Economy
Social Investment Schemes Mostly to Benefit Youth—FG
By Dipo Olowookere
Minister of Information and Culture, Mr Lai Mohammed, has said the Federal Government’s massive investment in Social Programmes will help accelerate the process of job creation, especially for the youths.
Speaking at the Special Edition of the FG’s Town Hall Meeting for Youths in Abuja on Tuesday, the Minister also said the government places a serious premium on youth empowerment, youth development and youth engagement, hence the decision to organize the Town Hall Meeting specifically for them,
”We have no choice because, according to the National Population Commission, more than half of Nigeria’s population are under 30 years of age! No government can afford to ignore this important demographic group, plus the youths are no longer just the leaders of tomorrow, but today’s leaders too!” he said.
Mr Mohammed said the Administration is investing massively in the Social Investment Programmes that benefit youths, listing them as including the N-Power Volunteer Scheme; the N-Power Job Creation Programme that provides loans for traders and artisans; the Home-grown School Feeding Programme, the Conditional Cash Transfers to the most vulnerable members of the society and the Family Homes Fund, a social housing scheme.
“As many of you are undoubtedly aware, 200,000 jobs were created in the first phase of the N-Power Volunteers Programme. That is perhaps the highest number of jobs that have been created in one fell swoop by any government in the history of our country. Some 300,000 jobs are next in line, to bring the total to the promised 500,000 jobs. These jobs benefit mostly the youths who will be engaged the areas of education, health care and agriculture
“Also, the Home-grown School Feeding has already taken off in three states – Anambra, Kaduna and Osun. It is now being scaled up to 11 of the 18 states designated for the first phase. Already, some 25,000 cooks have been trained in 9 states. Concerning the Conditional Cash Transfer, the data of the beneficiaries in 9 states are now ready, and the payment process for those states is in top gear.
“For the Micro-credit scheme, more than 1 million Nigerians are set to get loans at very low interest rates through the bank of industry. The loans range from N20,000 to N100,000. The pilot scheme is taking place in 8 states and here in the Federal Capital Territory,” he said.
The Minister disclosed that in order to sustain the Social Investment Programme, the N500 billion Naira for the programme has been retained in the 2017 budget, which was recently presented to the National Assembly by Mr President.
He said on its part, the Ministry of Information and Culture is leveraging on the Creative Industry, which is youth-driven, to create jobs and unleash the huge potentials of the youths.
”We have signed two Memoranda of Understanding with the Tony Elumelu Foundation and the British Council to train festival managers, build the capacity of our youths and link the Creative Industry with the Business World. Our imminent transition from Analogue to Digital Broadcasting is set to create 1 million jobs in 3 years, with most of those jobs going to the youths.
“These jobs are already being created as we speak. This is because as the Digital Switch Over train arrives in Abuja this Thursday and then proceeds to other parts of the country, we will need hordes of installers, retailers, repair technicians and marketers for the set-top boxes or decoders that will be required to meet the demand of the 24 million TV households,” Mr Mohammed said, adding that the huge quantum of content that will be required for the DSO would also provide opportunities for the creative mind and the technically-savvy.”
The Minister said the government was working hard to ease the hardship in the land, and sought the “undiluted support” of the youths in this regard.
“This Government is unrelenting in its efforts to ease the hardship in the land, especially youth unemployment, brought about by years of poor or lack of planning, profligacy, mismanagement of funds, massive corruption and lack of investment in social investment programmes. We did not create today’s hardship, but we are resolved to end it and make life more abundant for our people,” he added.
The Town Hall Meeting, which started in Lagos in April and has also been held in Kaduna, Kano, Uyo, Enugu and Abuja, was introduced to bridge the communication gap between the government and the citizens and also to serve as a feedback mechanism for government programmes.
By Dipo Olowookere
The Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited returned to winning ways on Tuesday after it closed higher by 2.30 per cent amid cautious trading.
Yesterday, investor sentiment at the Nigerian stock market was weak after finishing with 37 price gainers and 40 price losers, indicating a negative market breadth index.
It was observed that the industrial goods sector rose by 4.86 per cent, the energy index appreciated by 4.66 per cent, and the consumer goods segment soared by 2.74 per cent. They offset the 1.38 per cent loss recorded by the banking counter and the 0.20 per cent decline printed by the insurance sector.
At the close of business, the All-Share Index (ASI) was up by 5,137.90 points to 228,740.19 points from 223,602.29 points, and the market capitalisation went up by N3.308 trillion to N147.278 trillion from N143.970 trillion.
The trio of FTN Cocoa, Industrial and Medical Gases, and Lafarge Africa gained 10.00 per cent each to sell for N5.50, N39.60, and N324.50, respectively, while Austin Laz grew by 9.71 per cent to N3.73, and Aradel Holdings jumped 9.52 per cent to N1,840.00.
On the flip side, UBA lost 10.00 per cent trade at N44.55, Trans-Nationwide Express slipped by 9.99 per cent to N6.40, NASCON crashed by 9.18 per cent to N187.90, Jaiz Bank depreciated by 8.93 per cent to N8.01, and Berger Paints crumbled by 8.66 per cent to N68.00.
Yesterday, market participants traded 908.0 million equities valued at N68.2 billion in 72,886 deals compared with the 678.2 million equities worth N44.1 billion transacted in 82,838 deals on Monday, showing a drop in the number of deals by 12.01 per cent, and a spike in the trading volume and value by 33.88 per cent and 54.65 per cent, respectively.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria’s oil production recorded a five-year high of 1.71 million barrels per day, marking a significant rebound for the country’s upstream sector amid renewed efforts to restore output and improve operational stability.
The latest figure, released by Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, covers the period from April 2025 to April 2026 and underscores a steady recovery in crude production after years of disruptions caused by theft, pipeline vandalism and underinvestment.
According to the chief executive of the national oil company, Mr Bayo Ojulari, the performance reflects measurable progress across the company’s upstream, gas and downstream operations, with production gains supported by improved asset management and stronger field performance.
Within its exploration and production business, NNPC recorded a peak daily output of 365,000 barrels in December 2025, the highest level ever achieved by its upstream subsidiary. The company also advanced key contractual reforms, including revised production-sharing terms for deepwater assets aimed at unlocking additional gas reserves.
Nigeria’s gas ambitions are also gaining traction. Gas supply rose to 7.5 billion standard cubic feet per day in 2025, driven by major infrastructure milestones such as the River Niger crossing on the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano pipeline and the commissioning of the Assa North-Ohaji South gas processing plant.
These investments are beginning to strengthen domestic gas utilisation. New supply agreements with major industrial consumers, including Dangote Refinery, Dangote Fertiliser and Dangote Cement, are expected to deepen gas penetration across manufacturing and power generation.
On the downstream front, NNPC has continued crude supply to Dangote Refinery under the crude-for-naira arrangement, a policy designed to reduce foreign exchange demand, support local refining and improve fuel market stability. The company also reaffirmed its 7.25 per cent equity stake in the refinery as part of its long-term energy security strategy.
Financially, the national oil company said it has resumed full monthly remittances to the Federation Account since July 2025. It has also reinstated regular performance reporting and held its first earnings call, moves widely seen as part of a broader push towards greater transparency and corporate accountability.
Despite the progress, challenges remain. Crude theft, pipeline outages and infrastructure bottlenecks continue to threaten production stability. Sustaining this recovery will depend on stronger security, reliable infrastructure and policy consistency as Nigeria seeks to maximise the benefits of rising domestic refining capacity.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The United Arab Emirates has announced its decision to quit the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to focus on national interests.
This dealt a heavy blow to the oil-exporting group at a time when the US-Israel war on Iran had caused a historic energy shock and rattled the global economy.
The move, which will take effect on May 1, 2026, reflects “the UAE’s long-term strategic and economic vision and evolving energy profile”, a statement carried by state media said on Tuesday.
“During our time in the organisation, we made significant contributions and even greater sacrifices for the benefit of all,” it added. “However, the time has come to focus our efforts on what our national interest dictates.”
The loss of the UAE, a longstanding OPEC member, could create disarray and weaken the oil cartel, which has usually sought to show a united front despite internal disagreements over a range of issues from geopolitics to production quotas.
UAE Energy Minister Suhail Mohamed al-Mazrouei said the decision was taken after a careful look at the regional power’s energy strategies.
“This is a policy decision. It has been done after a careful look at current and future policies related to the level of production,” the minister said.
OPEC’s Gulf producers have already been struggling to ship exports through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow chokepoint between Iran and Oman through which a fifth of the world’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas supplies normally pass, because of threats and attacks against vessels during the war.
The UAE had been a member of OPEC first through its emirate of Abu Dhabi in 1967 and later when it became its own country in 1971.
The oil cartel, based in Vienna, has seen some of its market power wane as the US has increased its production of crude oil in recent years.
Additionally, the UAE and Saudi Arabia have increasingly competed over economic issues and regional politics, particularly in the Red Sea area.
The two countries had joined a coalition to fight against Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis in 2015. However, that coalition broke down into recriminations in late December when Saudi Arabia bombed what it described as a weapons shipment bound for Yemeni separatists backed by the UAE.
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