The naira has weakened further against the US Dollar, falling to N1,500.79/$1 on the official market on June 25, 2024. This marks the lowest exchange rate since May 16, 2024, when it was recorded at N1,533.99/$1. According to the FMDQ data for the NAFEM window, the naira’s depreciation on June 25 represents a 0.71% decline from the previous day’s rate of N1,490.2/$1. This crash occurred amid the claim by the Governor of the Central Bank, Yemi Cardoso, that the country has already experienced the worst of naira volatility regarding foreign exchange. The naira traded at a high of N1,507/$1 and…
Author: Temitope N.
The Governor of the Central Bank, Yemi Cardoso, stated that the country has already experienced the worst of naira volatility regarding foreign exchange. Cardoso said this in an interview on Tuesday in London while speaking to Bloomberg TV. The head of the apex bank said he is satisfied with how far they have been able to manage the currency crisis in the past few months. Cardoso, however, added that it is a work in progress as they will continue to implement certain macroeconomic fundamentals that will positively impact the market. “We are relatively pleased with how far we’ve gotten now.…
The Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) is set to close the first half of 2024 on a positive note, driven by renewed investor confidence in listed companies. This marks a significant achievement for NGX, despite ongoing economic adversities such as heightened inflation, currency depreciation, and security challenges. This optimism has translated into discernible changes in purchasing patterns, with the All-Share Index closing at 99,217 index points as of June 25, 2024. The year-to-date (YTD) return of the NGX All-Share Index stands at 32.69%, highlighting strong performance despite recent bearish trends. However, the equities market has shown contrasting performances in the first…
The naira moderated by 71 basis points in the official market amid increased pressure from the U.S. dollar index, showing improved stability in the unofficial market. FMDQ data highlighted that the naira dipped by 0.71% against the greenback, settling at N1,500.79, much lower than N1,490.2/$ on Monday at the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market. Currency exchangers attributed the recent uptick in dollar demand to summer vacations and importers who require the haven currency for purchasing raw materials. Market fundamentals support the naira’s remarkable stability due to the fresh foreign cash inflows that have entered the Nigerian economy during the recent…
Ether spot Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), which passed the first stage of approval by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, are expected to attract up to $15 billion worth of net inflows in their first 18 months, Bitwise chief investment officer Matt Hougan wrote in a recent report. Matt Hougan is the Chief Investment Officer at Bitwise one of the proposed issuers of the Ethereum ETF and his report stressed that one way to estimate potential inflows is to consider the relative market caps of bitcoin (BTC) and ether. According to the report, Bitcoin is currently 74% of the total…
A recent report is recommending that universities in the United Kingdom reduce their visa allocations by 20% each year for foreign students. Also it suggests that the UK’s international education strategy should be rewritten to target diversification by country and qualification level. A key challenge highlighted is the availability of accommodation, a problem also faced in Australia and Canada, which many are considering is limiting international student numbers. The SMF ties its main recommendation to easing this strain. This is in a bid to prevent uncontrolled expansion while still keeping the UK attractive to international students, according to a new report called…
A senior Customs officer has tragically passed away during a committee investigative hearing at the National Assembly organized by the House of Representatives. This incident, which occurred during a committee meeting investigating Customs Finance, has been confirmed by the House Spokesman. According to initial reports, the senior officer fainted during the meeting. “During the engagement, which occurred around 1.00 pm on Tuesday, June 25, 2024, the official developed sudden health complications. Despite the immediate and diligent efforts of first responders and medical personnel at the National Assembly Clinic, he unfortunately passed away.” Akintunde Rotimi, the House spokesman, acknowledged the situation and…
The House of Representatives Committee on Corporate Social Responsibility (SCR) has threatened to sanction telecommunications companies, MTN and Airtel for failing to honour their invitation. Rep. Oby Orogbu, the Chairman of the Committee said this during a public hearing in Abuja on Tuesday on “a Bill to regulate corporate social responsibility in Nigeria”. According to her, MTN, and Airtel, had several times ignored the invitation of the Committee. Orogbu said the telecommunications were being invited to come and brief the Committee on their CSR initiatives. Warrant of arrest She said that the committee had no choice but to invoke its…
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has disbursed N3.62 billion to the six Area Councils, teachers, and pension schemes as statutory allocation for May. This was presided at the 190th FCT Joint Account Allocation Committee meeting held in Abuja on Tuesday. During the meeting, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, Minister of State for the FCT, announced the distribution of funds, detailing that N1.14 billion was allocated to the six Area Councils, while N2.49 billion was designated for teachers and pension schemes. In a breakdown of the N1.14 billion allocated to the Area Councils is as follows: Abuja Municipal Area Council received N346.53…
The Federal Government has approved the allocation of $1.442 million for the procurement of arms and ammunition for the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA)’s counter-narcotics operations. This approval was announced on Tuesday following the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu at the State House, Abuja. Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, briefed newsmen on the approvals, noting that his ministry had submitted three memoranda on behalf of the NDLEA. These memoranda also included the approval of N1.9 billion for the purchase of 33 CNG-compliant vehicles and N985 million for the…
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has announced that all SIM cards used in Nigeria are now produced in the country. The Head of New Media and Information Security at the NCC, Babagana Digima disclosed this development during a training session for media executives in Lagos. According to reports, the two-day training event, “Upskilling Media Stakeholders on Trends in Telecommunications,” was aimed at enhancing the understanding of media professionals about current trends and advancements in the telecom sector. Digima attributed this to the NCC’s major efforts to promote local content and indigenous participation in the telecommunications industry, spearheaded by the Nigeria…
The average retail price of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) in Nigeria has been steadily climbing since the removal of the fuel subsidy in 2023, affecting virtually all sectors of the economy. According to the latest report from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the nation’s average petrol price was N769.62 in May 2024, a 9.75% increase from N701.24 in April 2024. On a year-on-year basis, the retail price soared by an astonishing 223.21%, up from N238.11 per litre in May 2023. Here are the top 10 states in Nigeria where petrol prices were the highest in May 2024, as per…
Medical and health workers in Oyo State are set to commence a seven-day warning strike starting Monday, to press for their demands. The President of the state chapter of the Medical and Health Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), Mr. John Fabunmi, confirmed this development to newsmen in Ibadan on Sunday. The warning strike will involve members of the union across all health institutions in the state, including those in ministries, departments, and local government councils. The warning strike Fabunmi explained that the industrial action has become necessary due to the state government’s persistent neglect of their grievances. Fabunmi outlined the…
Nigerian fintech giant, Flutterwave, has slashed its workforce by 24, representing 3% of its total employees. The company announced this on Monday describing the exercise as part of a strategic restructuring focused on its core enterprise payments and remittance businesses. This brings closer to home the wave of tech layoffs by global tech giants that started last year and continued into the first quarter of 2024. Announcing the downsizing, Flutterwave’s CEO, Olugbenga Agboola said the company made a data-backed decision to recommit resources to its core business; enterprise payments and has also committed to doing more with its growing remittance segment;…
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has issued a stern warning to the public regarding the illicit distribution and sale of falsified Ginny Non-Dairy Creamer products in Nigeria. These products, primarily popular in the northern regions of the country, have been flagged for serious regulatory violations and pose significant risks to consumers. Non-dairy creamer, often used as a milk substitute in various beverages and food preparations, has become a target for counterfeiters looking to exploit its high demand. The falsified versions of Ginny Non-Dairy Creamer have been found to deviate substantially from regulatory standards, including…
The prices of major staple food items such as tomato, beans, garri, and potatoes rose by over 30% in May, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) food price watch for the month. The continuous rise in prices of goods and services appears unrelenting as the effect of the economic crunch makes life harder for millions of Nigerians who spend a large part of their income on food. The economy has been reeling from the effects of subsidy removal, exchange rate unification, and higher interest rates amidst a growing fiscal deficit. According to the report, the average price of…
Nigeria’s leisure industry is taking a hit as the soaring prices of food gulp more of Nigerians’ income, leaving less for pleasure. This is according to recent findings based on a survey conducted across three states and the Federal Capital Territory among business owners and customers over the course of two weeks. At Regional Hotel, considered a centre of pleasure in the Isashi District on the outskirts of Lagos, customers would struggle to get a seat on a Friday night and into the weekend six months ago. Today, the entertainment field and ballroom are half empty during the weekend. A…
Consulting firm, PwC, has projected a marginal decline in Nigeria’s inflation to 29.5% by the end of this year. The company made the projection in its latest economic outlook report on Nigeria released on Monday. According to the company, the decline would be achieved as a result of the ongoing reforms and policy actions of the government. As of May, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) shows Nigeria’s inflation rate surged to 33.95% in May 2024, up from 33.69% in April 2024. “PwC projects a marginal decline in inflation to 29.5% by year-end, balancing the effects of reforms, policy…
Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” has rapidly become the top movie of 2024, amassing approximately $725 million worldwide in just ten days. The film grossed an impressive $295 million in its opening weekend. The movie has consistently overperformed, setting weekday records and driving projections to a global total of over $600 million by the end of its second weekend. The pivotal moment came with Friday’s domestic earnings of $30 million, signaling a potential billion-dollar trajectory. On the Nigerian box office scene, “Inside Out 2” has grossed N24.2 million ($16,000) in the last ten days as of June 20, 2024. It ranks…
The Dominican Republic is expected to face a shortage of 10,000 to 20,000 nurses by 2030. This was discussed during a recent press conference held in the country by Principal Nursing Officer Terrilia Ravaliere who called for more individuals to pursue a career in nursing to enhance the quality of healthcare in Dominica The island nation is therefore calling for more individuals to pursue a career in the profession to mitigate the shortage indicating opportunities for foreign nurses. What they said Addressing the current shortage, Ravaliere emphasized, “We must increase the number of nurses to improve the overall quality of nursing to…