Business

National Economic Council Approves Nigeria Agenda 2050, Projects 163 Million New Jobs, 7% Real GDP Growth

Published

2 years ago

February 14, 2023

…as Osinbajo inaugurates Steering Committee on NDP 2021 – 2025

The National Economic Council on Thursday, in Abuja, endorsed the Nigeria Agenda 2050; a plan aimed at increasing real Gross Domestic Product growth by seven per cent, creating 165 million new jobs and reducing the number of people living in poverty to 2.1 million in 2050, from the 83 million people estimated in 2020.

This comes 29 months after the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), launched the National Steering Committee for the preparation of the Medium-Term National Development Plan 2021 – 2025 and Nigeria Agenda 2050.

Its overarching goal is to take Nigeria through to an Upper Middle-Income Country and subsequently to the status of a High-Income country.

The council approved the agenda after its emergency session and first meeting in 2023 presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, after it was presented by the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning to State Governors and other members of the NEC.

The Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, revealed this in a statement signed late Tuesda, titled ‘National Economic Council endorses Nigeria Agenda 2050’.

Speaking after the presentation and discussion by Council members, Osinbajo observed that the plan “captures a lot of the expectations for Nigeria in the future and hopefully implementation which is key if effectively done.”

The Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Clem Agba, said the Federal Government had taken unprecedented steps in ensuring the operationalisation of the plan, especially with the inauguration of the Steering Committee of the National Development Plan by the VP.

Earlier on Tuesday, Osinbajo had unveiled the Steering Committee of the National Development Plan 2021 – 2025.

According to him, the Steering Committee will “provide the necessary policy guidance and leadership for effective and successful implementation of the plan.”

The launching comes 14 months after the President unveiled the National Development Plan on December 22, 2021.

About two years earlier, on September 9, 2020, Buhari unveiled the National Steering Committee for the preparation of the Medium-Term National Development Plan 2021 – 2025 and Nigeria Agenda 2050.

The Nigeria Agenda 2050 is formulated against the backdrop of several subsisting development challenges in the country.

They include low, fragile and non-inclusive economic growth; high population growth rate, pervasive insecurity, limited diversification, macroeconomic and social instability, low productivity and high import dependence.

The plan targets Nigeria’s long-term ambition to improve its per capita Gross Domestic Product from about US$2,084.05 in 2020 to US$6,223.23 in 2030 and US$33,328.02 in 2050, with rapid and sustained economic growth, job creation and poverty reduction.

It also “projects annual average real GDP growth of 7.0 per cent.”

“The real growth rate of the GDP of the first medium-term NDP 2021-2025 on average will be 4.65 per cent and this will increase to 8.01 per cent in the second NDP; subsequently, it is expected to increase to 8.43 per cent in the third.

“Consequently, the number of full time jobs created will be roughly 165 million during the Agenda period to spur poverty reduction.

“The number of people in poverty will decline from the roughly 83 million in 2020 to about 47.8 million in 2025 and to 2.1 million by 2050, thus taking a significant segment of the population out of poverty,” the statement read.
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Business

French Media Giant Acquires MultiChoice In $3bn Deal, Gains Full Control Of DStv, GOtv

Published

9 hours ago

July 23, 2025

Editor

French media conglomerate Canal+ has officially acquired full ownership of MultiChoice Group, the parent company of DStv and GOtv, in a landmark $3 billion (approx. 55 billion rand) deal. The acquisition, which gives Canal+ the remaining 55% stake it did not previously own, was approved by South Africa’s Competition Tribunal on Wednesday, July 23.

The approval comes after months of intense negotiations and regulatory reviews, and paves the way for the deal to be finalized by October 8, 2025. While the Tribunal gave the green light, it imposed several public interest conditions to protect local content and maintain South Africa’s media sovereignty.

For Canal+, the deal represents a major strategic expansion into Africa’s booming media and entertainment market. Already operating in 25 African countries with over eight million subscribers, Canal+ is now positioned to significantly scale up its presence, targeting 50 to 100 million subscribers across the continent in the coming years.

MultiChoice, Africa’s largest pay-TV broadcaster, brings more than 14.5 million subscribers in 50 sub-Saharan African countries, as well as flagship platforms like DStv and GOtv. The company is also home to premium content brands such as SuperSport, making it an attractive acquisition for the French media powerhouse.

Describing the deal as transformative, Canal+ CEO Maxime Saada said: “The combined group will benefit from enhanced scale, greater exposure to high-growth markets and the ability to deliver meaningful synergies.”

One of the key benefits of the merger is the integration of Canal+’s French-language content with MultiChoice’s dominant English and Portuguese offerings—creating a multilingual media powerhouse capable of serving diverse African audiences.

Beyond strategic value, the acquisition is also a timely boost for MultiChoice. The deal is expected to inject fresh capital into the South African broadcaster, enabling deeper investment in local content production, technology upgrades, and digital innovation.

As part of the Competition Tribunal’s conditional approval, Canal+ has committed to spend approximately 26 billion rand over the next three years on initiatives aligned with South Africa’s public interest objectives. These include retaining MultiChoice’s headquarters in South Africa, maintaining investment in local content and sports broadcasting, and supporting local content creators.

In a joint statement, both companies reaffirmed their commitment to the South African media ecosystem: “We will maintain funding for South African general entertainment and sports content, providing local content creators with a strong foundation for future success.”

Canal+ began its takeover bid in 2023 with a mandatory buyout offer of 125 rand per share, valuing MultiChoice at around $3 billion. With full ownership now secured, the French media giant is poised to redefine Africa’s pay-TV industry, tapping into its vast potential and shifting the competitive

Business

JUST IN: Again, NNPCL Reduces Fuel Price

Published

18 hours ago

July 23, 2025

Editor

Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has reduced its premium motor spirit price for the second time in one week.

It was observed on Wednesday, that the state-owned oil firm has adjusted its petrol price to N890 per litre from N895.

This represents an N5 per litre downward price review when compared to its earlier N895 pump price.

NNPCL retail outlets along Kubwa Expressway, Gwarimpa, Wuse Zone 4, and others in Abuja have adjusted their pumps to the new price.

The latest adjustment comes barely a week after the company implemented a retail price slash.

While NNPCL retail outlets dispense fuel at N890 per litre, Dangote Refinery’s retail partners, such as AP Ardova, Optima, MRS, and Bovas filling stations, sell at N885 per litre.

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria’s National President Abubakar Maigandi told DAILY POST earlier that fuel prices will continue to fluctuate because of the deregulation of the oil and gas downstream sector.

Business

Nigeria’s Economy Grew By 3.13% In Q1 2025 — NBS

Published

2 days ago

July 22, 2025

Editor

Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product grew by 3.13 per cent year-on-year in real terms in the first quarter of 2025.

This is according to the latest report by the National Bureau of Statistics on Monday.

According to the bureau, this represents an improvement over the 2.27 per cent growth recorded in the corresponding period of 2024.

The NBS, in its Q1 2025 GDP report, said the economic performance in the quarter was driven mainly by the services and industry sectors.

The report read, “Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 3.13 per cent (year-on-year) in real terms in the first quarter of 2025. This growth rate is higher than the 2.27 per cent recorded in the first quarter of 2024.”