Business
US Government ends White house Shutdown
WASHINGTON – The US government ended the shutdown on Thursday – just in the nick of time – averted a US debt default in a bipartisan deal that left Republicans little to show for the epic political drama that threatened to rattle the world economy.
The South African Reserve Bank said on Wednesday it was “closely monitoring the situation in the US”, saying it would take the “necessary actions” should the US default on its debt payments for the first time in history.
The Senate voted 81-18 to send the measure to the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, which passed it late Wednesday night 285-144.
President Barack Obama signed the measure – which adhered strictly to the terms he laid down when the twin crises erupted more than three weeks ago – shortly after midnight Thursday.
Congress had faced a deadline of 11.59pm on Thursday to raise the government’s borrowing authority or risk a default on its obligations.
The bill reopens the government through January 15 and permits the Treasury to borrow normally through February 7 or perhaps a month longer.
It includes nothing for Republicans demanding to eradicate or scale back Obama’s signature health care overhaul.
“We fought the good fight. We just didn’t win,” conceded House Speaker John Boehner as lawmakers lined up to vote on the bill.
At the White House, Obama hailed the Senate’s vote and promised to sign the legislation immediately.
“We’ll begin reopening our government immediately and we can begin to lift this cloud of uncertainty from our businesses and the American people,” he said.
‘Restoring sanity’
Less than an hour later, as debate began in the House, Republican Representative Harold Rogers said: “After two long weeks, it is time to end this government shutdown. It’s time to take the threat of default off the table. It’s time to restore some sanity to this place.”
The stock market surged earlier Wednesday at the prospect of an end to the crisis that had threatened to shake confidence in the US economy overseas.
The crisis began on October 1 with a partial shutdown of the federal government after House Republicans refused to accept a temporary funding measure unless Obama agreed to defund or delay his health care law, known as “Obamacare.”
It escalated when House Republicans also refused to move on needed approval for raising the amount of money the Treasury can borrow to pay US bills, raising the specter of a catastrophic default.
Obama vowed repeatedly not to pay a “ransom” in order to get Congress to pass normally routine legislation.
The hard-right tea party faction of House Republicans, urged on by conservative Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, had seen both deadlines as weapons that could be used to gut Obama’s Affordable Care Act, designed to provide tens of millions of uninsured Americans with coverage.
The Democrats remained united against any Republican threat to Obama’s signature program, and Republicans in the House could not muster enough votes to pass their own plan to end the impasse.
Furloughed
More than two million federal workers – those who had remained on the job and those who had been furloughed – would be paid under the agreement.
Boehner and the rest of the top Republican leadership told their rank and file they would vote for the measure.
But he vowed Republicans were not giving up on the fight to bring down US debt and cripple “Obamacare,” as the president’s signature health care overhaul is known.
“Our drive to stop the train wreck that is the president’s health care law will continue,” Boehner said in a statement.
Harry Reid, the Democratic Senate majority leader, thanked Senator Mitch McConnell, the Republican minority leader, for working with him to end what had become one of the nastiest partisan battles in recent Washington history.
“This is a time for reconciliation,” Reid said.
A long line of polls charted a steep decline in public approval for Republicans in the course of what Republican Senator John McCain pronounced a “shameful episode” in US history.
Standoff
The deal ends the bitter standoff for now, giving both parties time to cool off and come up with a broader budget plan or risk repeating the damaging cycle again in the new year.
Within moments of the House’s vote, Sylvia Mathews Burwell, director of the Office of Management and Budget, issued a statement saying “employees should expect to return to work in the morning.”
McConnell said the time had come to back away for now from Republican efforts to undermine “Obamacare.”
But the feisty minority boss said Republicans had not given up on erasing it from the legislative books.
Passage in the House depended heavily on minority Democrats to support it.
The risky move was seen as imperiling the House leadership, but Boehner was ready to end the crisis that had badly damaged Republican approval among voters.
Looking forward, lawmakers were also concerned voters would punish them in next year’s congressional elections. Polls show the public more inclined to blame Republicans.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said the party had hurt its cause through the long and dangerous standoff.
“This package is just a joke compared to what we could have gotten if we had a more reasonable approach,” he said. Sapa-AP
– REUTERS
Business
Dangote Calls Refinery IPO ‘People’s IPO’ as N2.15tn Offer Opens
President of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, has described the Initial Public Offering of Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals as a “People’s IPO” as the N2.15tn offer officially opened on the Nigerian Exchange on Monday.
Dangote sounded the gong at the NGX trading floor in Lagos to formally open the offer, marking a major milestone for Nigeria’s capital market.
The IPO comprises 4.1 billion new ordinary shares priced at N525 per share, with a minimum subscription of 10 shares valued at N5,250.
RELATED NEWS: BREAKING: Dangote Refinery IPO Subscription Surpasses ₦1.4trn as Investor Demand Soars
The offer, which opened on September 14, 2026, is scheduled to close on October 13, 2026, subject to the terms contained in the prospectus.
Speaking after sounding the gong, Dangote said the offering was aimed at widening public participation in the ownership of the refinery.
“We fully share all our prosperity with the people. That’s why we call this ‘People’s IPO’. We know the journey has actually just started.
“It’s not only about the refinery.”
The Dangote Refinery IPO is the first refinery offering to investors on the Nigerian stock market in the 66-year history of the Nigerian Exchange.
The offer is open to retail, institutional and eligible African investors, providing members of the public with an opportunity to acquire an interest in one of Africa’s largest industrial projects.
Dangote also disclosed that the IPO was part of a broader plan by the Dangote Group to list more of its companies on the capital market.
He said the group intended to list every company that would operate under its umbrella in the future.
“We, as a group, will list every single company that will operate. I don’t know about the others, but I know our own market cap, even at a 10 times P/E ratio by 2030, should not be less than $350 billion,” he said.
The businessman added that the Nigerian Exchange would provide a platform for the group to pursue listings on other international exchanges.
“From this exchange, then we can go to any other place.
“So, Nigeria and Africa is our base. We want to make sure that we join our continent.”
The Dangote Refinery, located in the Lekki Free Zone, Lagos, has been positioned as a major investment in Nigeria’s domestic refining capacity and efforts to reduce dependence on imported petroleum products.
The opening ceremony was attended by Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, NGX Group Chairman Umaru Kwairanga, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II, Zenith Bank founder Jim Ovia and other dignitaries.
The N2.15tn IPO will remain open until October 13, 2026, subject to the terms contained in the prospectus.
Business
Nigeria Meets OPEC Quota for Fourth Consecutive Month
A 0.4 percent increase from the 1.67 million bpd recorded in July saw Nigeria’s crude and condensate production rise to 1,677,777 barrels per day in August 2026.
The growth, disclosed in a statement by Head, Media and Corporate Communications, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Eniola Akinkuotu, on Sunday.
Another interesting aspect of the report is that it shows Nigeria’s consistent compliance with the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) crude oil quota for the fourth consecutive month.
READ ALSO: Rufai Oseni Row: NiDCOM Breaks Silence on Nigerians Detained in India, Addresses Ekene’s Case
According to the regulator, crude oil production, excluding condensates, stood at 1,500,190 barrels per day in August.
The report revealed that Nigeria meeting her OPEC quota for the fourth consecutive month, reflects continued efforts by operators to restore affected production capacity and address operational bottlenecks.
The latest increase followed the resolution of operational challenges involving the Single Buoy Mooring at the Erha field, which had affected production performance in the preceding month.
The NUPRC said the restoration of normal evacuation and production operations at the asset contributed positively to the overall output recorded during the month.
The statement read, “The NUPRC attributed the modest improvement in August production largely to the resolution of the Single Buoy Mooring operational challenges at the Erha field, which had adversely impacted production performance in the preceding month.
“The restoration of normal evacuation and production operations at the asset contributed positively to overall production volumes during the period under review.”
The regulator added that production activities across most other producing assets remained relatively stable, with operators sustaining measures aimed at improving efficiency, maintaining asset integrity and reducing operational disruptions.
According to the commission, the lowest daily crude oil and condensate production recorded in August was 1.64 million bpd, while the highest stood at 1.71 million bpd.
A breakdown of production by terminals and streams showed that the Bonny Terminal recorded the highest average output during the month, accounting for 320.04 thousand bpd.
Forcados Terminal followed with 317.40 thousand bpd, while the Qua Iboe Terminal recorded an average of 171.72 thousand bpd of crude oil and condensates.
Escravos Oil Terminal posted a daily average of 131.71 thousand bpd, while Bonga ranked fifth among the leading producing terminals with an average of 92.50 thousand bdp of crude oil.
The August output represented an increase of 6,777 bpd from July’s 1,671,000 barrels per day, based on the rounded July figure. It was also 57,621 bpd, lower than the 1,735,398 bpd recorded in June.
The June figure represented a decline of about 3.3 per cent in August when compared with the latest available June production data.
The NUPRC said the August performance reflected the industry’s continued efforts to resolve operational constraints and restore affected production capacity.
It stated, “While the increase recorded in August was modest, it reflects the industry’s continued efforts to address operational bottlenecks and restore affected production capacity.
“Stakeholders remain focused on enhancing asset reliability, improving operational resilience and advancing intervention programs to support sustained production growth in the coming months.”
The regulator further emphasised the importance of timely intervention, effective asset management and collaboration among industry stakeholders in safeguarding the country’s crude oil production capacity.
Nigeria’s oil production has remained a major focus of government efforts to increase revenue, improve foreign exchange earnings and strengthen the country’s ability to meet its OPEC production quota.
Business
Dangote Elevates Micro Investors with IPO
Alhaji Aliko Dangote, President, Dangote Industries Limited (DIL), Aliko Dangote, has assured small-scale investors eager to own equities through his refinery’s Initial Public Offering ((IPO) that they would be prioritised in the allocation of shares.
He delivered his message in Hausa during an interview with Abis Fulani, which was translated by Google Gemini, while discussing the planned IPO and its potential benefits to investors.
The interview was published on Thursday but gained traction on Saturday.
According to Dangote, retail investors seeking to buy shares worth N50,000, N100,000 and other smaller amounts would receive priority over large institutional investors.
READ ALSO: DPRP Set for Landmark IPO to Raise ₦2.15 Trillion
He said, “When you do something like this—what is called an IPO—all the small-scale investors are the ones who will be given priority first.
“The big institutional investors who request large allocations will not get everything they ask for. But the small retail investors who want to buy N50,000 worth, or some buying N100,000 worth, and so on, they are the ones who will be given priority allocations.”
He said the remaining shares would subsequently be distributed among investors.
On the potential value of the shares, Dangote said the current N525 price could increase substantially, projecting that it could eventually reach N10,000.
He said, “As I was saying, this share, if you look at it, we are currently at N525. A day will come when this share will reach N10,000.
“Therefore, if you hold it, having bought it, and it rises to N10,000, where you previously invested N5m, it will now be worth over N50m. You see, you have become wealthy.”
Dangote further said shareholders could choose to receive dividends in either naira or dollars, saying the option could help investors cope with currency depreciation.
He said the dollar option would be particularly useful to Nigerians with financial obligations abroad, including parents with children studying in the United Kingdom.
Dangote said, “The benefit of buying it is that holding this share will not prevent you from carrying out your regular work. You hold this share, and when dividends are paid, you won’t need to fear currency devaluation.
“That is because you can choose to receive your dividend in Naira or in Dollars. If you have a child studying at a school in England, for example, even if there is economic instability or currency devaluation—may God protect us—having this means what you receive is in Dollars.”
He recalled the sharp depreciation of the naira against the dollar, saying the exchange rate had risen from about N400 to the dollar to N1,800.
“So your child won’t have to… avoid exchange rate shocks, like when rates moved from N400 up to N1,800.
“Most children were brought back home as a result. So what we want to prevent is that kind of situation,” he said.
The Dangote Refinery IPO comprises 4.1 billion ordinary shares priced at N525 each. A full subscription is expected to raise about N2.15tn, while the minimum subscription is 10 shares, costing N5,250. The offer is scheduled to run from September 14 to October 13, 2026.
After the offer closes, applications will be processed and investors will be informed of their allotments. Applying for a particular number of shares does not guarantee that an investor will receive the full amount requested, particularly if the offer is oversubscribed.
The shares are expected to be listed on the Nigerian Exchange Main Board after the allotment process, after which their market price will be determined by demand and supply.
While Dangote projected that the shares could eventually reach N10,000, the N525 offer price does not guarantee a future market price or return.
The share price could rise or fall after listing depending on the company’s performance, investor sentiment, refining margins, demand and broader economic conditions.
The IPO proceeds are expected to support the refinery’s expansion, with the company planning to increase its refining capacity from about 650,000–700,000 barrels per day to 1.4 million barrels per day.






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