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NNPC’s Payment Of N2.1tn Dividend, N2.6tn Tax will reduce Nigeria’s financial burden– Chukwu

According to him, the total amount shared by the three tiers of government in the first seven months of this year was only N8.3tn while NNPC paid tax of N2.6tn which is almost 30 per cent of the total amount that had been shared.

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THE Chief Executive Officer of Cowry Assets Management Ltd, Jonhson Chukwu has said that the dividend and taxes paid by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd will reduce the financial burden of the federal government.
Chukwu said this in response to the record performance of the state-owned company after it released its financial accounts for 2023.
It has been reported that the company made N3.297tn net profit for 2023 which surged significantly by 28 per cent compared to the N2.54tn recorded in the previous year.
The books showed that the company recorded a historic profit before tax of N5.98tn while it paid taxes of N2.6tn to the Federal Inland Revenue Service.
NNPC also recorded a dividend of N2.6tn payable to the Nigerian government. The company had declared a loss of N803bn in 2018, and it was reduced to N1.7bn loss in 2019.
But the company led by the Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari returned to profitability in 2020 with N287bn profit and N674.1bn profit in 2021. It went further to post N2.55bn profit in 2022.
Chukwu said in an interview on Arise TV that the dividend and taxes declared by the company will reduce the financial stress of the federal government.
He said, “The federal government has made a supplementary budget of about N6tn. And then NNPC’s N2.1tn final dividend is more than 35 per cent of the supplementary budget.
“That will show you the impact this is going to have when that money comes to the foundation account.
“Bear in mind that whatever dividend they pay goes through two organs of government. One, Federal Minister of Finance, Incorporated, and Ministry of Petroleum, Incorporated and they own NNPC limited 50-50 per cent.
“So, it all goes back to the entire national treasury. And that simply means it will go into the federation account, which will be shared through the three tiers of government. And that will cushion the kind of financial stress that the governments at different levels are going through.”
He said in the past, the concern of Nigerians has always been on the issue of accountability on the part of the former Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation now NNPC.
Chukwu, while responding to the performance, likened the NNPC Ltd to Saudi Aramco, which is the biggest listed oil firm with $1.8tn market capitalisation.
Chukwu said, “I was quite impressed. You know why? Everything we’ve heard in recent past, we are all negatives about the general industry, what is going on and that. And then today we’re looking at how NNPC had turned the corner.
“If you cast your mind back just a few years ago, 2018, that company made a loss of N803bn. In 2018, you can see it virtually broke even by making a loss of only N1.7bn.
“But today we’re talking about N3.3tn profit and that is after tax payment of N2.6tn. And we need to put it in context. The NNPC is going to pay to the federation account to Federal Inland Revenue Service N2.6tn as tax before it arrived at the N3.3tn.”
The economist said the results showed that the NNPC has created value for the nation in the region of N5.3tn.
According to him, the total amount shared by the three tiers of government in the first seven months of this year was only N8.3tn while NNPC paid tax of N2.6tn which is almost 30 per cent of the total amount that had been shared.
The Cowry Assets boss explained that the NNPC could record the performance because the management possibly reduced or eliminated the loss-making arms of the organisation.
“They would have instilled some level of performance-based in different arms of an NNPC. And they have also escalated their level of reporting, and now do you have a detailed financial statement from an NNPC. For years, we did not have a detailed financial statement from an NNPC.
“So, I think NNPC being an incorporated company, like what we have in NNPC Limited, unlike what you have in Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, when it was a corporation, and then there was no level of accountability.
“What has been brought to bear are the standards that are applicable to private sector enterprises, in terms of performance-based, board of oversight functions, budgeting, and then appraisals that actually measure performance against targets.
“And I think those things have been institutionalized and which is why we are seeing consistency in terms of their profitability and we’re seeing a steady growth in their profitability over these past few years since they turned the corner.
“And I believe those are the factors that were brought to bear that made the company turn the corner.”

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Savannah Energy Provides Unaudited FY 2024 Trading Updates 

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Savannah Energy Inks New Gas Sales Agreement with Notore

 

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.

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Nigeria Can Achieve 5.5% GDP Growth – NESG

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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………. 

 

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CBN Approves Release Of Nigerian FX Code

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CBN Prohibits Foreign Banks' Rep Offices From Banking Operations

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.

 

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