Economy
Nigeria’s Excess Crude Account, Once Over $22bn, Depletes to $321m
By Dipo Olowookere
The balance left in the Excess Crude Account (ECA) of Nigeria as at Monday, January 20, 20120 was $321.4 million, Business Post has gathered.
Last week, the National Economic Council (NEC) held a meeting in Abuja, which was presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. The council comprises Governors of the 36 states of the federation, the FCT Minister and Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele.
At the gathering, NEC was informed of the amount left in the ECA and other special accounts of the federation, including the stabilization account, which stood at N31.8 billion as at Tuesday, January 21, 2020; the Development of Natural Resources Account, which had N97.0 billion as at January 21, 2020; and the Budget Support facility deduction which was in progress with N29 billion so far remitted to the CBN.
Business Post reports that the ECA was created by the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2004 to keep the extra amount made from the sale of crude oil’s benchmark.
For instance, like in the 2020 budget, where the crude oil benchmark was set at $60 per barrel, anytime the commodity is sold above $60, the excess is saved in the ECA for rainy days and this helped the country during the 2008 global financial meltdown as it was not felt by Nigeria.
However, the tradition of not touching the ECA was broken under the administration of late Umaru Yar’Adua, when Governors under the aegis of the Nigerian Governors Forum led by former Senate President and then Governor of Kwara State, Mr Bukola Saraki, instituted a lawsuit at the Supreme Court in 2008 to seek an injunction to force federal government to share what is left in the account.
When Mr Obasanjo handed over power to late Mr Yar’Adua in 2007, according to the Ministry of Finance, the balance in the ECA was $9.43 billion and in 2008, he grew the amount to over $22 billion, the highest ever in Nigeria’s history. However, he passed on in 2010 and his deputy, former President Goodluck Jonathan, was sworn in as an acting President in May 2010.
Under the Jonathan administration, the ECA depleted as a result of his heeding to the demand of the Governors and it was reported that the amount decreased to about $4 billion by 2010.
In 2015, when the present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari commenced, the sum of $2 billion, according to a former Minister/Deputy Chairman of National Planning Commission, Mr Abubakar Olarenwaju Sulaiman, was left by the Jonathan government for Mr Buhari.
In 2016, when the state Governors asked the Buhari administration to share the ECA, what was then left was about $2.3 billion.
In 2018, during a briefing with newsmen in Abuja on outcome of the NEC meeting, Governor of Kano State, Mr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, said the former Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, informed the council that as at Monday, January 15, 2018, the amount left was $2.3 billion and Mrs Adeosun later said in June of same year, 2018, that the balance had declined to $1.9 billion. This was after government had removed $1 billion from the account to fight terrorism in the country despite opposition from the opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
As at October 2019, the amount left in the ECA was $324 million, but according to NEC, in an update of its last meeting in Abuja, the money has now reduced to $321 million.
During the meeting, Chairman of the NEC Committee on the matter and Governor of Kaduna State, Mr Nasir El-Rufai, briefed the council on the proposed consideration of 20 percent of pension funds to be invested in infrastructural projects such as rail, roads and electricity.
On the review of the status of the ownership structure of the electricity power Distribution Companies (DISCOs), he said plans were ongoing to determine the level of investment/ownership of states and federal governments in the Discos, and requested NEC to, among other things, place media advertisements for the public to submit memoranda on the way forward for the electricity sector.
NEC approved the prayers of the Committee that stakeholders in the sector be engaged, and that submissions from the public be received for analysis.
Also briefing NEC on polio eradication and improved routine immunization in Nigeria, the Minister of Health, Mr Osagie Emmanuel Ehanire, said Nigeria was on course to attaining polio-free status by June 2020, noting that the country has not recorded any new case of polio infection in the last three and half years.
He said there are incidences of Lassa Fever in some states namely; Edo, Kano, Ondo, Ebonyi and Taraba resulting in 84 cases and 15 deaths, noting that the National Centre for Disease Control has been alerted and is on top of the situation.
Mr Ehanire reported to council that the use of paracetamol to cook meat and the consequences that comes with it as well as the use of Aspirin to purify water, are deadly practices that damages major body organs, warning that these practices should be avoided.
He also briefed council on the Coronavirus that emerged in China, which has spread to four border countries such as United States of America, Thailand, Japan and Korea.
During his presentation, the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, made the presentation to the council in his capacity as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria.
Mr Sanusi, who titled his presentation a Call for Action, said “over 12 million children are stunted in Nigeria, while 2.6 million are wasted annually due to malnutrition,” adding that Nigeria records the highest number of stunted children in Africa.
According to the monarch, malnutrition accounts for 53 percent of deaths among children as high child mortality and stunting are linked to deficiencies in key micronutrients (vitamin A, Iron, Zinc and Calcium), macronutrients (Carbohydrates, Protein, Fats) and associated poor feeding practices, as well as overall nutritional status of the mother.
The Emir, who stated that the burden of malnutrition which include stunting, under-weight, obesity and other diet related non-communicable diseases, can be treated, said, “65 percent of dietary energy supply is derived from cereals, roots and fibres indicating low dietary diversity.”
Continuing, he said basic causes of malnutrition are poverty, socio-cultural, economic and political environment.
At the gathering, NEC appealed to states and local governments to deal with the problem by investing more in issues relating to malnutrition, adding that states should key into the World Bank sponsored programme on nutrition.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The United Kingdom via the British High Commission in Abuja has launched two flagship economic reform programmes – the Nigeria Economic Stability & Transformation (NEST) programme and the Nigeria Public Finance Facility (NPFF) -as part of efforts to support Nigeria’s economic reform and growth agenda.
Backed by a £12.4 million UK investment, NEST and NPFF sit at the centre of the UK-Nigeria mutual growth partnership and support Nigeria’s efforts to strengthen macroeconomic stability, improve fiscal resilience, and create a more competitive environment for investment and private-sector growth.
Speaking at the launch, Cynthia Rowe, Head of Development Cooperation at the British High Commission in Abuja, said, “These two programmes sit at the heart of our economic development cooperation with Nigeria. They reflect a shared commitment to strengthening the fundamentals that matter most for our stability, confidence, and long-term growth.”
The launch followed the inaugural meeting of the Joint UK-Nigeria Steering Committee, which endorsed the approach of both programmes and confirmed strong alignment between the UK and Nigeria on priority areas for delivery.
Representing the Government of Nigeria, Special Adviser to the President of Nigeria on Finance and the Economy, Mrs Sanyade Okoli, welcomed the collaboration, touting it as crucial to current, critical reforms.
“We welcome the United Kingdom’s support through these new programmes as a strong demonstration of our shared commitment to Nigeria’s economic stability and long-term prosperity. At a time when we are implementing critical reforms to strengthen fiscal resilience, improve macroeconomic stability, and unlock inclusive growth, this partnership will provide valuable technical support. Together, we are laying the foundation for a more resilient economy that delivers sustainable development and improved livelihoods for all Nigerians.”
On his part, Mr Jonny Baxter, British Deputy High Commissioner in Lagos, highlighted the significance of the programmes within the wider UK-Nigeria mutual growth partnership.
“NEST and NPFF are central to our shared approach to strengthening the foundations that underpin long-term economic prosperity. They sit firmly within the UK-Nigeria mutual growth partnership.”
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
A strategic partnership aimed at accelerating the growth, digital capacity, and sustainability of Nigeria’s 40 million Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) has been signed by MTN Nigeria and the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN).
The collaboration will feature joint initiatives focused on digital inclusion, financial access, capacity building, and providing verified information for MSMEs.
With millions of small businesses depending on accurate guidance and easy-to-access support, MTN and SMEDAN say their shared platform will address gaps in communication, misinformation, and access to opportunities.
At the formal signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Thursday, November 27, 2025, in Lagos, the stage was set for the immediate roll-out of tools, content, and resources that will support MSMEs nationwide.
The chief operating officer of MTN Nigeria, Mr Ayham Moussa, reiterated the company’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s economic development, stating that MSMEs are the lifeline of Nigeria’s economy.
“SMEs are the backbone of the economy and the backbone of employment in Nigeria. We are delighted to power SMEDAN’s platform and provide tools that help MSMEs reach customers, obtain funding, and access wider markets. This collaboration serves both our business and social development objectives,” he stated.
Also, the Chief Enterprise Business Officer of MTN Nigeria, Ms Lynda Saint-Nwafor, described the MoU as a tool to “meet SMEs at the point of their needs,” noting that nano, micro, small, and medium businesses each require different resources to scale.
“Some SMEs need guidance, some need resources; others need opportunities or workforce support. This platform allows them to access whatever they need. We are committed to identifying opportunities across financial inclusion, digital inclusion, and capacity building that help SMEs to scale,” she noted.
Also commenting, the Director General of SMEDAN, Mr Charles Odii, emphasised the significance of the collaboration, noting that the agency cannot meet its mandate without leveraging technology and private-sector expertise.
“We have approximately 40 million MSMEs in Nigeria, and only about 400 SMEDAN staff. We cannot fulfil our mandate without technology, data, and strong partners.
“MTN already has the infrastructure and tools to support MSMEs from payments to identity, hosting, learning, and more. With this partnership, we are confident we can achieve in a short time what would have taken years,” he disclosed.
Mr Odii highlighted that the SMEDAN-MTN collaboration would support businesses across their growth needs, guided by their four-point GROW model – Guidance, Resources, Opportunities, and Workforce Development.
He added that SMEDAN has already created over 100,000 jobs within its two-year administration and expects the partnership to significantly boost job creation, business expansion, and nationwide enterprise modernisation.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited is seeking review of the controversial Capital Gains Tax increase, fearing it will chase away foreign investors from the country’s capital market.
Nigeria’s new tax regime, which takes effect from January 1, 2026, represents one of the most significant changes to Nigeria’s tax system in recent years.
Under the new rules, the flat 10 per cent Capital Gains Tax rate has been replaced by progressive income tax rates ranging from zero to 30 per cent, depending on an investor’s overall income or profit level while large corporate investors will see the top rate reduced to 25 per cent as part of a wider corporate tax reform.
The chief executive of NGX, Mr Jude Chiemeka, said in a Bloomberg interview in Kigali, Rwanda that there should be a “removal of the capital gains tax completely, or perhaps deferring it for five years.”
According to him, Nigeria, having a higher Capital Gains Tax, will make investors redirect asset allocation to frontier markets and “countries that have less tax.”
“From a capital flow perspective, we should be concerned because all these international portfolio managers that invest across frontier markets will certainly go to where the cost of investing is not so burdensome,” the CEO said, as per Bloomberg. “That is really the angle one will look at it from.”
Meanwhile, the policy has been defended by the chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, Mr Taiwo Oyedele, who noted that the new tax will make investing in the capital market more attractive by reducing risks, promoting fairness, and simplifying compliance.
He noted that the framework allows investors to deduct legitimate costs such as brokerage fees, regulatory charges, realised capital losses, margin interest, and foreign exchange losses directly tied to investments, thereby ensuring that they are not taxed when operating at a loss.
Mr Oyedele also said the reforms introduced a more inclusive approach to taxation by exempting several categories of investors and transactions.
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