Economy
NNPC Records 34% Increase in Trading Surplus for December 2019
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has disclosed that it recorded a 34 percent increase in trading surplus, amounting to N5.3 billion in its December 2019 operations compared with the N3.9 billion surplus posted in November.
This disclosure was made through a statement released by the corporation’s Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Dr Kennie Obateru, who explained that details of the surplus were captured in the December 2019 edition of the National Oil companies’ Monthly Financial and Operations Report (MFOR).
The national oil company noted that its downstream subsidiary, the Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC), also posted N337.63 billion products sales during the period under review.
It was further disclosed that the breaches of the corporation’s pipelines was a major problem during the period, adding that the Mosimi-Ibadan axis accounted for 31 percent of the breaks while Atlas Cove-Mosimi network which contributed 19 percent to vandalised facilities both in November, increased in the latest report with the breakages spiking to 35 percent and 30 percent respectively, while other pipelines in the country accounted for 35 percent of pipelines vandalism.
In previous times, the NNPC explained that most of the damages to pipelines were reportedly carried out in the Niger Delta, where the country’s oil and gas resources are found but this changed in December 2019.
The corporation explained that the 34 percent increase for the period resulted from improved performances by some of its entities both in the upstream and downstream sectors.
It was further disclosed that the corporation’s subsidiaries with notable improved positions to include: Integrated Data Services Limited (IDSL), Nigeria Gas Marketing Company (NGMC), Nigerian Pipeline and Storage Company (NPSC) and Duke Oil Incorporated.
“In general terms, the performance was impacted positively by the reduced deficit posted by NNPC corporate headquarters during the period under review; adjustments to previously understated revenues by IDSL and Duke Oil; and reduction in the costs of pipeline repairs/Right of Way maintenance and gas purchases by NPSC and NGMC respectively,” the NNPC said in the statement.
In the gas sector, out of the 239.29 billion cubic feet (BCF) of gas supplied in December 2019, a total of 148.32 BCF was commercialised, consisting of 34.78 BCF and 113.54 BCF for the domestic and export market respectively.
It said that this translated to a supply of 1,121.77 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscfd) of gas to the domestic market and 3,662.70 mmscfd of gas supplied to the export market for the month.
The oil agency noted that 62.22 percent of the average daily gas produced was commercialised, while the balance of 37.78 per cent was re-injected and used as upstream fuel gas or flared.
It added that gas flare rate was 7.78 percent lower for the month under review, a total of 598.03 mmscfd, compared with the average gas flare rate of 8.56 per cent which is 678.02 mmscfd for the year-on-year period December 2018 to December 2019.
The report stated that gas supply for the period December 2018 to December 2019 stood at 3,105.48 bcf out of which 466.00 bcf and 1,369.90 bcf was commercialised for the domestic and export market respectively. The National oil company explained that gas re-injected, fuel gas and gas flared in tbr month under review stood at 1,269.59 bcf.
“In the Downstream Sector, Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC), NNPC’s downstream entity in charge of bulk supply and distribution of petroleum products, distributed and sold 2.775 billion litres of white products in December 2019 compared with 0.841 billion litres in November same year.
“This comprised 2.762 billion litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) otherwise called petrol, 0.013 billion litres of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) or diesel, and 0.000 billion litres of Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK) as well as sale of special product of 0.003 billion litres of Low Pure Fuel Oil (LPFO) in the month under review,” it said.
The NNPC added that sale of white (refined) products for the period December 2018 to December 2019 stood at 21.861 billion litres, with PMS asccounted for 21.514 billion litre.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Despite signs that Nigeria’s headline inflation is easing, rising food prices continue to threaten the country’s inflation outlook, the chief executive of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE), Mr Muda Yusuf, has warned.
He noted that structural inflationary pressures in the real economy remain pronounced despite improving macroeconomic stability.
In a policy brief released following the inflation report, he noted that headline inflation eased marginally, while month-on-month change moderated from 1.75 per cent to 1.66 per cent, indicating that headline inflation has largely plateaued.
According to him, the dominant concern in the latest inflation report is the renewed acceleration in food inflation.
This growth, he said, suggested that food prices have resumed an upward trajectory after a brief period of moderation.
Warning that a renewed increase in food inflation has significant economic and social implications, he stressed that food inflation remained the biggest driver of Nigeria’s cost-of-living crisis, stressing that rising food prices continue to erode household purchasing power, worsen poverty and food insecurity while weakening the inclusiveness of the current reform programme.
He maintained that sustained moderation in food prices is critical to improving citizens’ welfare and strengthening public confidence in the ongoing economic reforms.
Acknowledging the easing of core inflation as encouraging, he drew attention to the persistence of urban inflation.
At 16.08 per cent, urban inflation exceeded the national headline inflation rate of 15.91 per cent, while month-on-month urban inflation increased from 1.99 per cent to 2.13 per cent.
According to Mr Yusuf, the figures indicated that inflationary pressures remained particularly intense across urban centres.
He attributed the rising urban inflation partly to increasing population displacement from rural communities affected by insecurity, expressing worry that as more households migrate to urban areas, demand for housing, transportation, utilities and other essential services would increase, adding to inflationary pressures and creating additional urbanisation challenges.
Addressing insecurity in farming communities, he said, was important not only for protecting lives and property and boosting agricultural output but also for easing cost pressures in urban centres, adding that the June CPI data reinforced the view that Nigeria’s inflation challenge is predominantly structural rather than monetary.
On the monetary policy outlook, he said the data do not justify further monetary tightening, arguing that headline inflation has largely stabilised.
The CPPE chief expected the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) to retain the current monetary policy rate at its next meeting, adding that the priority is for monetary and fiscal authorities to work together to accelerate structural reforms to expand food supply, improve logistics, reduce energy and production costs, lower debt service costs, as well as strengthen domestic value chains.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Additional shares of Sterling Financial Holdings Company Plc have been listed on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited.
The new equities were added to the company’s existing stocks on Customs Street on Thursday, July 16, 2026, a notice from the bourse confirmed.
Business Post reports the total new ordinary shares of Sterling Holdings listed yesterday were 13,812,239,000 units.
They were from the offer for subscription of 12,581,000,000 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each sold for N7.00 per share, which was oversubscribed by investors.
The financial institution brought the new shares to the stock exchange to increase its total issued and fully paid-up shares to 65,929,251,414 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each from 52,117,012,414 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each.
“Trading licence holders are hereby notified that an additional 13,812,239,000 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each of Sterling Financial Holdings Company Plc were on Thursday, July 16, 2026, listed on the daily official list of Nigerian Exchange Limited.
“The additional shares listed on NGX arose from the company’s offer for subscription of 12,581,000,000 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each at N7.00 per share.
“With the listing of the additional shares, the total issued and fully paid-up shares of Sterling Financial Holdings Company Plc have now increased from 52,117,012,414 to 65,929,251,414 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each,” the notice read.
By Adedapo Adesanya
President Bola Tinubu has signed a Presidential Executive Order on Virtual Assets Coordination, establishing a new framework to coordinate the regulation of virtual assets across government agencies as Nigeria seeks to curb fraud while supporting innovation in the digital economy.
The Executive Order, which takes immediate effect, creates a Virtual Asset Council chaired by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to harmonise oversight of cryptocurrencies, tokenised assets, stablecoins, and other digital assets without creating a new regulator.
As part of the new framework, the CBN will establish a regulatory sandbox that will allow eligible firms to test virtual asset products, blockchain solutions, and related services under regulatory supervision before they are introduced to the wider market.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Friday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga.
According to the presidency, the Executive Order responds to the growing complexity of virtual assets, which increasingly cut across the traditional boundaries of currencies, securities, commodities, and payment systems.
The fragmented regulatory environment has left gaps that have exposed Nigeria to money laundering, terrorism financing, cybersecurity and data privacy risks, fraud, and revenue losses.
The government said some unregistered operators have exploited these regulatory gaps to defraud unsuspecting Nigerians, resulting in significant financial losses.
“The Order is designed to close these gaps through supervisory coordination, without introducing new layers of regulation or displacing the mandates of existing agencies,” the statement read.
Under the new framework, the Virtual Asset Council will be chaired by the CBN, with the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) serving as vice chairs. Other members include the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).
The Council will provide policy direction, improve cooperation among participating agencies, and work with the Attorney General of the Federation to develop a harmonised legal and institutional framework for the sector.
The Executive Order also establishes a Virtual Asset Office, which will serve as the Council’s operational arm. The office will be domiciled at the CBN and will coordinate information sharing, applications, and reporting among the participating agencies through a shared supervisory technology platform.
The presidency stressed that the Executive Order does not create a new regulator or transfer statutory powers from existing agencies, clarifying that instead, each institution will continue to exercise its existing mandate while working within a coordinated framework.
Under the arrangement, registration of virtual asset businesses will depend on the nature of the service being offered.
Activities classified as securities will continue to be regulated by the SEC, while payment, settlement, custody, and other services involving non-security virtual assets will fall under the CBN.
Where there is uncertainty over regulatory jurisdiction, the Virtual Asset Council will determine the appropriate supervising agency.
“The sandbox will provide a controlled environment in which eligible operators can test and operate virtual asset products, services, and blockchain-based solutions under close supervision, enabling the participating agencies to assess the implications for monetary sovereignty, financial stability, market integrity, consumer protection, financial inclusion, and revenue administration before products reach the wider market,” the statement added.
According to the presidency, the sandbox will enable regulators to evaluate the implications of emerging products for financial stability, monetary sovereignty, consumer protection, financial inclusion, market integrity, and revenue administration.
The central bank is expected to announce further details of the sandbox.
