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Energy, solid minerals top priority, Tinubu tells German businessmen

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President Bola Tinubu, on Wednesday, assured the German government and businessmen of Nigeria’s preparedness to expand frontiers for investors by removing administrative bottlenecks in the energy and solid minerals sectors.

Tinubu said this at a business session during the State Visit of Mr Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the German President, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He said activation of the latent potential in the energy sector remained central to Nigeria’s development.

“I welcome Mr President to Nigeria and the State House. Your visit is a significant milestone. And I must thank you for the warm reception when I visited Germany.

“We need each other, and you emphasised this in our private discussion. Nigeria is going through a transformative period and trying to align with the best strategy and practices on good governance globally.

“We like our relationship with you as friends and partners. Germany is well-industrialised and renowned for its sustainable infrastructure,” Tinubu said.

He reassured the German businessmen that Nigeria was ready and open for business.

“As you mentioned, you are ready to support Nigeria in the energy sector, which you have long been doing.

“Also, in alternative energy, we have the sun, and you have the technology. We should continue our partnership in every way that we can,” said the President.

Tinubu said the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Solid Minerals, Power, Industry, Trade and Investment had been directed to work closely with investors to develop the energy sector.

“I will re-emphasise again and again, we must enhance the possibility of becoming highly industrialised by exploring opportunities in our natural resources,” he added.

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Tinubu said the country’s reforms had been designed to bring long-term prosperity through sustainable and dependable frameworks.

“We are synchronising to ensure a grounded and flourishing partnership that brings prosperity to our people. We know that Germany has the capacity and is involved in regional cooperation and collaboration.

“We are glad that we are trading in Euro with you. We are more transformative than before. We have made changes in the way we do business. It is now easy in and easy out for investors.

“We are projecting investment in gas and alternative energy. Our transformation involves natural gas.

“We are leveraging solid minerals, particularly lithium. We have a dynamic, anxious-to-learn and flexible youth population.

“We have many Nigerian students who were trained in Germany. We want domestic investment that will promote growth in our economy. Equally, we need skill development,” the President said.

Tinubu noted that Small and Medium Enterprises were also being repositioned to play a more central role in development, assuring that bottlenecks to investments had been removed.

In his remarks, the German President assured Tinubu that there were also more specialised companies in Germany that would be encouraged to look towards Nigeria for expansion opportunities beyond the big brands in the energy sectors.

“There is a growing interest in Nigeria on the German side beyond those who are already here, like Siemens. Other companies are looking for investment opportunities, especially in renewable energy,” he stated.

In his presentation, Mr Dele Alake, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, said Germany had a dedicated one billion Euro fund for diversifying the supply chain in renewable energy, and modifying the conditions could easily accommodate the opportunities in Nigeria’s solid minerals sector.

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Alake said the critical minerals for energy transition, cobalt, nickel and lithium, were readily available in Nigeria.

“German companies can come in under the Renewed Hope Agenda that has sanitised the environment, enhanced security with a new architecture around solid minerals, created tax incentives and waivers for important equipment and provided opportunities for joint ventures,” he said.

He said pre-feasibility studies had been concluded, urging German investors to look to Nigeria for diversification of the energy supply chain.

Mr Wale Edun, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy; Dr Jumoke Oduwole, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment; and Mr Adebayo Adelabu, Minister of Power, also made presentations at the business meeting.

The business delegation from Germany and their Nigerian counterparts commended President Tinubu for his long-term vision for the economy.

They also praised his courageous steps in repositioning Nigeria for greater prosperity by making the economy more globally competitive with streamlined foreign exchange and improved ease of doing business. (NAN)

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Double-digit GDP growth necessary to achieve $1trn goal – UBA GMD

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Group Managing Director, United Bank for Africa (UBA), Mr Oliver Alawuba, has said Nigeria requires a double-digit Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth to achieve the projected one-trillion dollar economy target by 2030.

Alawuba made this remark on Monday in Abuja, at the ongoing 36th Edition of the Finance Correspondents and Business Editors Association of Nigeria Seminar, organised by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The theme of the seminar is, “Playing the Global Game: Banking Recapitalisation Towards a One- Trillion Dollar Economy”.

He emphasised the necessity of institutional frameworks and government support for banks to invest in critical infrastructure that would foster accelerated growth of the Nigerian economy.

“We need to grow at double digits to get to one-trillion dollar in 2030. We need 10 per cent growth, which is achievable,” he said.

He noted that only 12 per cent of Nigeria’s GDP is represented by the total assets of banks, while other economies have over 70 per cent to 100 per cent.

According to him, this indicates a significant gap where banks can intervene and help mobilise deposits, resources, and capital, ensuring that other sectors benefit from the banking system.

“The plan so far is highly beneficial for the economy. Strong banks require strong profits. Strong banks are crucial for building the strong economy we desire.

“It’s important that banks remain profitable so they can build a very robust reserve to support the economy and the banks themselves.

“The opportunities in Nigeria are immense. Therefore, sustainability will not be a problem.

“This is because banks will now be able to raise, even with the capitalisation we have undertaken, sufficient capital to truly elevate this economy to the next level,” the managing director added.

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Alawuba also said the 50 per cent Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) might be unsustainable for economic growth and urged its reduction, just as inflation rate was managed.

He highlighted the importance of security, financial inclusion and addressing infrastructure deficits in roads, ports and power.

He further stressed the need for tax incentives and a transition from a primary to a secondary economy to drive growth.

“We need an institutional framework and government support to invest in infrastructure and other areas to support the economy.

“A 50 per cent CRR is not sustainable if we are going to talk about the growth of the economy.

“I am happy that inflation is responding to the actions of the CBN.

“So, as the inflation rate comes down, we expect the CRR to come down,” he said. (NAN)

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GenCos Ask FG, Stakeholders To Pay N4trn Electricity Debt

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The electricity power generation companies (GenCos) have warned that the over N4 trillion unpaid invoices owed by the federal government and stakeholders for electricity generated threatens their operations.

In a statement on Monday, signed by Sani Bello, chairman of board of trustees, Association of Power Generation Companies (APGC), the GenCos asked the federal government and key stakeholders to urgently address the issue.

According to the association, the issue is currently threatening the continued operation of their power generation plants.

“It is no more news that the power generation companies (GenCos) have continued to bear the brunt of the liquidity crisis in the Nigerian Electric Supply Industry (NESI),” the statement reads.

The association said they have made large-scale investments and have continued to demonstrate commitment by increasing capacities that align with their contract, spanning over 10 years.

The GenCos said expectations of being settled through external support such as “the World Bank PSRO has also been dampened due to other market participants’ inability to meet their respective distribution linked indicators (DLI), enshrined in the Power Sector Recovery Program (PSRP)”.

Moreso, they said the 2024 payment collection rate dropped below 30 percent, and “2025 is not any better, severely affecting GenCo’s ability to meet financial obligations”.

“Tax and Regulatory Challenges: High corporate income tax, concession fees, royalty charges, and new FRC compliance obligations are further straining GenCos’ revenue,” the GenCos said.

“Outstanding Payments: GenCos are currently owed about N4 trillion (N2 trillion for 2024 and N1.9 trillion in legacy debts). No possible solutions, including cash payments, financial instruments, and debt swaps, are in sight.

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“Budget Allocation Concerns: The 2025 government budget allocates only N900 billion, raising concerns about its adequacy to cover arrears and future payments.”

Furthermore, the group said that liquidity challenges are further worsened by the various policies introduced.

As a result of the policies, the association said “no one is under pressure to ensure GenCos invoices are fully settled”.

“The implication of this is that GenCos only get paid a portion of their invoices (9%, 11%) from whatever amount is left,” the association said.

The GenCos demanded immediate implementation of payment plans to settle all outstanding GenCos invoices.

“Reprioritization of payments under the waterfall arrangement to give full priority to a hundred percent payment of GenCos’ invoices as at when due. A clear financing plan to backstop the exposures in the NERC’s Supplementary Order to the MYTO and the DRO 2024,” the association said.

They also requested the provision of payment security backed by the World Bank and the African Development Bank (AfDB) to guarantee full payment to GenCos to enable them to meet their critical needs, ensuring adequate generation and expansion.

The GenCos urged the federal government to liberalise the market to create confidence and ensure the viability and creditworthiness of the power sector.

Also, the association demanded “full effectiveness of all market agreements, firm monitoring, and enforcement of the rules by the regulator on all market participants”.

In light of the severity of the issues, the GenCos requested that immediate action be taken to prevent national security challenges due to their failure to sustain Nigerians’ steady electricity generation.

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OPEC Cuts Global Oil Demand Forecast Over US Tariff Hike

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On Monday, OPEC announced a slight reduction in its oil demand growth forecast, attributing the change to the effects of U.S. tariffs on the global economy.

In its monthly report, the Saudi-led organization now anticipates an increase in demand of 1.3 million barrels per day (bpd) for 2025, a decrease from the previously estimated 1.4 million bpd.

This “minor adjustment” was primarily influenced by data from the first quarter and the anticipated repercussions on oil demand stemming from the recently imposed U.S. tariffs.

OPEC projects that global oil demand will reach a total of 105.05 million bpd this year. Additionally, the organization has slightly revised its global economic growth forecast down to three percent.

The report noted, “While the global economy exhibited a consistent growth pattern at the start of the year, the short-term outlook is now faced with increased uncertainty due to the recent tariff-related developments.”

Last week, oil prices fell to a four-year low, dropping below $60 per barrel amidst concerns regarding the implications of President Donald Trump’s tariffs. However, prices saw a rebound on Monday, with Brent North Sea crude, the international benchmark, rising by 1.3% to $65.62 per barrel.

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