Business
Nigerians Run Riot on Twitter As FG Imposes VAT On AGO
Many Nigerians have taken to Twitter to express disgust with the Nigerian Government now on the verge of imposing consumption tax, also known as Value Added Tax on Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) commonly known as diesel.
Biztellers gathered that longsuffering Nigerians are worried that the Federal Government could contemplate another tax imposition, given the level of hardship occasioned by the deregulation of the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as petrol.
Recall that the announcement of the end of fuel subsidy made in the inauguration address of President Bola Tinubu on May 29, had seen the price rise to between N488 – N600 per litre, up from N180 – N200 where it was.
A Twitter user, simply identified as Niger Delta could not hide his displeasure with the possibility of imposition of VAT on diesel and incessant increases since the President Tinubu administration took over from President Muhammadu Buhari on May 29.
Delta on his verified Twitter handle, @Franeb decried the situation and wished for mass action to defend the public interest.
He tweeted, “For every time he increases something and there’s no pushback he’d add again and expect you to keep quiet.
“It’s actually time for us to come out and protest and demand that the Judiciary do the right thing and remove this bast**d.
“I can’t pay 7.5% VAT on PMS.”
For another Twitter user, responding to Delta, Floydtoshi Nakamoto @Floyd0281, the situation the consumption tax would reduce purchasing power and the public can only expect more of such.
Nakamoto tweeted, “Tinubu made it clear that he would reduce their purchasing power and widen the tax net. This is just the beginning.”
As at the time of filing this report, the subject was the top trending topic on Twitter, with over 7000 tweets, despite the Nigerian senior male national team, the Super Eagles picking the ticket to the 2023 African Nations Cup (AFCON) on Sunday.
Recall that diesel was deregulated by the President Olusegun Obasanjo administration and sells at between N750 – N850 per litre across Nigeria.
Biztellers reports that the implication is that consumers would be paying at least 7.5% more on diesel, with current rate expected to move up by between N56.25 – N63.75, which would push the price to the range of N806.25 – N913.75 per litre.
The implication would include more hardship, characterised by inflation because diesel is what the real sector rely on to power generating sets, in the absence of public power supply.
Efforts to get the government’s angle to the story proved abortive as the phone of Chief Corporate Communications Officer, NNPC Limited, Garba Deen Muhammad was switched-off.
Another member of his team contacted simply said, “let me confirm. Let me confirm,” and quickly switched off his phone.
Business
Savannah Energy Provides Unaudited FY 2024 Trading Updates
Savannah Energy has shared a trading update on its Nigerian operations and other markets in Africa, including up-to-date cash collections in its Nigerian business.
According to the update, made available on Thursday in Lagos, its gross production in Nigeria averaged 23.1 Kboepd for FY 2024, broadly in line with the prior year’s 23.6 Kboepd, of which 88% was gas (FY 2023: 91%).
On the update, CEO of Savannah Energy, Andrew Knott, said, “I am pleased to provide a FY trading update which demonstrates the continued progress we have made in 2024, a year which saw the highest level of cash collections ever recorded by our Nigerian business. 2025 is expected to be an exciting year for our Company: we have a large planned operational programme in Nigeria which is anticipated to enhance both our oil and gas production levels and capacity; we intend to progress our R3 East oil development project in Niger; we continue to pursue key acquisitions in the upstream oil and gas space; and we continue to seek to build our power business.
“Fundamentally, Savannah remains unequivocally an “AND” company, seeking to deliver strong performance both for the short AND long term across multiple fronts, and pursuing growth opportunities in both the hydrocarbon AND power sectors.”
The update It also shows that it generated a Total Income of US$393.6 million in 2024, compared to FY 2023’s US$289.8 million. This consists of Total Revenues of US$258.7 million and Other operating income of US$134.9 million.
The report also shows that Savannah’s FY 2024 Total Revenues were ahead of the previously issued financial guidance of greater than US$245 million, while FY 2024 financial guidance is reiterated for Operating expenses plus administrative expenses at ‘up to US$75 million’. The company expects its FY 2024 capital expenditure to come in lower than planned (previously guided at ‘up to US$50 million’) due to the phasing of spend.
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According to the update, Savannah’s cash collections in 2024 amounted to US$248.5 million, a slight increase from the US$206 million it received in 2023. The report further shows that its cash balances as at 31 December 2024 stood at US$32.6 million, compared to the 31 December 2023 figure of US$107.0 million.
The report shows that the company’s midstream subsidiary, Accugas Limited, had as at 31 December 2024 drawn down on its NGN332 billion of the NGN Transitional Facility, with the resulting funds being converted to US$, which, along with cash held, was used to partially prepay the existing Accugas US$ Facility, leaving a balance as at 31 December 2024 of approximately US$212.3 million.
The report also provided new updates on Accugas’ US$45 million Uquo Central Processing Facility (“Uquo CPF”) compression project in Nigeria, noting that its commissioning which will enable the expansion of gas production in the medium term is well underway.
The report highlighted the progress being made in the procurement process of long lead equipment in Nigeria for a potential two-well drilling campaign on the Uquo Field in H2 2025, with an additional gas development well expected to add up to 80 MMscfpd of supplemental production capacity and a potential exploration well targeting an Unrisked Gross gas initially in place (“GIIP”) of 154 Bscf (25.7 MMboe) of incremental gas resources.
The update shows that progress is also being made in the planned Savannah acquisition of Sinopec International Petroleum Exploration and Production Company Nigeria Limited, whose principal asset is a 49% non-operated interest in the Stubb Creek oil and gas field (“Stubb Creek”), with regulatory approval and completion being targeted in Q1 2025. Following the completion of the acquisition, Savannah intends to commence an expansion programme which is anticipated to increase Stubb Creek gross production from an average of 2.7 Kbopd in 2024 to approximately 4.7 Kbopd.
In Niger, Savannah continues to seek to progress its 35 MMstb (Gross 2C Resources) R3 East oil development in South-East Niger, while it continues to push for a potential alternative transaction structure to acquire a material stake in producing oil and gas assets in South Sudan as previously announced on 20 December 2024.
On the renewable energy front, the update shows that Savannah has up to 696 MW of renewable energy projects currently in motion, including the up to 250 MW Parc Eolien de la Tarka wind farm project in Niger and the up to 95 MW Bini a Warak hybrid hydroelectric and solar project in Cameroon. A firm believer in Africa’s transition to renewable energy, Savannah continues to target a portfolio of up to 2 GW+ of power projects in motion by the end of 2026.
Business
Nigeria Can Achieve 5.5% GDP Growth – NESG
The Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) has projected that the country has the potential to achieve a 5.5% growth in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) if critical policy reforms are sustained.
This was disclosed on Thursday during the launch of the NESG’s 2025 Macroeconomic Outlook report.
Speaking at the event, the Chief Economist and Director of Research & Development at NESG, Dr. Olusegun Omisakin, highlighted the need for more efficient policy implementation to unlock Nigeria’s economic potential.
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“We believe at the optimal level, if we embark on more efficient policy reforms, the Nigerian economy has the potential, the GDP to end up at 5.5 per cent, and we believe that this is achievable,” Omisakin stated.
More to follow……….
Business
CBN Approves Release Of Nigerian FX Code
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has announced the release of the Nigerian Foreign Exchange (FX) Code, a set of guidelines designed to promote ethical conduct among authorized dealers in the country’s FX market.
In a statement, the apex bank disclosed that the official launch of the Code would take place on Tuesday, January 28, 2025, at the CBN Head Office Auditorium in Abuja.
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“The Central Bank of Nigeria has approved the release of the Nigerian Foreign Exchange (FX) Code as a guideline to the banking industry to promote the ethical conduct of authorised dealers in the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market,” the statement read.
The introduction of the FX Code is expected to enhance transparency, accountability, and professionalism within Nigeria’s foreign exchange ecosystem, aligning it with global best practices.
The event is anticipated to attract key stakeholders in the financial and banking sectors, as well as representatives from authorized FX-dealing institutions across the country.