Business
China premier warns against loose money policies
BEIJING – China needs to sustain economic growth of 7.2 percent to ensure a stable job market, Premier Li Keqiang said as he warned the government against further expanding already loose money policies.
In one of the few occasions when a top official has enunciated the minimum level of growth needed for employment, Li said calculations show China’s economy must grow 7.2 percent annually to create 10 million jobs a year.
That would cap the urban unemployment rate at around 4 percent, he said.
“We want to stabilize economic growth because we need to guarantee employment essentially,” Li was quoted by the Workers’ Daily as saying on Monday. His remarks were made at a union meeting two weeks ago but were only published in full this week.
Yet even as authorities keep an eye on growth, Li sounded a warning on easy credit supply, which he said had exceeded 100 trillion yuan ($16.4 trillion) in the world’s second-biggest economy.
“Our outstanding M2 money supply has at the end of March exceeded 100 trillion yuan, and that is already twice the size of our gross domestic product (GDP),” Li was quoting as saying.
“In other words, there is already a lot of money in the ‘pool’, to print more money may lead to inflation.”
His comments affirmed the government’s hawkish stance on inflation, and did not signal any changes in policy bias, said Tao Wang, an UBS economist.
But they underscore the fine line China must toe to create economic growth and jobs for social stability, while guarding against excesses that may hurt its fortunes in the long run.
Powered by heavy reliance on exports and investment, Chinese authorities have long criticized the country’s $8.5-trillion economy as unstable and on an unsustainable growth path.
To retool the economy, China’s new leaders have signaled they are willing to tolerate slower expansion in exchange for cleaner growth led by consumption.
A crucial meeting of top leaders from November 9 to Nov 12 will shed light on just how committed Beijing is to enforcing reforms, many of which analysts say would test politicians’ will to push through unpopular changes.
STABLE FISCAL, MONETARY POLICIES
Buffeted by sluggish export sales and in part on the government’s deliberate attempt to slow activity, China’s economy is sagging towards its slackest pace of expansion in 23 years this year, at 7.5 percent.
Li reiterated that a 7.5 percent growth target for 2013 remains intact, but noted that weak exports were a risk.
Exports can directly create about 30 million jobs and add another 70 million jobs in other related industries, Li said.
For every one percentage point that China generates in economic growth, it creates 1.3 million to 1.5 million jobs, Li said, adding that the export sector can directly or indirectly employ up to 100 million people.
“We are not seeking high-speed growth, and definitely not seeking only GDP growth. But a reasonable speed in growth is needed, and so we have ensured a reasonable range in economic expansion,” he said.
China’s urban jobless rate eased to 4.04 percent at the end of September from 4.1 percent three months earlier. It is the country’s only official unemployment indicator, but analysts say it grossly underestimates the true level of unemployment as it excludes about 260 million migrant workers from its surveys.
Li did not say that 7.2 percent in annual economic growth was the minimum the government would tolerate, but analysts have always believed that China’s leaders considered growth between 7 percent and 7.5 percent to be reasonable.
On inflation risks, however, Li was clear.
“If we loosen credit, if we expand the fiscal deficit, that would be like an old saying where one carries firewood to extinguish a fire,” Li was quoted as saying.
“And this is why we choose to persevere with stable fiscal and monetary policies.
– REUTERS
The Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF) has unveiled the Women’s Share Subscription Grant Initiative (WSSGI), a pioneering financial inclusion programme aimed at increasing women’s participation in Nigeria’s capital market through the ongoing Initial Public Offering (IPO) of Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE (DPRP).
The nationwide initiative is designed to support up to two million Nigerian women, with a special focus on low- and middle-income earners, as well as vulnerable women. Through the programme, ADF seeks to expand access to equity ownership, promote a culture of savings and long-term investing, and empower women with greater opportunities for wealth creation through responsible participation in the capital market.
The initiative is open to several categories of beneficiaries, including independent applicants earning ₦100,000 or less per month, verified participants in designated ADF programmes such as CRoWN, ADFIN, and Mu Shuka Iri, eligible non-commissioned servicewomen and service spouses, as well as verified service widows.
To accommodate different categories of participants, the initiative provides two pathways for entry: Matching Grant Track: Eligible independent applicants who subscribe to a minimum of 10 shares will receive an ADF-funded application for an additional 10 shares in their name.
Unconditional Grant Track
The ADF will fund an application for 20 shares on behalf of eligible beneficiaries who satisfy programme eligibility, investor identification, and Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements.
This category covers verified beneficiaries from designated ADF programmes and verified service widows.
Under both tracks, grant funds will be applied directly through the designated issuing house. No cash payments will be made to beneficiaries, government agencies, or sponsors. Any shares successfully allotted will be credited solely to the beneficiary and held in her name.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must be Nigerian women aged 18 years and above; resident in Nigeria; meet the eligibility requirements of their respective participation category; successfully complete all required identity verification and KYC processes; and receive no more than one ADF share grant across all Foundation share grant schemes.
The ADF is implementing the initiative in partnership with Vetiva Capital Management and the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX) through the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)-approved IPO subscription infrastructure.
The Foundation will not receive, collect, or hold applicants’ or sponsors’ subscription funds. All applications, payments, allotments, and refunds will be handled in accordance with the IPO Prospectus, applicable regulatory requirements, and the approved basis of allotment.
Participation in the programme is entirely voluntary. Prospective investors should note that share prices may fluctuate, dividends are only payable when declared, and neither allotment nor investment returns are guaranteed.
To facilitate broad participation, applicants are not required to have an existing Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) account. Where necessary, accounts will be created through Vetiva upon successful completion of the IPO’s KYC requirements.
Eligible independent applicants may submit their applications exclusively through the official ADF portal at ipo.alikodangotefoundation.org.
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Beneficiaries affiliated with the ADF programmes and verified service widows will receive application guidance through approved Foundation channels.
The offer closes on 13 October 2026.
The ADF urges prospective participants to remain vigilant against fraud. Applicants should not make payments to agents, individuals, or personal bank accounts in exchange for grants or promises of guaranteed allotment. Passwords, PINs, and one-time passwords (OTPs) should never be shared, and any unexpected payment request or online link should be verified through official channels before action is taken.
Through this initiative, the ADF is reinforcing its commitment to inclusive economic empowerment, broadening access to investment opportunities, and enabling more Nigerian women to participate meaningfully in the nation’s wealth creation journey.
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has unveiled a pipeline of major offshore projects with the potential to attract significant new investment into Nigeria’s upstream petroleum sector.
This is as the commission has intensified efforts to convert the country’s substantial hydrocarbon resources into producing assets and sustainable economic value, the NUPRC said in a statement.
According to the statement, Nigeria’s upstream investment outlook was presented at the Nigeria Investment Forum 2026 in New York by the Commission Chief Executive (CCE), Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan.
Eyesan, who was represented by the Executive Commissioner, Corporate Services and Administration, Dr. Kelechi Ofoegbu, highlighted the emerging investment opportunities across Nigeria’s offshore, gas and brownfield assets, noting that the combination of regulatory reforms, improved project economics and a growing pipeline of development-ready assets is creating new opportunities for investors and industry partners.
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A key feature of the presentation, it said, was the identification of 22 major offshore projects, comprising 12 deepwater and 10 shallow-water developments, as part of the pipeline capable of driving substantial new capital into the sector.
According to the commission, the projects include major developments such as Bonga Southwest, Aparo, Zaba Zaba, Owowo, Bosi and Egina South.
The NUPRC also highlighted recent capital commitments across projects including Bonga North, Obeta Gas Development, HIN Associated Gas Development and Iseni Gas Development, demonstrating the movement of investment interest towards actual project development.
The average prices of petrol and diesel have risen by 86 percent in 2026, with the two products reaching their highest average price levels for the year by September 22, according to the latest fuel price trend report by priceandpromo.
The report stated that the average price of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly known as petrol, rose to N1,378 per litre by September 22, while automotive gas oil, commonly known as diesel, increased to N1,899/litre.
It puts the increase in the price of petrol at 80.8 percent from the January 13 base, while diesel recorded a 91.8 percent rise over the same period. The average increase of the two products is 86.3 percent, which rounds to 86 percent.
The report stated, “The latest priceandpromo fuel price trend shows renewed upward movement following the relative stability observed between April and July.
“Petrol rose to an average of N1,378 per litre by 22 September, while diesel increased to an average N1,899 per litre, the highest average price levels recorded for both products in the displayed 2026 series.”
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According to the report, petrol prices had increased sharply in March before remaining relatively stable at elevated levels between April and July. “After the sharp March increase, fuel prices stabilised at higher levels through July before rising again in August and September,” it added.
The renewed increase came amid heightened volatility in the international energy market, according to the report, which noted that the domestic market remained exposed to movements in global energy costs.
“The renewed increase comes amid heightened global energy-market volatility, highlighting the domestic market’s continued exposure to shifts in international energy costs,” the report added.
The report indicated that the latest movement in fuel prices could have wider implications for transportation, logistics and the cost of distributing goods, given the importance of petrol and diesel to economic activities.
The report noted that fuel prices remained an important channel through which changes in energy costs could feed into transportation and other consumer costs.
The report further warned that the renewed increase in both products is a development to monitor because of its potential implications for the movement of people and goods.
It said, “The renewed increase in both petrol and diesel is therefore an important market signal to watch, particularly for its potential implications for mobility, logistics costs and the wider cost of moving goods through the market.”
The report’s figures show that the increase in diesel prices has outpaced that of petrol, with AGO rising by 91.8 percent compared with PMS’s 80.8 percent increase.
Courtesy – The PUNCH
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