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Economy

NNPC Rules Out Return of Subsidy on Diesel

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Buy Diesel

By Adedapo Adesanya

Nigerians nursing the idea of the return of subsidy payment on Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), also known as diesel, may have to perish it as the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) has said such will not happen anytime soon.

Diesel was deregulated and in recent times, the price has continued to rise up to N850 per litre due to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia and this has pushed the prices of food items and others higher.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NNPC, Mr Mele Kyari, while appearing before the House of Representatives Committee on Downstream, alongside the CEO of Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed and others, stated that the government cannot introduce subsidy on diesel due to a number of reasons, including the strain brought about by the scarcity of foreign exchange (forex) in the country.

The lawmakers had summoned stakeholders in the oil and gas sector to an investigative hearing over fuel scarcity and the rising cost of Premium Motor Spirit (also known as petrol), diesel, and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG also known as cooking gas) in the country.

“In our country today, we do not produce AGO and we regret that our refineries are not working,” he said. “Are we doing anything about it? Yes. I have heard the honourable members lamenting; yes, they (the refineries) are not working.

“This is the truth. I don’t want to bore you with why they are not working, but they are not working; I admit they are not working but we regret it. I will invite this committee at your convenience to join us to see how much work we have done to get them back to work, but they will not come back tomorrow.

“They will not! You cannot start it tomorrow. We regret this; we regret this situation, and we are doing everything possible. As a matter of fact, we have decided to do a quick fix for the Warri refinery. The reason is very simple: we don’t even want to go the long route of doing comprehensive turnaround maintenance because we are concerned.”

The NNPC boss disclosed that Saudi Arabia’s Aramco recently bought a large amount of AGO and stockpiled it. “We were very surprised that Saudi Arabia would do this.

“No one knows what will come tomorrow. No one can guarantee the security of supply. That is why people are resorting to self-help. People are preserving the excess volumes that they have,” he said.

Mr Kyari, however, decried that Nigeria imports almost every commodity “perhaps, maybe with the exception of food.” He added that while the country does not export, it cannot have foreign exchange.

As a result, he believes the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele, might not be able to provide forex intervention.

“There is a limit to what he (Emefiele) can do because as long as we are not productive, the only way you can cover FX gap is for you to go and borrow FX, and no one is going to lend you money to put on a subsidy; it does not happen anywhere in the world. No bank will lend you FX to go and put it into consumption.

“When Nigerians living in the diaspora used to be a very great source of forex. They can no longer send back because many of them are out of employment. So, they can no longer send money even to their parents. So, you cannot have it in your banking system,” 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

How to Buy Your First NFT in Nigeria: A Step-by-Step Guide

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NFT in Nigeria

While the NFT hype from 2021 has passed, the NFT market is still very much active, attracting creators, brands, collectors, and investors who want to capitalize on this new technology.

In this step-by-step guide, we’ll discuss how you can buy your first NFT in Nigeria. For this guide, we’ll walk you through the Magic Eden platform and how you can use it to buy an NFT on Ethereum.

What You Need to Get Started

To buy your first NFT in Nigeria using Magic Eden, you will need three things: an NFT wallet, ETH, and an NFT marketplace.

  • A crypto wallet that supports NFTs: A crypto wallet is a software program that stores your digital assets, such as NFTs. For this guide, we’ll demonstrate how to buy your first NFT in Nigeria using the Magic Eden Wallet.
  • ETH: Once you have set up your wallet, you will need to buy some ETH tokens if you don’t already have some to buy the NFT and pay for transaction fees.
  • NFT marketplace: Last but not least, you will need access to a suitable NFT marketplace, such as Magic Eden, a leading NFT marketplace that supports multiple blockchains.

Step-by-Step Guide to Buying an NFT on Magic Eden

Now that you know what you need, let’s take a look at the step-by-step guide on how you can buy an NFT on the Ethereum blockchain using the Magic Eden platform.

Set Up a Crypto Wallet

When looking to buy NFT, choosing a good crypto wallet is vital. For this guide, we’ll use the Magic Eden Wallet.

Visit MagicEden.io and click the ‘Wallet’ button, then ‘Install on Chrome’ to install the wallet on your browser.

The Magic Eden Wallet is available as a browser extension and mobile app for Android and iOS. For this step-by-step guide, we’ll install the wallet on the Chrome browser.

magic eden

Next, click the ‘Add to Chrome’ button to install the wallet on your Chrome browser.

Once installed, click ‘Create New Wallet’ and follow the prompts to set up your Magic Eden Wallet. If you already have a Magic Eden Wallet, select the ‘I Have A Wallet’ option.

wallet for multi-chain collectors

Next, create a strong password to prevent people from accessing your wallet.

Once you have successfully created and confirmed your password, you will be redirected to the below page.

Click ‘Go to Magic Eden’ to open the Magic Eden marketplace in another tab.

Magic Eden Wallet

Next, you will need to secure your wallet by backing it up. Click ‘Back Up Now’, enter your password, write down your 12-word seed recovery phrase, and follow the prompts to back up your wallet.

Remember to keep your seed recovery phrase secure as that’s the only way you can recover your wallet and funds in case you lose access to your device.

And that’s it.

That’s how to create and set up your Magic Eden NFT Wallet as a Chrome browser extension.

Buy and Transfer ETH Tokens

With your crypto wallet set up, the next step will be to buy ETH tokens and transfer them to your wallet.

There are various platforms that you can use to buy ETH in Nigeria. Some platforms you can consider include Binance, KuCoin, Remitano, and other local exchanges.

For instance, you can buy ETH on Binance in Nigeria by creating a Binance account, verifying your identity, navigating to the ‘Buy Crypto’ segment, selecting ETH, keying in the amount you want to purchase, choosing your preferred payment method, and following the on-screen prompts to finalize the purchase.

buy crypto

Once you acquire the ETH tokens, transfer them to your wallet by clicking on the ‘Withdraw’ button, select ETH, confirm the network, enter your Magic Eden Wallet address, and follow the on-screen prompts to withdraw your ETH tokens.

Connect Your Wallet to Magic Eden

Visit the Magic Eden platform, click ‘Log In, ’ and choose ‘View all wallets’ to log in or sign up via your crypto wallet.

Select Magic Eden Wallet from the list.

select magic eden wallet

Next, choose the chain you’d like to connect to as shown below. Proceed to choose EVM.

Next, you will receive a pop-up from Magic Eden Wallet requesting you to accept the connection with the Magic Eden marketplace. Click ‘Continue with Magic Eden.’

NFT Collection

Click ‘Connect’ to link your Magic Eden Wallet to the Magic Eden marketplace.

Finally, confirm the signature request message on your wallet to connect your Magic Eden Wallet and the Magic Eden platform.

Find the Right NFT Collection

Now that you have successfully connected your crypto wallet to Magic Eden, the next step is to find the right Ethereum NFT collection.

You can search for trending Ethereum NFTs on Magic Eden by clicking on ‘Discover’ on the menu bar and then ‘Collections.’

You can also browse the provided NFT list and use the filter functionality to narrow your search results. Using the filter functionality, you can filter the different NFT collections by floor price, sales, verified collections, volume, and volume change.

Additionally, you can check the project details, community engagement, and roadmap before buying.

buy your first NFT

Buy Your First NFT

Once you have found the right NFT, it’s now time to buy your first NFT. There are two ways to buy an NFT on Magic Eden: ‘Buy Now’ for immediate purchase based on the listed price, or ‘Make an Offer,’ which allows you to bid and wait.

If your preferred NFT is available to buy immediately, click the ‘Buy Now’ option and follow the prompts to complete the purchase.

By clicking ‘Approve’ in your Magic Eden Wallet, a pop-up message will confirm the successful purchase of your NFT.

To view your NFT, navigate to the ‘Portfolio’ tab in your Magic Eden Wallet and click ‘Collectibles’ to see your NFTs.

And that’s it!

That’s how to buy your first NFT in Nigeria using the Magic Eden platform.

You can view your NFT purchase in your Magic Eden Wallet by going to your wallet, click on ‘Portfolio’ then ‘Collectibles’.

Conclusion

Getting started with NFTs can seem daunting but it becomes easier with time if you have the right guides, information, and platforms. Just remember to find and use a secure crypto wallet and a prominent NFT marketplace when buying NFTs in Nigeria.

Also, you can join various NFT community groups on Discord and Telegram to grow your knowledge and explore the NFT ecosystem.

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Economy

Trump’s Reciprocal Tariffs Deadline Weakens Oil Market

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crude oil market

By Adedapo Adesanya

The oil market shrank on Tuesday as traders braced for reciprocal tariffs that the US President, Mr Donald Trump, is due to announce.

Brent futures went down by 28 cents or 0.37 per cent to close at $74.49 a barrel and the US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell by 28 cents or 0.39 per cent to $71.20 per barrel.

The American President is set to unveil new tariffs targeting specific countries that have trade surpluses with the US on Wednesday, April 2, pledging to roll back unfair trade practices.

This could be on European Union (EU) countries or even Japan, adding volatility to this week’s trading.

According to the US government, the new duties are due to take effect immediately after President Trump announces them, while a separate 25 per cent global tariff on auto imports will take effect on April 3.

In just over 10 weeks in office, the US President has implemented new 20 per cent tariffs on all Chinese imports over fentanyl concerns and reinstated the 25 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminum, expanding them to nearly $150 billion in downstream products.

Additionally, a month-long exemption for most Canadian and Mexican goods from his 25 per cent fentanyl-related tariffs is set to expire on Wednesday.

However, President Trump’s threats to impose secondary tariffs on Russian oil and to attack Iran fueled supply worries, limited losses.

He said on Sunday he would impose secondary tariffs of 25 per cent to 50 per cent on Russian oil buyers if Russia tried to block efforts to end the war in Ukraine.

Tariffs on buyers of oil from Russia, the world’s second largest oil exporter, would disrupt global supply and hurt Russia’s biggest customers, China and India.

Mr Trump threatened Iran with similar tariffs and also with bombings if Tehran did not reach an agreement with the White House over its nuclear programme.

Also, the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies (OPEC+) began unwinding the production cuts by adding about 138,000 barrels per day from Tuesday.

Prices also found some support after Russia ordered Kazakhstan’s main oil export terminal to close two of its three moorings amid a standoff between Kazakhstan and OPEC+ over excess production.

As a result, Kazakhstan will have to start cutting oil output.

The American Petroleum Institute (API) estimated that crude oil inventories in the United States rose by 6.037 million barrels for the week ending March 28, after a 4.6 million barrel drop in the prior week.

So far this year, crude oil inventories have climbed nearly 23 million barrels.

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Economy

Nigerians Buy Petrol N930 Per Litre as Naira-for-Crude Deal Fails

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petrol consumption nigeria

By Adedapo Adesanya

Nigerians, after facing respite with reduced price of premium motor spirit (PMS), known as petrol, in recent weeks, are now faced with a new challenge as the product retails for as high as N930 per litre in Lagos and higher in other parts of the country.

While Business Post gathered in Lagos that it retails for N930 per litre, it is selling as high between N950 and N970 per litre, depending on the filling stations in Abuja and northern parts of the country.

Our correspondents gathered from three filling stations, including Mobil, AP, and Northwest, that prices were around N930 per litre.

The new price regime followed an announcement by Dangote Refinery temporarily halting the sale of petroleum products in Naira, which is a result of a price war brought on by the deregulation of the downstream sector.

The $20 billion refinery based in Lagos said the sales of its products in Naira have exceeded the value of Naira-denominated crude it has received from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited.

“This decision is necessary to avoid a mismatch between our sales proceeds and our crude oil purchase obligations, which are currently denominated in US Dollars,” the company said in a statement earlier in March 2025

“As a result, we must temporarily adjust our sales currency to align with our crude procurement currency,” the company explained.

Over the last few months, the price war between the NNPC and Dangote reduce prices to as low as N830 per litre— easing pressure on Nigerians.

However, with oil prices rising in the international market, the landing cost of imported petrol has increased to a high of N885 per litre last week.

On February 26, 2025, the $20 billion refinery owned by Africa’s richest man and industrialist Aliko Dangote slashed the ex-depot price of petrol from N890 to N825 per litre.

Under the new arrangement, customers purchased the petrol at N860 per litre at selected outlets in Lagos, N870 in the South-West, N880 in the North, and N890 in the South-South and South-East.

Almost immediately, the NNPC reduced its retail price from N945 to N860 in Lagos, with a similar price reduction reflected at NNPCL outlets in other states of the Federation.

Now, with the cost of landing cost increasing imported petrol costs, Dangote Refinery will be seeking to play its card to cover its margins.

Recall that last month, the NNPC suspended the Naira-for-crude deal with private refiners, including Dangote Refinery, fuelling its suspension of the sale of petrol in local currency.

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