Economy
NUPRC Blames PENGASSAN for Oil Production Decline in September
By Adedapo Adesanya
The decline in crude oil production recorded by Nigeria in September 2025 has been attributed to the short industrial action embarked upon by members of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN).
Crude oil and condensates production for the month of September 2025 fell to an average of 1.581 million barrels per day.
In a statement on Saturday, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) blamed oil workers’ strike for the decline despite it being a 1.6 per cent year-on-year growth.
The 1.581 million barrels per day average production in September comprises 1.39 million barrels per day of crude oil and 191,373 barrels per day of condensate.
PENGASSAN carried out a three-day industrial action, shutting down some production and export facilities.
Recall that the chief executive of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), Mr Bashir Ojulari, claimed that the country lost around 200,000 barrels of crude production over the course of the industrial action.
On its part, the NUPRC also noted that two strategic facilities had a scheduled turnaround maintenance which led to a reduction in overall production.
In September, the industry recorded total crude oil and condensate production of 47.43 million barrels which reflects a modest 1.61 per cent year-on-year increase in average daily crude oil and condensate production year on year.
This is a slight improvement over the 1.55 million barrels per day recorded in the same month of 2024, an uptick that suggests incremental progress.
However, when measured on a month-on-month basis, crude oil and condensate production slightly dropped by 3.09 per cent in September 2025, compared to the 1.63 million barrels per day recorded in August 2025.
Despite the glitches experienced during the period, average crude oil production in September stood at 93 per cent of the OPEC quota of 1.5 million barrels per day.
During the review month, peak combined crude oil and condensate production hit 1.81 million barrels per day, while the lowest was 1.35 million barrels per day.
Analysis of production by the top eight streams shows Forcados Blend accounted for 15.86 per cent of total production, while Bonny Light accounted for 13.31 per cent of September production.
Qua Iboe was third accounting for 9.88 per cent; Escravos Light contributed 8.96 per cent, while Bonga Crude delivered 6.83 per cent of production in the review month.
Agbami Condensate accounted for 4.94 per cent; Erha Crude accounted for 4.55 per cent, while Amenam Blend accounted for 4 2 per cent of production.
Economy
Nigeria Customs Seeks Slash in N34trn Import Duty Waivers
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is seeking a reduction in import duty exemptions, which rose to N34 trillion, limiting its ability to increase its revenue generation threshold.
The Comptroller-General of the Customs Service, Mr Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed that the value of import duty exemption certificate approvals increased to that level in 2025, describing the policy as one of the major factors restricting its revenue generation.
At an investigative session of the Senate Committee on Finance with revenue-generating agencies in Abuja on Monday, Mr Adeniyi explained that government fiscal policies have continued to impact the revenue-generating capacity of the Customs Service, both positively and negatively.
“The NCS would have generated significantly higher revenue over the years if not for government-approved import duty waivers and other external factors affecting collections,” he said.
He added that the Import Duty Exemption Certificate scheme, introduced in March 2020, accounted for about N34 trillion in approvals in 2025, with nearly 60 per cent covering duty-free importation of military hardware due to Nigeria’s prevailing security challenges.
Other government-backed duty waivers, he noted, covered the importation of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), electric and hybrid vehicles, healthcare equipment and medical supplies, industrial machinery and manufacturing inputs, as well as food import intervention programmes.
While acknowledging the impact of the waivers on Customs revenue, Mr Adeniyi argued that fiscal policy should not be assessed solely on the basis of revenue generation but also on its broader economic and social objectives.
He, however, urged the federal government to establish stronger monitoring mechanisms to ensure beneficiaries of duty waivers deliver the intended economic outcomes, including lower consumer prices, increased local production and improved healthcare access.
The committee also expressed displeasure over the absence of several heads of government agencies invited to the hearing, including the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Industrial Training Fund (ITF), and the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jabi.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, Mr Sani Musa, warned that the affected chief executives must appear at the committee’s next sitting or face severe sanctions under the Senate’s rules.
Economy
Is Headway Broker Safe and Legit? A Detailed Look at Regulation and Trust
In the competitive world of online trading, finding a trading brokerage partner that balances reliability, technological innovation, and accessible conditions is essential. Headway broker has emerged as a significant player, currently serving over 4 million users globally.
In this article, we take a detailed look at what makes this broker for trading a notable option for both novice and experienced traders.
Headway Regulatory Foundation and Safety
Safety is the cornerstone of any trading relationship. Headway broker operates under the regulation and licensing of the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA). This regulatory oversight ensures that the broker adheres to strictly defined standards for transparency and operational conduct, providing traders with an added layer of security and confidence when managing their portfolios.
Trading Platforms and Instruments
Efficiency in trading Forex and other markets is driven by the tools at your disposal. Headway provides a robust technological trading ecosystem:
Industry-Standard Platforms: The broker fully supports MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), the most widely used platforms for technical analysis and automated trading.
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Diverse Market Access: Traders have a wide range of opportunities with access to over 300 trading instruments, ensuring plenty of choice for different strategies and asset classes.
Trading Account Types Offered by Headway
Headway broker understands that every trader enters the market with a different level of experience:
Three Account Tiers: To ensure inclusivity, the broker offers three distinct types of accounts (Cent, Standard and Pro), tailored to suit different levels of expertise and capital requirements.
Demo Account: For those looking to refine their skills without financial risk, Headway provides a comprehensive demo trading account. This is the perfect environment to practice strategies, understand how the platform works, and gain confidence before transitioning to live trading.
Customer Support and Incentives
Headway supports its user base with comprehensive resources and financial incentives:
24/7 Technical Support: Market fluctuations happen at any time. Headway provides round-the-clock technical support for the traders, ensuring that help is always available whenever a question or issue arises.
150$ No Deposit Bonus: To help new traders get started, Headway offers a $150 no deposit bonus. This is an excellent way to test the broker’s execution speed and trading environment with zero initial risk.
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Conclusion
With its combination of FSCA regulation, a vast range of instruments, and modern platforms like MT4, MT5, and its own proprietary app, Headway FX broker provides a comprehensive environment for modern traders. Whether you are using the demo account to hone your skills or taking advantage of the 150 no deposit welcome bonus, this broker offers the stability and tools needed for your trading journey.
Economy
Buying Interest Lifts NASD OTC Exchange by 0.40%
By Adedapo Adesanya
The NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange rose by 0.40 per cent on Monday, July 13, buoyed by buying interest in 11 Plc, Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc and UBN Property Plc, which offset the profit-taking in Food Concepts Plc, the parent company of Chicken Republic.
11 Plc gained N20.69 to end at N227.64 per share compared with last Friday’s price of N206.95 per share, CSCS Plc grew by N1.83 to N91.48 per unit from N89.65 per unit, and UBN Property Plc added 1 Kobo to sell at N1.81 per share versus N1.80 per share.
On the flip side, Food Concepts Plc depreciated by 24 Kobo to close at N2.45 per unit, in contrast to the preceding session’s N2.69 per unit.
As a result, the market capitalisation increased by N9.2 billion to N2.587 trillion from N2.578 trillion, and the NASD Security Index (NSI) improved by 15.33 points to 4,311.67 points from 4,296.34 points.
Yesterday, the volume of securities traded by investors surged by 615.9 per cent to 9.1 million units from the previous 1.3 million units, and the value of securities rose by 997.1 per cent to N320.4 million from the preceding session’s N29.2 million, while the number of deals decreased by 12.5 per cent to 28 deals from last Friday’s 32 deals.
At the close of trades, Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) Plc remained the most active stock by value on a year-to-date basis, with 3.4 billion units valued at N8.4 billion, followed by Infrastructure Credit Guarantee (Infracredit) Plc with 2.3 billion units worth N6.5 billion, and CSCS Plc with 73.9 million units exchanged for N5.2 billion.
GNI Plc also closed the session as the most traded stock by volume on a year-to-date basis, with 3.4 billion units sold for N8.4 billion, followed by Infracredit Plc with 2.3 billion units traded for N6.5 billion, and Resourcery Plc with 1.1 billion units transacted for N415.7 million.


