Economy
Releaf Raises $3.3m to Boost Food Processing
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigerian startup, Releaf, has announced the completion of a $3.3 million pre-Series A to boost its offerings in the agriculture sector through the continued application of technologies.
The oversubscribed round was led by Samurai Incubate Africa, with Consonance Investment Managers, Mr Stephen Pagliuca, Chairman, Bain Capital, and Mr Jeff Ubben, Founder, Inclusive Capital Partners, also participating.
Releaf’s pre-Series A follows a $4.2 million seed round completed in 2021 that Samurai Incubate Africa led while Consonance Investment Managers and Mr Pagliuca also participated.
At the time of its seed round, the startup, which builds technology for the oil palm industry, had completed the development of a palm nut desheller – Kraken – which the startup’s CEO and co-founder, Ikenna Nzewi said could process 500 tonnes of palm kernel weekly with 95 per cent accuracy.
Since then, the startup has improved the functionality of Kraken, launching a second and portable version – Kraken II. In addition to having the same functions as its predecessor, it comes at half the cost. At the same time, its portability means it can be transported to distant locations producing as much as triple profitability.
With the success of Kraken, Releaf has added a geospatial mapping application – SITE – developed in partnership with Professor David Lobell, a Stanford University professor, MacArthur “Genius” Fellow, and Director of the Center on Food Security and the Environment.
SITE uses geospatial mapping tools to determine how much oil palm is planted in an area and its annual yield. It also uses Releaf’s proprietary data on soil type, rainfall, farmer productivity, and third-party data from organisations such as the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND), and Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) to improve business decisions such as where to site certain operations.
According to Mr Uzoma Ayogu, co-founder and chief technology officer, “Our seed round was focused on essentially getting the first evolution of Kraken and proving that we can be the first company to take multiple species of very poor quality smallholder palm nut and turn them into high-quality palm kernel oil.”
“After proving that, we needed to figure out how to best place this technology dynamically and, over the last couple of months, made progress on Kraken’s evolution from being static to being portable and reducing the cost significantly [Kraken II] while adding new products [SITE] to complement the suite of tech that we have already.”
The combination of both enables the Uyo-based Releaf to target the best opportunities across Nigeria’s oil palm belt rather than being limited to sourcing crops within 100 kilometres of a fixed processing site like existing food processors.
“The biggest benefit to them [farmers] with this new evolution of Kraken and SITE is that many offer farmers poor prices because they have to pay a lot for logistics. But now that we can eliminate 80 per cent of the logistics costs and process much closer to the farmers, we can pass a lot of that profit back to them while also keeping more of it for ourselves while improving even the quality of the end product,” Mr Ayogu added.
Adding his input, Ms Rena Yoneyama, the Managing Partner at lead investor, Samurai Incubate, in a statement, alluded to Releaf’s success with Kraken as proof of the validity of the startup’s ideas.
“Releaf’s success with its pilot Kraken validates its thesis, and we are excited to continue supporting their ambitious vision to create efficient supply chains within Africa’s agricultural market.
“They have added key members to their management team and continue to impress us with their rapid commercial growth and technological development. We look forward to more of the same success as the team rolls out Kraken II and SITE.”
Economy
NGX RegCo Cautions Investors on Recent Price Movements
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The investing public has been advised to exercise due diligence before trading stocks on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited.
This caution was given by the NGX Regulation Limited (NGX RegCo), the independent regulatory arm of the NGX Group Plc.
The advisory became necessary in response to notable price movements observed in the shares of certain listed companies over recent trading sessions.
On Monday, the bourse suspended trading in the shares of newly-listed Zichis Agro-allied Industries Plc. The company’s stocks gained almost 900 per cent within a month of its listing on Customs Street.
In a statement today, NGX RegCo urged investors to avoid speculative trading based on unverified information and to consult licensed intermediaries such as stockbrokers or investment advisers when needed.
It explained that its advisory is part of its standard market surveillance functions, as it serves as a measured reminder for investors to prioritise informed and disciplined decision-making.
The notice emphasised that the Exchange will continue to monitor market activities closely in line with its mandate to ensure a fair, orderly, and transparent market.
“NGX RegCo encourages all investors to base their decisions on publicly available information, including a thorough assessment of company fundamentals, financial performance, and risk profile,” a part of the disclosure said.
It reassured all stakeholders that the NGX remains stable, well-regulated, and resilient, saying the platform continues to foster an environment where investors can participate with confidence, supported by robust oversight and transparent market operations.
“Our primary responsibility is to maintain a level playing field where market participants can trade with confidence, backed by timely and accurate information.
“This advisory is a routine communication, reinforcing that sound fundamentals, not speculation, remain the foundation for sustainable investment outcomes. We are fully committed to preserving the integrity and stability of our market,” the chief executive of NGX RegCo, Mr Olufemi Shobanjo, stated.
Economy
Stronger Taxpayer Confidence, Others Should Determine Tax Reform Success—Tegbe
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The chairman of the National Tax Policy Implementation Committee (NTPIC), Mr Joseph Tegbe, has tasked the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) to measure the success of the new tax laws by higher voluntary compliance rates, lower administrative costs, fewer disputes, faster resolution cycles, and stronger taxpayer confidence.
Speaking at the 2026 Leadership Retreat of the agency, Mr Tegbe said, “Sustainable revenue performance is built on trust and efficiency, not enforcement intensity,” emphasising that the legitimacy and predictability of the system are more critical than punitive measures.
He underscored that the country’s tax reform journey is at a critical juncture where effective implementation will determine long-term fiscal outcomes.
The NTPIC chief stressed that tax policy must serve as an enabler of governance, and should embody simplicity, equity, predictability, and administrability at scale.
These principles, he explained, foster voluntary compliance, reduce operational friction, and strengthen investor confidence. He warned that ad-hoc adjustments or policy drift could undermine reform momentum, unsettle businesses, and deter investment, which thrives on predictable rules rather than shifting announcements. Structured sequencing, clear transition mechanisms, and continuous feedback between policymakers and administrators are therefore critical to sustaining reform credibility.
Mr Tegbe further argued that revenue reform cannot succeed in isolation. Achieving sustainable gains requires a whole-of-government approach, leveraging robust taxpayer identification systems, integrated financial data, efficient dispute resolution, and harmonised coordination across federal and sub-national levels. This approach, he said, reduces leakages, eliminates multiple taxation, and reinforces confidence in the system.
He noted that the passage of four new tax laws marks only the beginning of a broader reform agenda, describing the initiative as a systemic recalibration of Nigeria’s fiscal architecture, rather than a routine policy update.
He further asserted that the true measure of success will be the credibility of implementation, not the design of the laws themselves.
The NRS, he noted, functions as the nation’s “Revenue System Integrator,” with outcomes reflecting the strength of an interconnected ecosystem that encompasses policy clarity, enforcement consistency, digital infrastructure, dispute resolution efficiency, and intergovernmental coordination.
Economy
NUPENG Seeks Clarity on New Oil, Gas Executive Order
By Adedapo Adesanya
The National Union of Natural and Gas Workers (NUPENG) has expressed deep concern over the Executive Order by President Bola Tinubu mandating the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited to remit directly to the federation account.
In a statement signed by its president, Mr William Akporeha, over the weekend in Lagos, the union noted that the absence of detailed public engagement had naturally generated tension within the sector and heightened restiveness among workers, who are anxious to know how the new directive may affect their employment, welfare and job security, especially as it affects NNPC and other major operations in the oil and gas sector.
It pointed out that the industry remained the backbone of Nigeria’s economy, contributing significantly to national revenue, foreign exchange earnings, and employment.
The NUPENG president affirmed that any policy shift, particularly one introduced through an Executive Order, has far-reaching consequences for regulatory frameworks, Investment decisions, operational standards, and labour relations within the sector.
According to him, “there is an urgent need for clarity on the scope and objectives of the Executive Order -What precise reforms or adjustments does it introduce? “Its implications for the Petroleum Industry Act -Does the Order amend, interpret, or expand existing provisions under PIA?
“Impact on workers and existing labour agreements-Will it affect job security, conditions of service, Collective Bargaining agreements or ongoing restructuring processes within the industry? “Effects on indigenous participation and local content development -How will it affect Nigerian companies and employment opportunities for citizens?”
He warned that without proper consultation and explanation, misinterpretations of the Executive Order may spread across the industry, potentially destabilising operations and undermining industrial harmony that stakeholders have worked hard to sustain.
“Though our union remains committed to constructive engagement, national development and stability of the oil and gas sector, however, we are duty-bound and constitutionally bound to protect the rights and welfare and job security of our members whose livelihoods depend on a clear, fair and predictable policy framework,” Mr Akporeha further stated.
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