Economy
NNPC Raises Concerns Over Oando-Eni Acquisition Deal
By Adedapo Adesanya
The reported deal between Oando Plc and Italian giant, Eni, may hit a regulatory hurdle as the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) said it is yet to confirm the authenticity of the agreement for the acquisition of Nigerian Agip Oil Company Limited (NAOC) assets.
This was contained in a letter reference E&P/MD/0523 dated September 4, addressed to the Managing Director, Nigerian Agip Oil Company Limited, and signed by the Managing Director, NNPC Exploration and Production Limited (NEPL), Mr Ali Zarah.
The NNPC letter reads: “Our attention has been drawn to various reports circulating on different media platforms in relation to an alleged divestment of NAOC’s participating interest in OMLs 60, 61, 62 and 63 to Oando Oil Limited (OOL).
“A duly signed press statement allegedly emanating from OOL dated 4 September 2023 affirms the fact that NAOC has assigned its entire twenty (20) per cent participating interest in the said OMLs to OOL.
“Whilst we are yet to confirm the authenticity of the said divestment, we would like to note that the purported assignment, if true, would have the following far-reaching contractual/legal implications in relation to the Joint Operating Agreement (JOA) dated July 1991 governing the operations of the NAOC/NEPL/OOL Joint Venture.”
The letter explained that clause 19.1.1 of the J0A provides that “No party may assign or transfer its interest or any part thereof without the prior written consent of the other parties, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld.”
By virtue of this provision, it said, a party seeking to transfer part or the whole of its participating interest in the Joint Venture is obligated to seek the prior written consent of the other parties.
In this instance, it said, NAOC did not inform NEPL of any proposed assignment of its participating interest to OOL or any other party neither did NAOC seek and obtain the mandatory pre-divestment written consent and approval from NEPL in accordance with Clause 19.1.1. of the JOA.
“It is imperative for you to note that failure to obtain NEPL’S prior written consent and approval with regard to the alleged transfer of your interests in the joint assets constitutes a grave breach of the terms of the JOA and NEPL reserves its rights in relation to the said breach-including NEPL’s entitlement to invalidate the purported assignment to OOL,” it said.
It noted that under the terms of the JOA, assignment of interest has implications on the transfer of operatorship.
“Clause 24.1(i)(c) of the JOA provides that the operator shall cease to be the operator and shall be removed by the Non-operators if the operator assigns or otherwise disposes of, other than to an affiliate, all its participating interest.”
Furthermore, it said, Clause 2.6.1 provides that in the event of cessation of operatorship arising from the above circumstance, the parties shall appoint one of the Non-operators as successor operator.
“We have highlighted the above provisions of the JOA to underscore the point that the purported assignment, even if valid should by no means translate to transfer of operatorship to OOL If NAOCs divestment turns out to be valid, it will become incumbent on NEPL and OOL to decide on a successor operator.
“Please note that as holders of sixty (60) per cent participating interest in the NEPL/NAOC/OOL JV, we are indeed concerned that the entire purported assignment was executed without due compliance with the terms of the JOA.
“We expect that all parties to the JOA will observe and comply with the terms of the JOA.
“In view of the foregoing, we request NAOC’s confirmation to NEPL the authenticity or otherwise of the reported divestment to enable us to determine our next steps with regard to the management/operations of the assets,” the letter reads.
Business Post had reported that the agreement between companies is expected to clear the way for Oando to acquire 100 per cent of the shares of NAOC, which has interests in four onshore blocks and two onshore exploration leases in the country.
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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