Economy
Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers Backs Early Retirement Plan
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Planning for retirement should commence from the first day the individual starts working. Taking this decision may seem disheartening at the onset, but with the help of an experienced pension professional, the process is made easy.
As retirement approaches, the individual will not encounter the usual apprehension associated with retirement from work.
This was the message that Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers Limited, a member of Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC, took to Port Harcourt recently, at a pre-retirement forum organized for residents of the Garden City and its environs.
Chief Executive, Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers Limited, Mr Eric Fajemisin, in his opening comments at the event, stated that the pension system, with defined contributions as its foundation, presents a clear path for employees to maintain and enjoy a life of comfort in retirement.
Mr Fajemisin, who was represented by Executive Director, Investments, Mr Oladele Sotubo, said as people head towards retirement, a decision about the type of life they wish to live in retirement should not be made from the hip, but rather through a well-structured financial planning process.
The process, he said, should commence from the day one takes on a first job and involves setting aside part of current income into a retirement savings account.
Planning for retirement is imperative early in an individual’s working life as it typically takes many years to accumulate the necessary funds with which to live comfortably when the salary eventually ceases to arrive at the end of every month, Mr Fajemisin emphasized.
The Stanbic IBTC helmsman outlined three crucial considerations which everyone must give a thought to for a secured future.
The first is that since no one will care more about another individual’s retirement investments, the individual should educate himself about the process.
The second thought is that when making retirement investments, the assistance of a professional should be sought. The third thought is even when the individual may have stopped working for money; the money should never stop working hard for him.
“This seminar, besides celebrating all of you that will soon transit from contributors to retired clients of Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers, also provides an opportunity to address the concerns or anxieties you might have as retirement draws close,” he said,
Other issues that were examined include preparation for retirement; accessing retirement benefits; health at retirement and investment opportunities post-retirement.
The pre-retirement forum, which the firm launched three years ago, is part of initiatives aimed at encouraging retirement planning amongst Nigerian workers and employers. With the theme, ‘Life Continues at Retirement – Retire well’, the event had about 600 participants in attendance. Lagos and Abuja had earlier hosted similar sessions this year.
Head, Business Development, Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers Limited, Mrs Nike Bajomo, in her closing remarks, assured that the company remains committed to rendering impeccable service to its clientele.
“We make a promise to our clients: that they will retire very well. It is a promise we always keep. That explains why we are represented in virtually every part of Nigeria, so that our customers will not have to go over long distances in order to meet with us.
“Retirement is a time to rest and enjoy the fruits of your labour. At Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers, we help you to achieve just that,” said Mrs Bajomo.
Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers is a subsidiary of Stanbic IBTC Holdings, a member of Standard Bank Group, a full service financial services group with a clear focus on three main business pillars – Corporate and Investment Banking, Personal and Business Banking and Wealth Management. Standard Bank Group is the largest African bank by assets and earnings.
It is rooted in Africa with strategic representation in 20 countries on the African continent. Standard Bank has been in operation for over 153 years and is focused on building first-class, on-the-ground financial services organisations in chosen countries in Africa and connecting other selected emerging markets to Africa and to each other, applying sector expertise, particularly in natural resources, globally.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Analysts at Meristem Research have projected that the inflation rate in Nigeria for March 2026 should further moderate to 13.59 per cent on a year-on-year basis from the 15.06 per cent recorded in February 2026.
The company, in a note sighted by Business Post, explained that easing in the average prices of goods and services for last month would be impacted by a high base from the same period of 2025, but noted that on a month-on-month basis, the rate will spike.
Last month, energy prices soared after the price of crude oil on the global market soared as a result of the war in Iran, with prices of items growing in Nigeria.
“However, month-on-month pressures are likely to pick up, driven by the renewed increases in energy prices, which should nudge headline inflation higher.
“Core inflation is also likely to edge higher, reflecting second-round effects from higher transportation and production costs, although the relative stability of the Naira should help moderate the pace of increase.
“Food inflation is also expected to rise on a month-on-month basis, driven by higher logistics and distribution costs, as well as recent increases in staple food prices,” a part of the report noted.
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) is expected to release the inflation numbers later today.
Nigeria’s headline inflation rate moderated marginally by 0.04 per cent to 15.06 per cent in February 2026 from 15.10 per cent in January 2026, though on a month-on-month basis, inflationary pressures accelerated.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria’s total public debt rose from N153.29 trillion at the end of September 2025 to N159.28 trillion in December 2025, according to the latest data released by the Debt Management Office (DMO) on Tuesday.
The increase indicates a quarter-on-quarter increase of N5.98 trillion or 3.9 per cent.
The debt office noted that the December 2025 figures are provisional and were converted using the Central Bank of Nigeria’s official exchange rate of N1,435.25/$, while the September 2025 figures were converted using N1,474.85/$.
On a year-on-year basis, the debt profile marked an increase of N14.61 trillion or 10.1 per cent, from N144.67 trillion in December 2024 to N159.28 trillion in December 2025, representing a rise from $94.23 billion to $110.97 billion, an increase of $16.75 billion, in Dollar terms.
Domestic debt remained the largest, rising from N81.82 trillion in September 2025 to N84.85 trillion in December 2025.
This represents a quarter-on-quarter increase of N3.03 trillion or 3.7 per cent compared to December 2024, when domestic debt stood at N74.38 trillion – the figure increased by N10.47 trillion or 14.1 per cent year-on-year.
In Dollar terms, domestic debt rose from $55.47 billion in September 2025 to $59.12 billion in December 2025, and from $48.44 billion in December 2024. This highlights a sustained reliance on the domestic market for financing.
The federal government accounted for the bulk of domestic debt at N80.49 trillion, representing 50.53 per cent of total public debt, while states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) accounted for N4.36 trillion.
Nigeria’s external debt stood at N74.43 trillion as of December 2025, representing 46.73 per cent of total public debt.
This reflects a quarter-on-quarter increase of N2.95 trillion from N71.48 trillion in September 2025, and a year-on-year increase of N4.14 trillion from N70.29 trillion recorded in December 2024.
In Dollar terms, external debt rose from $48.46 billion in September 2025 to $51.86 billion in December 2025, and from $45.78 billion in December 2024.
The federal government continued to dominate external borrowing, accounting for N66.27 trillion of the total external debt, while states and the FCT accounted for N8.16 trillion.
However, the structure of Nigeria’s debt portfolio remained broadly stable despite the increase in overall debt.
While domestic debt accounted for 53.27 per cent of total debt in December 2025, compared to 53.37 per cent in September 2025 and 51.41 per cent in December 2024, external debt stood at 46.73 per cent in December 2025, compared to 46.63 per cent in September 2025 and 48.59 per cent a year earlier.
By Dipo Olowookere
The volume of premium motor spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, consumed daily in Nigeria stood at 47.3 million litres in March 2026 compared with the 56.9 million litres recorded in February 2026.
This information was revealed by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) in its latest factsheet.
The decline in daily petrol consumption in Nigeria coincided with a hike in the price of the product, triggered by a rise in global crude oil prices as a result of the Middle East crisis.
The United States and Israel launched airstrikes in Iran in late February, with crude oil rising above $100 per barrel and even above $110 per barrel at one point.
The price is currently below $100 per barrel on the global market after the President of the United States, Mr Donald Trump, signalled his intention to negotiate with Iran amid the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz.
Data by NMDPRA also showed that diesel consumption eased to 14.5 million litres per day from the previous month’s 20.3 million litres per day, while aviation fuel stood at 2.1 million litres per day versus 2.9 million litres per day in February 2026.
It was also disclosed that PMS daily supply for the month under review increased to 40.1 million litres per day from the preceding month’s 39.5 million litres per day.
From this, domestic supply came down by 6.30 per cent to 34.2 million litres per day from 36.5 million litres per day, while imported petrol stood at 5.9 million litres per day versus 3.0 million litres per day a month earlier.
Business Post observed that Dangote Refinery supplied about 34.2 million litres per day of PMS into the Nigerian market from the 48.2 million litres per day it produced. The private refiner produced 16.5 million litres of diesel per day in March 2026, supplying 2.2 million litres per day into the domestic market.
In the period, the Warri and Kaduna refineries were totally shut down, while the Port Harcourt refinery, according to the report, though it was shut down, witnessed the evacuation of about 0.048 million litres of diesel per day while it was operational.
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