Economy
Zenith Bank Proposes N2.90 Dividend After Impressive Growth in Gross Earnings

By Dipo Olowookere
The board of Zenith Bank Plc has proposed the payment of N2.90 per share as a final dividend for the 2022 accounting year, bringing the total cash reward to shareholders for the year to N3.20 per share after it earlier paid 30 Kobo as an interim dividend.
The tier-1 bank, in its audited financial statements for 2022 released to the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited on Tuesday, announced the dividend payment amid an impressive double-digit growth of 24 per cent in gross earnings to N945.5 billion from the N765.6 billion reported in 2021 despite the persistent challenging macroeconomic environment and headwinds.
The financial results showed that the surge in gross earnings last year was driven by a 26 per cent year-on-year growth in interest income from N427.6 billion to N540.2 billion and a 23 per cent year-on-year growth in non-interest income from N309 billion to N381 billion.
Also, impairments increased in the year by 107 per cent to N124.2 billion from N59.9 billion, while interest expense rose by 63 per cent to N173.5 billion from N106.8 billion.
It was observed that the increase in impairments, which also resulted in an increase in the cost of risk to 3.3 per cent from 1.9 per cent, was attributed to the impact of Ghana’s sovereign debt restructuring programme. The growth in interest expense increased the cost of funds from 1.5 per cent in 2021 to 1.9 per cent in 2022 due to hikes in interest rates globally.
The continued elevated yield environment positively impacted the bank’s Net-Interest-Margin (NIM), which grew from 6.7 per cent to 7.2 per cent due to an effective repricing of interest-bearing assets.
Operating expenses grew by 17 per cent, though the inflation rate was at 21.91 per cent as of February 2023, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.
In the year under consideration, the profit before tax recorded a marginal growth of 2 per cent to N284.7 billion from N280.4 billion due to an improvement in all the income lines.
A look at the balance sheet revealed that customer deposits increased last year by 39 per cent to N8.98 trillion from N6.47 trillion in the previous year. This growth in customer deposits came from all products and deposit segments (corporate and retail), thus consolidating the bank’s market leadership and indicating customers’ trust.
Total assets increased by 30 per cent from N9.45 trillion in 2021 to N12.29 trillion, mainly driven by growth in customer deposits. With the steady and continued recovery in economic activities, the Group prudently grew its gross loans by 20 per cent from N3.5 trillion in 2021 to N4.1 trillion in 2022, which increased the Non-Performing Loan (NPL) ratio modestly from 4.2 per cent to 4.3 per cent.
The capital adequacy ratio decreased from 21 per cent to 19 per cent, while the liquidity ratio improved from 71.2 per cent to 75 per cent, with both prudential ratios well above regulatory thresholds.
In 2023, Zenith Bank said it intends to expand its frontiers as it also reorganises into a holding company structure, adding new verticals to its businesses and growing in all its chosen markets, both locally and internationally.
In recognition of its track record of excellent performances, Zenith Bank was recognised as the Number One Bank in Nigeria by Tier-1 Capital, for the 13th consecutive year, in the 2022 Top 1000 World Banks Ranking published by The Banker Magazine; Bank of the Year (Nigeria) in The Banker’s Bank of the Year Awards 2020 and 2022; Best Bank in Nigeria, for three consecutive years from 2020 to 2022, in the Global Finance World’s Best Banks Awards; Best Commercial Bank, Nigeria 2021 and 2022 in the World Finance Banking Awards; Best Corporate Governance Bank, Nigeria in the World Finance Corporate Governance Awards 2022; Best in Corporate Governance’ Financial Services’ Africa, for three consecutive years from 2020 to 2022, by the Ethical Boardroom; Best Commercial Bank, Nigeria and Best Innovation In Retail Banking, Nigeria in the International Banker 2022 Banking Awards.
Also, the bank emerged as the Most Valuable Banking Brand in Nigeria in the Banker Magazine Top 500 Banking Brands 2020 and 2021 and Retail Bank of the year for three consecutive years from 2020 to 2022 at the BusinessDay Banks and Other Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards.
Similarly, Zenith Bank was named Bank of the Decade (People’s Choice) at the ThisDay Awards 2020, Most Innovative Bank of the Year 2019 by Tribune Newspaper, Bank of the Year 2020 by Independent Newspaper, Bank of the Year 2021 by Champion Newspaper, Bank of the Year 2022 by New Telegraph Newspaper, and Most Responsible Organisation in Africa 2021 by SERAS Awards.
Economy
How to Buy Your First NFT in Nigeria: A Step-by-Step Guide

While the NFT hype from 2021 has passed, the NFT market is still very much active, attracting creators, brands, collectors, and investors who want to capitalize on this new technology.
In this step-by-step guide, we’ll discuss how you can buy your first NFT in Nigeria. For this guide, we’ll walk you through the Magic Eden platform and how you can use it to buy an NFT on Ethereum.
What You Need to Get Started
To buy your first NFT in Nigeria using Magic Eden, you will need three things: an NFT wallet, ETH, and an NFT marketplace.
- A crypto wallet that supports NFTs: A crypto wallet is a software program that stores your digital assets, such as NFTs. For this guide, we’ll demonstrate how to buy your first NFT in Nigeria using the Magic Eden Wallet.
- ETH: Once you have set up your wallet, you will need to buy some ETH tokens if you don’t already have some to buy the NFT and pay for transaction fees.
- NFT marketplace: Last but not least, you will need access to a suitable NFT marketplace, such as Magic Eden, a leading NFT marketplace that supports multiple blockchains.
Step-by-Step Guide to Buying an NFT on Magic Eden
Now that you know what you need, let’s take a look at the step-by-step guide on how you can buy an NFT on the Ethereum blockchain using the Magic Eden platform.
Set Up a Crypto Wallet
When looking to buy NFT, choosing a good crypto wallet is vital. For this guide, we’ll use the Magic Eden Wallet.
Visit MagicEden.io and click the ‘Wallet’ button, then ‘Install on Chrome’ to install the wallet on your browser.
The Magic Eden Wallet is available as a browser extension and mobile app for Android and iOS. For this step-by-step guide, we’ll install the wallet on the Chrome browser.
Next, click the ‘Add to Chrome’ button to install the wallet on your Chrome browser.
Once installed, click ‘Create New Wallet’ and follow the prompts to set up your Magic Eden Wallet. If you already have a Magic Eden Wallet, select the ‘I Have A Wallet’ option.
Next, create a strong password to prevent people from accessing your wallet.
Once you have successfully created and confirmed your password, you will be redirected to the below page.
Click ‘Go to Magic Eden’ to open the Magic Eden marketplace in another tab.
Next, you will need to secure your wallet by backing it up. Click ‘Back Up Now’, enter your password, write down your 12-word seed recovery phrase, and follow the prompts to back up your wallet.
Remember to keep your seed recovery phrase secure as that’s the only way you can recover your wallet and funds in case you lose access to your device.
And that’s it.
That’s how to create and set up your Magic Eden NFT Wallet as a Chrome browser extension.
Buy and Transfer ETH Tokens
With your crypto wallet set up, the next step will be to buy ETH tokens and transfer them to your wallet.
There are various platforms that you can use to buy ETH in Nigeria. Some platforms you can consider include Binance, KuCoin, Remitano, and other local exchanges.
For instance, you can buy ETH on Binance in Nigeria by creating a Binance account, verifying your identity, navigating to the ‘Buy Crypto’ segment, selecting ETH, keying in the amount you want to purchase, choosing your preferred payment method, and following the on-screen prompts to finalize the purchase.
Once you acquire the ETH tokens, transfer them to your wallet by clicking on the ‘Withdraw’ button, select ETH, confirm the network, enter your Magic Eden Wallet address, and follow the on-screen prompts to withdraw your ETH tokens.
Connect Your Wallet to Magic Eden
Visit the Magic Eden platform, click ‘Log In, ’ and choose ‘View all wallets’ to log in or sign up via your crypto wallet.
Select Magic Eden Wallet from the list.
Next, choose the chain you’d like to connect to as shown below. Proceed to choose EVM.
Next, you will receive a pop-up from Magic Eden Wallet requesting you to accept the connection with the Magic Eden marketplace. Click ‘Continue with Magic Eden.’
Click ‘Connect’ to link your Magic Eden Wallet to the Magic Eden marketplace.
Finally, confirm the signature request message on your wallet to connect your Magic Eden Wallet and the Magic Eden platform.
Find the Right NFT Collection
Now that you have successfully connected your crypto wallet to Magic Eden, the next step is to find the right Ethereum NFT collection.
You can search for trending Ethereum NFTs on Magic Eden by clicking on ‘Discover’ on the menu bar and then ‘Collections.’
You can also browse the provided NFT list and use the filter functionality to narrow your search results. Using the filter functionality, you can filter the different NFT collections by floor price, sales, verified collections, volume, and volume change.
Additionally, you can check the project details, community engagement, and roadmap before buying.
Buy Your First NFT
Once you have found the right NFT, it’s now time to buy your first NFT. There are two ways to buy an NFT on Magic Eden: ‘Buy Now’ for immediate purchase based on the listed price, or ‘Make an Offer,’ which allows you to bid and wait.
If your preferred NFT is available to buy immediately, click the ‘Buy Now’ option and follow the prompts to complete the purchase.
By clicking ‘Approve’ in your Magic Eden Wallet, a pop-up message will confirm the successful purchase of your NFT.
To view your NFT, navigate to the ‘Portfolio’ tab in your Magic Eden Wallet and click ‘Collectibles’ to see your NFTs.
And that’s it!
That’s how to buy your first NFT in Nigeria using the Magic Eden platform.
You can view your NFT purchase in your Magic Eden Wallet by going to your wallet, click on ‘Portfolio’ then ‘Collectibles’.
Conclusion
Getting started with NFTs can seem daunting but it becomes easier with time if you have the right guides, information, and platforms. Just remember to find and use a secure crypto wallet and a prominent NFT marketplace when buying NFTs in Nigeria.
Also, you can join various NFT community groups on Discord and Telegram to grow your knowledge and explore the NFT ecosystem.
Economy
Trump’s Reciprocal Tariffs Deadline Weakens Oil Market

By Adedapo Adesanya
The oil market shrank on Tuesday as traders braced for reciprocal tariffs that the US President, Mr Donald Trump, is due to announce.
Brent futures went down by 28 cents or 0.37 per cent to close at $74.49 a barrel and the US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell by 28 cents or 0.39 per cent to $71.20 per barrel.
The American President is set to unveil new tariffs targeting specific countries that have trade surpluses with the US on Wednesday, April 2, pledging to roll back unfair trade practices.
This could be on European Union (EU) countries or even Japan, adding volatility to this week’s trading.
According to the US government, the new duties are due to take effect immediately after President Trump announces them, while a separate 25 per cent global tariff on auto imports will take effect on April 3.
In just over 10 weeks in office, the US President has implemented new 20 per cent tariffs on all Chinese imports over fentanyl concerns and reinstated the 25 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminum, expanding them to nearly $150 billion in downstream products.
Additionally, a month-long exemption for most Canadian and Mexican goods from his 25 per cent fentanyl-related tariffs is set to expire on Wednesday.
However, President Trump’s threats to impose secondary tariffs on Russian oil and to attack Iran fueled supply worries, limited losses.
He said on Sunday he would impose secondary tariffs of 25 per cent to 50 per cent on Russian oil buyers if Russia tried to block efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
Tariffs on buyers of oil from Russia, the world’s second largest oil exporter, would disrupt global supply and hurt Russia’s biggest customers, China and India.
Mr Trump threatened Iran with similar tariffs and also with bombings if Tehran did not reach an agreement with the White House over its nuclear programme.
Also, the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies (OPEC+) began unwinding the production cuts by adding about 138,000 barrels per day from Tuesday.
Prices also found some support after Russia ordered Kazakhstan’s main oil export terminal to close two of its three moorings amid a standoff between Kazakhstan and OPEC+ over excess production.
As a result, Kazakhstan will have to start cutting oil output.
The American Petroleum Institute (API) estimated that crude oil inventories in the United States rose by 6.037 million barrels for the week ending March 28, after a 4.6 million barrel drop in the prior week.
So far this year, crude oil inventories have climbed nearly 23 million barrels.
Economy
Nigerians Buy Petrol N930 Per Litre as Naira-for-Crude Deal Fails

By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigerians, after facing respite with reduced price of premium motor spirit (PMS), known as petrol, in recent weeks, are now faced with a new challenge as the product retails for as high as N930 per litre in Lagos and higher in other parts of the country.
While Business Post gathered in Lagos that it retails for N930 per litre, it is selling as high between N950 and N970 per litre, depending on the filling stations in Abuja and northern parts of the country.
Our correspondents gathered from three filling stations, including Mobil, AP, and Northwest, that prices were around N930 per litre.
The new price regime followed an announcement by Dangote Refinery temporarily halting the sale of petroleum products in Naira, which is a result of a price war brought on by the deregulation of the downstream sector.
The $20 billion refinery based in Lagos said the sales of its products in Naira have exceeded the value of Naira-denominated crude it has received from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited.
“This decision is necessary to avoid a mismatch between our sales proceeds and our crude oil purchase obligations, which are currently denominated in US Dollars,” the company said in a statement earlier in March 2025
“As a result, we must temporarily adjust our sales currency to align with our crude procurement currency,” the company explained.
Over the last few months, the price war between the NNPC and Dangote reduce prices to as low as N830 per litre— easing pressure on Nigerians.
However, with oil prices rising in the international market, the landing cost of imported petrol has increased to a high of N885 per litre last week.
On February 26, 2025, the $20 billion refinery owned by Africa’s richest man and industrialist Aliko Dangote slashed the ex-depot price of petrol from N890 to N825 per litre.
Under the new arrangement, customers purchased the petrol at N860 per litre at selected outlets in Lagos, N870 in the South-West, N880 in the North, and N890 in the South-South and South-East.
Almost immediately, the NNPC reduced its retail price from N945 to N860 in Lagos, with a similar price reduction reflected at NNPCL outlets in other states of the Federation.
Now, with the cost of landing cost increasing imported petrol costs, Dangote Refinery will be seeking to play its card to cover its margins.
Recall that last month, the NNPC suspended the Naira-for-crude deal with private refiners, including Dangote Refinery, fuelling its suspension of the sale of petrol in local currency.
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