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US Demand Data, Possible Gaza Ceasefire Weaken Oil Prices

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Crude Oil Prices

By Adedapo Adesanya 

Oil prices settled slightly lower on Thursday, pressured by weaker US demand data and reports of a United Nations draft resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.

At the market yesterday, the price of the Brent crude futures fell by 17 cents or 0.2 per cent to $85.78 a barrel, while the US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures lost 20 cents or 0.3 per cent to trade at $81.07 a barrel.

Crude inventories in the US, the world’s biggest oil consumer, declined last week, the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported on Wednesday, and even though petrol (called gasoline) inventories fell for a seventh week, down 3.3 million barrels to 230.8 million, gasoline product supplied, an indicator for product demand, slipped below 9 million barrels.

According to market analysts, the fall suggested that gasoline markets, which had underpinned a recent market rally, may have been overbought.

Prices were also pressured by confirmation that the US drafted a UN resolution calling for a ceasefire that would allow the release of 40 Israeli hostages in return for hundreds of Palestinians detained in Israeli jails.

The Secretary of State for the US, Mr Antony Blinken, said on Thursday that he believed talks in Qatar could still reach a Gaza ceasefire.

Investors also took heart from the US central bank, which held interest rates in a range of 5.25 per cent to 5.5 per cent on Wednesday but kept an outlook for three rate cuts this year.

Lower rates could boost economic growth, which is good news for oil sales.

Meanwhile, data from the US showed that the number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits unexpectedly fell last week, suggesting that job growth remained strong in March. This could be an indicator of good demand in the future.

Also, the market continues to weigh Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries, which has prompted investors to trade crude at higher prices, factoring in that the strikes could hit global petroleum supplies.

Ukrainian drones have targeted at least seven Russian refineries this month; according to reports, the attacks have shut down 7 per cent, or around 370,500 barrels per day, of Russian refining capacity.

Analysts say prolonged disruptions could force Russian producers to reduce supply if they are unable to export crude oil and face storage constraints.

Elsewhere, Germany’s economy was likely in recession in the first quarter of 2024 as weak consumption and anaemic industrial demand continued to push the recovery further into the future.

Also on Thursday, the Bank of England’s governor said Britain’s economy is moving in the right direction for the central bank to start cutting interest rates.

Adedapo Adesanya is a journalist, polymath, and connoisseur of everything art. When he is not writing, he has his nose buried in one of the many books or articles he has bookmarked or simply listening to good music with a bottle of beer or wine. He supports the greatest club in the world, Manchester United F.C.

Economy

Zichis Confirms Intention to Borrow from Capital Market

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zichis

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

One of the newest members of the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited, Zichis Agro-Allied Industries Plc, has confirmed its intention to approach the capital market to raise funds, subject to shareholder and regulatory approval.

However, it denied reports suggesting it’s “set to undertake an Initial Public Offering (IPO) or related capital raising activity.”

In a notice on Monday, the firm affirmed proposing “to seek shareholders’ approval at its forthcoming Annual General Meeting (AGM) to raise additional capital, which may be through equity, debt, or a combination of both, subject to regulatory approvals and market conditions.”

“At this stage, the structure, timing, and details of any such capital raising have not been finalised, and no specific transaction has been concluded,” a part of the statement signed by the company secretary, Solomon Itsede, stressed.

Zichis expressed its commitment to upholding “the highest standards of corporate governance, transparency, and timely disclosure.”

“Accordingly, any material corporate actions or capital market activities will be formally communicated through the appropriate regulatory channels,” it said, advising shareholders and the investing public “to rely solely on official disclosures and filings made by the company through the NGX and other authorised regulatory platforms when making investment decisions.”

Zichis welcomed the “continued interest of investors and market participants in its operations and performance,” promising to remain focused on delivering sustainable value through disciplined strategic execution.

It also lauded the continued support of its shareholders, saying it remains committed to maintaining transparency in all its communications.

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Economy

NERC Orders Transparent Reporting of Transmission Loss Factors

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NERC

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has issued a directive to ensure transparency in reporting the Regional Electricity Transmission Loss Factor, as it remains above the 7 per cent threshold.

In a public notice posted on its official X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, the order, contained in No. NERC/2026/026 is aimed at improving transparency and efficiency in Nigeria’s power grid through enhanced reporting of Regional Transmission Loss Factors (TLF).

The regulator disclosed that the order is backed by the provisions of the Electricity Act 2023, which enables the commission to regulate, monitor, and ensure efficiency in the power sector.

According to the statement, the Data from the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) indicate that the national average TLF was 8.71 per cent in 2024 but was reduced to 7.24 per cent in 2025.

The statement added that the report exceeds the 7 per cent benchmark approved by NERC in the Multi-Year Tariff Order (MYTO).

The statement reads, “The Order dated 8 April 2026 establishes a formal framework for reporting transmission losses across regions operated by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).

“Taking effect from 13 April 2026, the Order is backed by provisions of the Electricity Act 2023, which empower NERC to regulate, monitor, and ensure efficiency in the electricity market.”

The directive reads, “NISO to install smart meters at all boundary regional interconnection points by December 2026 to accurately measure energy flows for each region of the transmission network.

“NISO to measure and document all energy flow of power transformers at transmission substations.

“NISO to file quarterly reports on TLF to NERC on a regional basis.”

It added, “TCN to file an action plan by July 2026 on the reduction of TLF to a value within the 7 per cent approved benchmarks in the regions.

“TCN to ensure that TLF across transmission regions shall not exceed 6.5 per cent by December 2026.”

NERC concluded that the order is designed to strengthen accountability in transmission operations and support better grid performance through structured loss reporting.

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Economy

Dangote Refinery Plans Cross-border Listing of Shares

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Dangote Refinery Crude Supply to Local Refineries

By Adedapo Adesanya

Nigerian businessman, Mr Aliko Dangote, is planning to list shares of his $20 billion oil refinery on multiple African stock exchanges.

The landmark cross-border public offering on the continent was disclosed by the chief executive of the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE), Mr Frank Mwiti, following a meeting held last week in Lagos between Mr Dangote and several heads of African exchanges.

Last year, Mr Dangote unveiled plans to list a 10 per cent stake in his Lagos-based refinery on the Nigerian Exchange this year.

According to a Bloomberg report, citing an email from the chief executive of FirstCap, Mr Ukandu Ukandu, Stanbic IBTC Capital Limited, Vetiva Advisory Services Limited, and FirstCap Limited have been appointed as advisers for the initial public offering of Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE.

Mr Mwiti said the proposed listing is designed to cut across multiple markets and deepen investor participation across the continent.

“The plan is to structure a pan-African IPO,” he said.

Bloomberg also reported that a spokesman for the Dangote Group confirmed that discussions had taken place between Mr Dangote and exchange officials but declined to provide further details.

In February 2026, Mr Dangote said that the IPO could be launched within the next five months.

“But individually Nigerians too will have an opportunity in the next maximum four or five months, they will actually be able to buy their shares,” he said at the time.

He added that investors would have flexibility in how they receive returns.

“People will have a choice either to get their dividends in naira or to get their dividends in dollars because we earn in Dollars.”

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