Business

Business Owners Cry Out Over Eviction, Planned Demolition Of Ondo Trade Fair Complex

Published

3 years ago

April 6, 2022

The Association of Business Owners at the Ondo State Trade Fair Complex has moved against the planned demolition of the complex by the state government.

According to the business owners within the complex, which is situated in Alagbaka, Akure, the state capital, the state government would be acting illegally on the planned action as their lease agreement has not expired.

Speaking through the Chairman of the Association, Prince Adelokiki Orimisan, and Secretary Mr Akinwande Segun, a notice to quit the complex was served on his members on March 24, 2022, which indicated that all legal occupants should vacate the premises.

The quit notice was said to have been served in order to pave the way for the demolition of the complex by April 7th which will be carried out by the state government.

“To start with, we are all legal occupants of the said property who entered into a proper and documented lease agreement with the Ondo State Government.

“And that we are still having our lease agreement running for years.

“While some of our members just renewed their tenancy agreement with the government, some still have like a year or two running before the expiration of their tenancy which is subject to renewal as the case may be.

“It’s pertinent to state without equivocation that the Ondo State Government as led by Governor Rotimi Akeredolu has not followed the due process of law in this case. To what intent, we don’t know!

“While we have briefed our lawyers to initiate legal proceedings against the government on the proposed illegal demolition, we are duty-bound as citizens of this state to let the people know what the potential evils the demolition of the Trade Fair Complex portends.

“The Trade Fair Complex was established by the government of the first civilian Governor of Ondo State, Chief Michael Adekunle Ajasin.

“Essentially, the complex was to allow business owners, innovators, inventors and budding entrepreneurs to have a common platform where they can showcase their business activities and ventures to attract buyers or even joint partners or venture capitalists who can invest in their businesses for expansion.

“Over the years, the place had been abandoned by successive administrations in the state due to their own acutely myopic economic management capacity.

“We ask that, in the alternative, the government should give us a one year notice to quit as required by one of the provisions of our tenancy agreement.

“We ask that if the government can no longer wait for the exhaustion of all the terms and agreements in our lease document, the government should relocate all legit business owners within the Complex to another place to be provided by the government with all expenses of the relocation borne by the government.”

Business

Naira Depreciates Against Dollar

Published

15 hours ago

July 4, 2025

Editor

The Naira experienced a slight depreciation on Friday at the official market, trading at N1,528.56 to the dollar.

Data obtained from the website of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) showed that the Naira lost N2.73.

This represents a 0.17 percent loss compared to the N1,525.82 recorded on Thursday.

The Naira, which opened the week on Monday with a gain of N9.52 against the dollar, held steady gains until Thursday.

On Wednesday, the local currency gained N3.42 against the dollar and received commendation from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The IMF, in its 2025 Article IV Consultation report on Nigeria, commended the CBN for its reforms to the foreign exchange market, which supported price discovery and liquidity.

Business

JUST IN: Dangote Refinery Hikes Petrol Ex-depot Price

Published

2 weeks ago

June 20, 2025

Editor

Nigerians may soon pay more for petrol as the Dangote Petroleum Refinery on Friday increased its ex-depot price for Premium Motor Spirit to N880 per litre, raising fresh concerns over fuel affordability and price volatility in the downstream sector.

Checks on petroleumprice.ng, a platform tracking daily product prices, and a Pro Forma Invoice seen by The PUNCH confirmed the hike, representing a N55 increase from the previous rate of N825 per litre.

The increment would ripple across the entire fuel distribution chain, likely pushing pump prices above N900/litre in some parts of the country, especially in areas far from the distribution hubs.

The hike comes despite global crude prices falling. Brent crude dipped by 3.02% to $76.47, WTI fell to $74.93, and Murban dropped to $76.97 on Friday. The decline in benchmarks offers little relief due to persistent fears of sudden supply disruptions.

The refinery has increased its reliance on imported U.S. crude and operational costs amid exchange rate instability, which adds to its pricing pressure.

On Thursday, the President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, said his 650,000-barrel capacity refinery is “increasingly” relying on the United States for crude oil.

This came as findings showed that the Dangote Petroleum Refinery is projected to import a total of 17.65 million barrels of crude oil between April and July 2025, beginning with about 3.65 million barrels already delivered in the past two months, amid ongoing allocations under the Federal Government’s naira-for-crude policy.

Dangote informed the Technical Committee of the One-Stop Shop for the sale of crude and refined products in naira initiative that the refinery was still battling crude shortages, which had led it to resort to imports from the United States.

On Monday, the president of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, Festus Osifo, accused oil marketers of exploiting Nigerians through inflated petrol prices, insisting that the current pump price of PMS should range between N700 and N750 per litre.

He criticised the disparity between falling global crude oil prices and the stagnant retail price of petrol in Nigeria.

“If you go online and check the PLAT cost per cubic metre of PMS, convert that to litres and then to our Naira, you will see that with crude at around $60 per barrel, petrol should be retailing between N700 and N750 per litre.”

He asserted that if Nigerians bear the brunt of higher fuel costs, they should be allowed to enjoy the benefit of low pricing.

His forecast of increased costs now appears spot on, considering the latest developments.

Marketers are already adjusting. Depot owners and fuel distributors in Lagos and other cities anticipate a domino effect, with new price bands expected to follow Dangote’s lead.

Many had held back pricing decisions since Tuesday, when the refinery halted sales and withheld fresh PFIs. The delay fueled speculation, allowing opportunistic price hikes across various depots.

Business

Naira Appreciates At Official Market

Published

1 month ago

May 24, 2025

Editor

The Naira, which has seen steady appreciation against the Dollar all week, closed stronger on Friday, trading at ₦1,580.44 in the official forex market.

Data from the Central Bank of Nigeria’s website show the Naira gained ₦4.51k against the Dollar on Friday alone.

This marks a 0.28 per cent appreciation from Thursday’s closing rate of ₦1,584.95 in the official foreign exchange window.

The local currency maintained consistent strength throughout the week, recording gains daily.

On Monday, May 19, it traded at ₦1,598.68; on Tuesday, at ₦1,590.45; and on Wednesday, at ₦1,584.49.

These gains suggest increased investor confidence and improved forex supply, contributing to the naira’s performance.

Meanwhile, the CBN, at its 300th Monetary Policy Committee meeting held Monday and Tuesday, retained the Monetary Policy Rate at 27.5 per cent.