Business
FG Grants First Oil Exploration Licence Under PIA
The Federal Government has granted a Petroleum Exploration Licence to TGS-PetroData Offshore Services Limited, which is the first of such licence to be issued under the Petroleum Industry Act 2021.
It said the licence, which was granted by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Commission, was in compliance with the provisions of Section 71 (1) – (10) of the PIA.
It also announced, on Thursday, that Nigeria’s oil drilling rigs had increased from 10 in 2022, to 31 in August this year, a development that gave rise to increased crude oil output in September, as exclusively reported by The PUNCH on Thursday.
READ ALSO: Naira Depreciates Further In Parallel Market
The Chief Executive, NUPRC, Gbenga Komolafe, said the Petroleum Exploration Licence was under the licence agreement which the commission and TGS-PD executed for a geophysical survey project.
He said in a statement he personally signed that the licence was for the acquisition of about 56,000 square kilometres of 3D seismic and gravity data, adding that the development would attract investment in the oil and gas sector.
“Without data, reserves cannot be auctioned for development and revenue attraction. Data acquired under the PEL is not proprietary but speculative/multi-client survey data acquired in partnership with the NUPRC.
READ ALSO: CBN Lifts Forex Ban On 43 Items, To Intervene In FX Market
“The licence therefore authorises TGS-PetroData Offshore to carry out non-exclusive petroleum exploration operations on a multi-client basis within the licensed area and permits the use of the acquired 3D seismic and gravity data by exploration companies,” Komolafe stated.
On the rise in Nigeria’s rigs count, the NUPRC boss noted that in the years preceding the enactment of the PIA, investments in the Nigerian oil and gas industry declined mostly due to regulatory uncertainty, de-funding of fossil fuel development occasioned by energy transition and the global call for decarbonisation.
Business
CBN Issues Directive Clarifying Holding Companies’ Minimum Capital
The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has issued a definitive directive detailing how financial holding companies should calculate their minimum paid-up capital, following weeks of confusion that delayed the release of some banks’ half-year and nine-month financial statements.
In a circular dated November 14, 2025, the apex bank acknowledged “divergent interpretations” of the term minimum paid-up capital as stated in Section 7.1 of the 2014 Guidelines for Licensing and Regulation of Financial Holding Companies.
To eliminate ambiguity, the CBN ruled that minimum paid-up capital must be computed strictly as the par value of issued shares plus any share premium arising from their issuance.
READ ALSO:CBN Sets POS Maximum Transactions In Fresh Guidelines
“All Financial Holding Companies are required to apply this definition in computing their minimum capital requirement—without exception for subsidiaries,” the circular stated.
The regulator added that the directive takes immediate effect, noting that any previous interpretation that does not align with the new clarification “should be discontinued forthwith.”
The move is expected to calm market anxiety and provide clarity for lenders navigating ongoing regulatory capital requirements.
Business
Naira Records Massive Week-on-week Depreciation Against US Dollar
The Nigerian Naira recorded massive week-on-week losses against the United States dollar at the official foreign exchange market.
The Central Bank of Nigeria’s exchange rate showed that the Naira dipped significantly to end the week at N1,456.73 on Friday, November 21, 2025, down from N1,442.43 traded on November 14.
This means that on a weekly basis, the Naira shed N14.06 against the dollar at the official market.
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However, at the black market, currently battling with low patronage, it remained stable at N1,465, the same rate traded last week.
The development comes despite Nigeria’s foreign reserves rising by 1.25 per cent to $43.64 billion in the last week.
Business
Naira Appreciates Against US Dollar After Highest Dip
The Naira bounced back, recording an appreciation against the United States dollar at the official foreign exchange market after hitting its lowest point this week.
Data from the Central Bank of Nigeria showed that the Naira strengthened to N1,452.13 on Thursday, up from N1,454.19 traded on Wednesday.
This represents a gain of N2.06 against the dollar on a day-to-day basis.
READ ALSO:Naira Ranks Ninth Weakest Currency, Tanzania’s Strangest In Africa — Forbes Report [LIST]
Meanwhile, in the black market, the Naira depreciated by N5 to N1,470 per dollar on Thursday, down from N1,465 recorded the previous day.
The apex bank’s data indicated that the country’s external reserves continued to rise, standing at $44.12 billion as of 19 November 2025, despite the mixed sentiments in the currency exchange market.
Recall that on Wednesday, the Naira recorded its highest depreciation against the dollar at the official FX market.
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