Business

Crude Oil Sales Rise By 46% To N21tn – NBS

Published

3 years ago

March 10, 2023

Nigeria’s crude oil sales rose by 46.41 per cent to push Nigeria’s total export to N26.79tn in 2022.

This is as total trade rose by 31.79 per cent from N39.75tn in 2021 to N52.39tn in 2022. In 2022, crude oil sales totalled N21.09tn, a 46.41 per cent increase from N14.41tn in 2021. In 2022, crude oil accounted for 78.74 per cent of total export.

According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, total exports for 2022 rose by 41.72 per cent from N18.91tn in 2021 to N26.79tn as of 2022. Imports rose by 22.77 per cent from N20.84tn in 2021 to N25.59tn in 2022.

In 2022, Nigeria spent N2.63tn importing food and live animal; N10.12tn importing petroleum and other mineral fuel; N1.93tn on manufactured goods; and N5.93tn on machinery and transport equipment.

Commenting on the growth of foreign trade, the NBS said, “In the fourth quarter of 2022, Nigeria’s total trade stood at N11.72tn of which total exports stood at N6.36tn and total imports amounted to N5.36tn.

“On an annual basis, total trade was N52.39tn, total imports amounted to N25.59tn, and total exports were recorded at N26.79tn.”

Explaining the breakdown for Q4, 2022, the national statistics body stated, “The top five export destinations in the fourth quarter of 2022 were Spain, Netherlands, India, France, and Indonesia accounting for 9.70 per cent, 9.03 per cent, 7.71 per cent, 7.70 per cent and 7.44 per cent respectively of total exports.

“Altogether, exports to the top five countries amounted to 41.59 per cent of the total value of exports.”

It added, “In terms of Imports, in the fourth quarter of 2022, China, Belgium, India, The Netherlands, and the United States of America were the top five countries of origin of imports to Nigeria.

“The values of imports from the top five countries amounted to N2.99tn representing a share of 55.82 per cent of the total value of imports. The commodities with the largest values of imported products were ‘Motor Spirit Ordinary’ (N1.56tn), ‘Gas Oil’ (N220.47bn), and ‘Durum Wheat (Not in seeds)’ (N187.96bn)”

Despite witnessing a boost in crude oil sales, the World Bank had stated that Nigeria did not benefit from oil price boom because of fuel subsidies and reduce oil production.

According to the global bank, the average price of crude oil increased by over 150 per cent from 2020 to 2022, but Nigeria’s macroeconomic performance weakened over this time, with its fiscal space shrinking. It stated that in 2022, the government fiscal deficit was estimated to have increased to 5.7 percent of GDP from 5.4 percent in 2020 before the boom.

The Washington-based bank said that high production costs, theft and insecurity, joint-venture cash-call arrears, and inadequate investment have caused Nigeria’s crude oil output to fall consistently below its Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries quota since June 2020.

Commenting on fuel subsidy, the bank explained, “Second, the ballooning cost of the petrol subsidy: The continuation of the petrol subsidy (deducted directly from oil revenues) implies forgone fiscal revenues of 2.5–2.7 per cent of GDP in 2022.

“This, combined with the protracted decline in oil production, has resulted in the lowest levels of net oil revenues (in percent of GDP) being transferred to the government in over a decade.”

In its recent article IV report on Nigeria, the International Monetary Fund stated, “Higher oil prices are yet to deliver tangible benefits amid contraction of oil production and costly fuel subsidies.”

According to the IMF, Nigeria has missed its opportunity to benefit from higher global oil prices. From January to July 2022, Nigeria’s oil production slumped by 28 million barrels threatening the Federal Government’s N9.37tn oil and gas revenue target for 2022.

From January and April, the government projected that it would earn N3.12tn, but only generated only N1.23tn in the period.

A former President, Association of National Accountants of Nigeria, Dr Sam Nzekwe, had stated that the continued reduction in oil production and the country’s inability to meet its revenue target might lead to bankruptcy.

He said, “The massive oil theft in the Niger Delta, which is on an industrial scale, has continued to stop Nigeria from meeting its OPEC production quota. The impact of this is very clear. The finance minister told you that the government was finding it difficult to meet its obligations because of a lack of funds.”

Business

Fuel Scarcity Looms As PENGASSAN Stops Gas, Crude Supply To Dangote Refinery

Published

1 day ago

September 27, 2025

Editor

The industrial dispute between the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria took a dramatic turn on Saturday as the union ordered seven branches to cut off crude oil and gas supplies to the $20bn facility.

In a letter dated September 26 and signed by its General Secretary, Lumumba Okugbawa, the union accused the refinery’s management of sacking its members in retaliation for exercising their constitutional right to join the union.

The union’s move marks an escalation in the standoff, with PENGASSAN accusing the refinery of anti-labour practices and the unlawful sack of its members.

In the directive issued to its branch chairmen, PENGASSAN instructed its branch chairmen in key upstream and midstream oil companies, including TotalEnergies, Chevron, Seplat, Shell Nigeria Gas, Oando, and Nigerian Gas Infrastructure Company, to immediately cut off all crude oil and gas supplies to the refinery.

The directive comes after PENGASSAN alleged that Nigerian workers were sacked by Dangote Refinery after joining the union, claiming that management also withdrew staff buses and denied entry to locals while allowing expatriates access.

The union threatened to picket the refinery if the situation was not addressed.

In a statement on Friday, the refinery clarified that only a small number of workers were affected by what it described as a reorganisation aimed at preventing acts of sabotage within the facility. It said over 3,000 Nigerians remain in employment, rejecting claims of mass layoffs.

Dangote maintained that the restructuring was necessary after what it described as recurring acts of sabotage in different units of the refinery, which posed serious risks to human lives and operations.

As a result, PENGASSAN instructed its branches in TotalEnergies, Seplat, Chevron, Oando, Shell Nigeria Gas, Renaissance, and NGIC to cut gas supply to the refinery immediately.

The union described the move as “illegitimate” and accused the refinery of spreading misinformation instead of addressing the matter through dialogue.

“As you are aware, the Management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery has disengaged our members in reaction to the exercise of their constitutional right to being unionized.

“They have gone further on a mission of misinformation and propaganda to justify this illegitimacy rather than engaging meaningfully with us to right the wrong.

“Consequent to these, you are hereby directed to cut off gas supply to NGIC effective immediately. All crude oil supply valves to the Refinery should be shut. The loading operation for vessel headed there should be halted immediately,” the directive read.

The union further mandated the NGIC Chairman to ensure strict compliance with the order and told all branch chairmen to give regular updates on the action taken.

“NGIC Chairman, ensure that gas supply to the Refinery is cut off effective immediately. All chairmen on this summons are to report promptly the progress of the directive. Kindly accept the assurances of our highest esteem. Thank you,” the statement read.

Reaffirming its solidarity, PENGASSAN ended the directive with its slogan: “Injury to one! Injury to all!”

On Thursday, the company announced it would suspend petrol sales in naira from September 28 following the exhaustion of its crude-for-naira allocations.

Business

Fuel Price Hike Looms As Dangote Refinery Stops Petrol Sales In Naira

Published

1 day ago

September 27, 2025

Editor

The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has announced the suspension of petrol sales in naira, unsettling marketers and raising fresh concerns over fuel pricing and foreign exchange pressure.

In an email sent to customers at 6:42 p.m. on Friday, the refinery said the decision would take effect from Sunday, September 28, 2025, citing the exhaustion of its crude-for-naira allocation as the reason.

The notice, titled “Suspension of DPRP PMS Naira Sales – Effective 28th September 2025” and signed by the Group Commercial Operations of Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals, also asked customers with ongoing naira-based transactions to formally request refunds.

“We write to inform you that Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals has been selling petroleum products in excess of our Naira-Crude allocations and, consequently, we are unable to sustain PMS sales in Naira going forward,” the statement read.

“Kindly note that this suspension of Naira sales for PMS will be effective from Sunday, 28th of September, 2025. We will provide further updates regarding the resumption of supply once the situation has been resolved.

“All customers with PMS transactions in Naira who would like a refund of their current payments should formally request the processing of their refund.”

The move comes amid a raging dispute between the refinery and labour unions over the alleged mass sack of more than 800 Nigerian workers. This controversy has drawn public outrage and calls for government intervention.

This is the second time the refinery has halted local currency transactions. In March 2025, it briefly suspended sales of refined products in naira, blaming inadequate allocations under the crude-for-naira programme.

Business

Naira Appreciates Massively Against US Dollar In The Black Market, Highest In 15 Months

Published

3 days ago

September 25, 2025

Editor

The naira appreciated massively against the United States dollar at the parallel foreign exchange market.

Abubakar Alhasan, a Bureau De Change operator in Wuse Zone, Abuja, told DAILY POST that the Naira strengthened significantly to N1,490 per dollar on Wednesday, up from N1,520 on Tuesday.

“We buy at N1480 and sell at N1490 on Wednesday due to lower FX demand,” Alhasan confirmed to newsmen.

This means that the Naira gained N30 against the dollar on a day-to-day basis.

The last time they were exchanged at this level in the black market was in June 2024.

Meanwhile, at the official market, it dropped marginally by N1.19 to N1,488.56 per dollar on Wednesday, down from N1,487.37, according to data from the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Analysing the trend at both markets, the difference between official and parallel markets has shrunk to 1.44.

Recall that on Tuesday, the Naira appreciated across official and parallel foreign exchange markets upon an interest rate cut by the apex bank by 50 basis points to 27 per cent.