0.690 bscf per day during the period. Processing activities at the Escravos Gas Plant stood at 0.680 bscf per day, representing a 62 per cent utilisation rate, whereas the Soku Gas Plant emerged as the top performer, processing 0.600 bscf per day at 96.84 per cent utilisation,” it stated.

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Economy

Secure Electronic Technology Suspends Share Reconstruction as Investors Pull Out

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Secure Electronic Technology

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

The proposed share reconstruction of a local gaming firm, Secure Electronic Technology (SET), has been suspended.

The Lagos-based company decided to shelve the exercise after negotiations with potential investors crumbled like a house of cards.

Secure Electronic Technology was earlier in talks with some foreign investors interested in the organisation.

Plans were underway to restructure the shares of the company, which are listed on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited.

However, things did not go as planned as the potential investors pulled out, leaving the board to consider others ways to move the firm forward.

Confirming this development, the company secretary, Ms Irene Attoe, in a statement, said the board would explore other means to keep the company running to deliver value to shareholders.

“This is to notify the NGX and the investing public that a meeting of the board of SET held on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, as scheduled, to consider the status of the proposed share reconstruction and recapitalisation as approved by the members at the Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) held on April 16, 2025.

“After due deliberations, the board wishes to announce that the proposed share reconstruction will not take place as anticipated due to the inability of the parties to reach a convergence on the best and mutually viable terms.

“Thus, following an impasse in the negotiations, and the investors’ withdrawal from the transaction, the board has, in the interest of all members, decided to accept these outcomes and move ahead in the overall interest of the business.

“The board is committed to driving the strategic objectives of SEC and to seeking viable opportunities for sustainable growth of the company,” the disclosure stated.

Business Post reports that the share price of SET crashed by 3.85 per cent on Tuesday on Customs Street on Tuesday to 75 Kobo. Its 52-week high remains N1.33 and its one-year low is 45 Kobo. Today, investors transacted 39,331,958 units.

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Economy

Clea to Streamline Cross-Border Payments for African Importers

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Clea Payment platform

By Adedapo Adesanya

Clea, a blockchain-powered platform that allows African importers to pay international suppliers in USD while settling locally, has officially launched.

During its pilot phase, Clea processed more than $4 million in cross-border transactions, demonstrating strong early demand from businesses navigating the complexities of global trade.

Clea addresses persistent challenges that African importers have long struggled with, including limited FX access, unpredictable exchange rates, high bank charges, fraudulent intermediaries, and payment delays that slow or halt shipments. The continent also faces a trade-finance gap estimated at over $120 billion annually, limiting importers’ ability to access the FX and financial infrastructure needed for timely international payments by offering fast, transparent, and direct USD settlements, completed without intermediaries or banking bottlenecks.

Founded by Mr Sheriff Adedokun, Mr Iyiola Osuagwu, and Mr Sidney Egwuatu, Clea was created from the team’s own experiences dealing with unreliable international payments. The platform currently serves Nigerian importers trading with suppliers in the United States, China, and the UAE, with plans to expand into additional trade corridors.

The platform will allow local payments in Naira with instant access to Dollars as well as instant, same-day, or next-day settlement options and transparent, traceable transactions that reduce fraud risk.

Speaking on the launch, Mr Adedokun said, “Importers face unnecessary stress when payments are delayed or rejected. Clea eliminates that uncertainty by offering reliable, secure, and traceable payments completed in the importer’s own name, strengthening supplier confidence from day one.”

Mr Osuagwu, co-founder & CTO, added, “Our goal is to make global trade feel as seamless as a local transfer. By connecting local currencies to global transactions through blockchain technology, we are removing long-standing barriers that have limited African importers for years.”

According to a statement shared with Business Post, Clea is already working with shipping operators who refer merchants to the platform and is also engaging trade associations and logistics networks in key import hubs. The company remains fully bootstrapped but is open to strategic investors aligned with its mission to build a trusted global payment network for African businesses.

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