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Economy

Oil-Producing Communities Urge FG to End Petrol, Diesel Importation

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HOSTCOM dangote refinery diesel importation

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

The federal government has been urged to put an end to the importation of premium motor spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, and automated gas oil (AGO), otherwise known as diesel, because it is putting the nation at the mercy of some oil cartels and international oil companies (IOCs).

This appeal was made by a group known as the Host Communities of Nigeria Producing Oil and Gas (HOSTCOM) over the weekend.

The association was reacting to the recent development involving the lamentation of Africa’s richest man, Mr Aliko Dangote, who claimed that IOCs were frustrating the operations of his $20 billion refinery in Lagos.

HOSTCOM lamented that despite the billions of dollars spent on turnaround maintenance of Nigeria’s refineries, the country remains reliant on importing refined products.

This persistent issue, it argues, highlights the widespread corruption within Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, allegedly orchestrated by influential cabals who are intent on maintaining the status quo of exporting crude oil while importing refined petroleum products, warning that it will not hesitate to publicly name these identified cabals if necessary.

It threatened to renew agitation for greater autonomy and control of its natural resources if the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited and the IOCs fail to sell and supply crude oil to Dangote Refinery and other local refineries in their bid to ensure that Nigeria becomes self-sufficient in the local production of petroleum products.

The National President of HOSTCOM, Mr Benjamin Tamaramiebi, accompanied by his executives and traditional rulers from the Niger Delta region, during a tour of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals and the Dangote Fertiliser Limited complex in Lagos, also called for the removal of the chief executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Mr Farouk Ahmed, over his recent statement that the government would not halt the importation of refined petroleum products.

“Our visit today to the largest and magnificent 650,000 bpd private refinery in Africa (Dangote Refinery) has opened our eyes to several ills, particularly the monumental corruption going on in the Nigerian oil and gas industry,” Mr Tamaramiebi said.

“It is obvious why the existing federal government refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna can never work or operate maximally despite the billions of dollars spent on so-called turn-around maintenance (TAM) over the years.

“It is now clear that some persons in government and outside government have been identified as the cabal holding Nigeria’s oil sector by the jugular. We have identified them, and we shall reveal their names to the people of Nigeria if this trend continues,” he added.

Mr Tamaramiebi called on President Bola Tinubu to support and sustain Dangote Refinery, advising him to “do away with the cabals holding the oil sector to ransom,” emphasising that the government must not tolerate the economic sabotage being carried out by the IOCs operating in Nigeria, which have refused to sell crude oil to the Dangote Refinery and other modular refineries.

“We call on Mr President to direct NNPC or NNPCL to compel the IOCs operating in our communities to sell and supply crude oil to Dangote Refinery and other local refineries in line with Section 109 of the Petroleum Industry Act PIA 2021, particularly Section 109(4)(b), which states that “the supply of crude oil shall be commercially negotiated between the lessee and the crude oil refining licensee, having regard to the prevailing international market price for similar grades of crude oil.”

In his remarks, the Vice President for Oil and Gas at Dangote Industries Limited, Mr Devakumar Edwin, in his remarks, explained that the refinery was established primarily to source and refine local crudes for the benefit of Nigeria while also exporting excess production to boost the economy.

He noted that the lack of sufficient Nigerian crude supplies has necessitated importing crude from other countries and continents, adding that if the refinery had not been designed to process a wide range of crudes, including various African and Middle Eastern crudes as well as US Light Tight Oil, it would have become inactive due to the lack of Nigerian crude supplies.

Economy

Petrol Supply up 55.4% as Daily Consumption Reaches 52.1 million Litres

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By Adedapo Adesanya

The supply of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, increased by 55.4 per cent on a month-on-month basis to 71.5 million litres per day in November 2025 from 46 million litres per day in October.

This was contained in the November 2025 fact sheet of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) on Monday.

The data showed that the nation’s consumption also increased by 44.5 per cent or 37.4 million litres to 52.1 million litres per day in November 2025, against 28.9 million litres in October.

The significant increase in petrol supply last month was on account of the imports by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited into the Nigerian market from both the domestic and the international market.

Domestic refineries supplied in the period stood at 17.1 million litres per day, while the average daily consumption of PMS for the month was 52.9 million litres per day.

The NMDPRA noted that no production activities were recorded in all the state-owned refineries, which included Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries, in the period, as the refineries remained shut down.

According to the report, the imports were aimed at building inventory and further guaranteeing supply during the peak demand period.

Other reasons for the increase, according to the NMDPRA, were due to “low supply recorded in September and October 2025, below the national demand threshold; the need for boosting national stock level to meet the peak demand period of end of year festivities, and twelve vessels programmed to discharge into October, which spilled into November.”

On gas, the average daily gas supply climbed to 4.684 billion standard cubic feet per day in November 2025, from the 3.94 bscf/d average processing level recorded in October.

The Nigeria LNG Trains 1-6 also maintained a stable processing output of 3.5 bscf/d in November 2025, but utilisation improved slightly to 73.7 per cent compared with 71.68 per cent in October.

The increase, according to the report, was driven by higher plant utilisation across processing hubs and steady export volumes from the Nigeria LNG plant in Bonny.

“As of November 2025, Nigeria’s major gas processing facilities recorded improved output and utilisation levels, with the Nigeria LNG Trains 1-6 processing 3.50 billion standard cubic feet per day at a utilisation rate of 73.70 per cent.

“Gbaran Ubie Gas Plant processed 1.250 bscf per day, operating at 71.21 per cent utilisation, while the MPNU Bonny River Terminal recorded a throughput of 0.690 bscf per day during the period. Processing activities at the Escravos Gas Plant stood at 0.680 bscf per day, representing a 62 per cent utilisation rate, whereas the Soku Gas Plant emerged as the top performer, processing 0.600 bscf per day at 96.84 per cent utilisation,” it stated.

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Economy

Secure Electronic Technology Suspends Share Reconstruction as Investors Pull Out

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Secure Electronic Technology

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

The proposed share reconstruction of a local gaming firm, Secure Electronic Technology (SET), has been suspended.

The Lagos-based company decided to shelve the exercise after negotiations with potential investors crumbled like a house of cards.

Secure Electronic Technology was earlier in talks with some foreign investors interested in the organisation.

Plans were underway to restructure the shares of the company, which are listed on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited.

However, things did not go as planned as the potential investors pulled out, leaving the board to consider others ways to move the firm forward.

Confirming this development, the company secretary, Ms Irene Attoe, in a statement, said the board would explore other means to keep the company running to deliver value to shareholders.

“This is to notify the NGX and the investing public that a meeting of the board of SET held on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, as scheduled, to consider the status of the proposed share reconstruction and recapitalisation as approved by the members at the Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) held on April 16, 2025.

“After due deliberations, the board wishes to announce that the proposed share reconstruction will not take place as anticipated due to the inability of the parties to reach a convergence on the best and mutually viable terms.

“Thus, following an impasse in the negotiations, and the investors’ withdrawal from the transaction, the board has, in the interest of all members, decided to accept these outcomes and move ahead in the overall interest of the business.

“The board is committed to driving the strategic objectives of SEC and to seeking viable opportunities for sustainable growth of the company,” the disclosure stated.

Business Post reports that the share price of SET crashed by 3.85 per cent on Tuesday on Customs Street on Tuesday to 75 Kobo. Its 52-week high remains N1.33 and its one-year low is 45 Kobo. Today, investors transacted 39,331,958 units.

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Economy

Clea to Streamline Cross-Border Payments for African Importers

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Clea Payment platform

By Adedapo Adesanya

Clea, a blockchain-powered platform that allows African importers to pay international suppliers in USD while settling locally, has officially launched.

During its pilot phase, Clea processed more than $4 million in cross-border transactions, demonstrating strong early demand from businesses navigating the complexities of global trade.

Clea addresses persistent challenges that African importers have long struggled with, including limited FX access, unpredictable exchange rates, high bank charges, fraudulent intermediaries, and payment delays that slow or halt shipments. The continent also faces a trade-finance gap estimated at over $120 billion annually, limiting importers’ ability to access the FX and financial infrastructure needed for timely international payments by offering fast, transparent, and direct USD settlements, completed without intermediaries or banking bottlenecks.

Founded by Mr Sheriff Adedokun, Mr Iyiola Osuagwu, and Mr Sidney Egwuatu, Clea was created from the team’s own experiences dealing with unreliable international payments. The platform currently serves Nigerian importers trading with suppliers in the United States, China, and the UAE, with plans to expand into additional trade corridors.

The platform will allow local payments in Naira with instant access to Dollars as well as instant, same-day, or next-day settlement options and transparent, traceable transactions that reduce fraud risk.

Speaking on the launch, Mr Adedokun said, “Importers face unnecessary stress when payments are delayed or rejected. Clea eliminates that uncertainty by offering reliable, secure, and traceable payments completed in the importer’s own name, strengthening supplier confidence from day one.”

Mr Osuagwu, co-founder & CTO, added, “Our goal is to make global trade feel as seamless as a local transfer. By connecting local currencies to global transactions through blockchain technology, we are removing long-standing barriers that have limited African importers for years.”

According to a statement shared with Business Post, Clea is already working with shipping operators who refer merchants to the platform and is also engaging trade associations and logistics networks in key import hubs. The company remains fully bootstrapped but is open to strategic investors aligned with its mission to build a trusted global payment network for African businesses.

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