Business
Nigeria’s Economic Growth Too Slow To Reduce Poverty – World Bank
The World Bank has warned that Nigeria’s economic growth is too slow to address the challenge of extreme poverty in the country.
Meanwhile, the bank has retained its economic growth (Gross Domestic Product, GDP) forecast of 2.8% for Nigeria in 2023, citing challenges of high inflation, foreign exchange shortages, and shortages of banknotes caused by currency redesign.
The World Bank gave the warning in the Global Development Prospect report for June 2023.
Among other things, the bank downgraded its economic growth forecast for Sub Saharan Africa to 3.2% for 2023, from 3.4% projected in its April World Economic Outlook. It also projected that global economic growth will slow to 2.1% in 2023, with prospects clouded by financial risks.
READ ALSO: Nigeria’s Borrowing From World Bank Hits $14.34bn In Q1 – Report
The World Bank stated: “After growing 3.1 percent last year, the global economy is set to slow substantially in 2023 to 2.1 percent, amid continued monetary policy tightening to rein in high inflation, before a tepid recovery in 2024, to 2.4 percent.
“Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) continued to decelerate earlier this year owing to various country-specific challenges and heightened external economic headwinds.
“Growth in the three largest SSA economies – Nigeria, South Africa and Angola – slowed to 2.8 percent in 2022 and continued to weaken in the first half of this year. In Angola and Nigeria – SSA’s largest oil producers – the growth momentum has stalled amid lower energy prices and stagnant oil production.
“The post-pandemic rebound in Nigeria’s non-oil sector cooled earlier this year because of persistently high inflation, foreign exchange shortages, and shortages of banknotes caused by currency redesign.
READ ALSO: FG Gets $800m World Bank Grant For Subsidy Palliatives
“Growth in SSA is expected to decline further to 3.2 percent in 2023 before picking up to 3.9 percent in 2024. The recovery in South Africa is projected to slow to 0.3 percent this year as widespread power outages weigh heavily on activity and contribute to the persistence of inflation.
“Growth in Nigeria is expected to remain barely above the population growth – far slower than needed to make significant inroads into mitigating extreme poverty.
“Outlook downgrades, however, extend beyond the major regional economies with elevated cost of living restraining private consumption and tighter policies holding back a pickup in investment in many countries.
“More broadly, worsened domestic vulnerabilities together with tight global financial conditions and weak global growth are expected to keep recoveries subdued.”
Business
Naira Records Massive Appreciation Against US Dollar Into Christmas Holidays
The Naira gained massively against the United States dollar in the last three days at the official foreign exchange as trading ended for the Christmas holidays.
Central Bank of Nigeria data showed that the Naira strengthened further on Wednesday to N1,443.37 per dollar, up from N1,449.99 on Tuesday.
This means that since Monday this week, the Naira has recorded a significant N13.18 gain against the dollar, according to the apex bank data.
READ ALSO:Naira Records Depreciation Against US Dollar Across Official, Black Markets
Similarly, at the black market, the Naira traded on Wednesday at N1,490 per dollar, an appreciation from the N1,500 exchanged on Monday but the same rate as on Tuesday.
The uptrend comes amid the rise in the country’s external reserves to $45.24 as of December 23rd, 2025.
DAILY POST reports that the Naira gained against the dollar at the official market on Monday and Tuesday.
Business
Report Any MRS Filling Stations Selling Fuel Above N739 Per Liter — Dangote Refinery To Nigerians
Dangote Refinery has urged Nigerians to report any MRS filling station outlets nationwide selling fuel above the N739 per liter announced price.
The company disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.
The refinery insisted that its petrol being at retail outlets remain N739 per liter while the gantry price is N699.
It further called on other filling station owners to patronize its refined petroleum products at the N699 rate.
“We also call on other petrol station operators to patronize our products so that the benefits of this price reduction can be passed on to Nigerians across all outlets, ensuring broad-based relief and a more stable downstream market.”
READ ALSO:Dangote Sugar Announces South New CEO
Recall that Aliko Dangote, the president of Dangote Refinery, had pegged the retail price of his petrol at a maximum of N740.
DAILY POST reports that MRS filling and other filling stations had reduced fuel prices to between N739 and N912 per liter in Abuja.
However, reports emerged that some MRS filling stations were selling above the N739 per liter announced price benchmark.
Business
Naira Records Significant Appreciation Against US Dollar
The Naira recorded significant appreciation against the United States dollar on Monday at the official foreign exchange market to begin the week ahead of Yuletide on a good note.
The Central Bank of Nigeria’s data showed that the Naira strengthened to N1,456.56 per dollar on Monday, up from N1,464.49 traded on Friday last week, 19th December 2025.
This means that the Naira gained N7.93 against the dollar when compared with the N1,464.49 was exchanged as of Friday, December 19, 2025. DAILY POST reports that Monday’s gain at the official FX market is the first since December 15th.
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Meanwhile, at the black market, the Naira remained stable at N1500 per dollar on Monday, according to multiple Bureau De Change operators in Wuse Zone 4, Abuja.
The development comes as the country’s external reserves stood at $44.66 billion as of last week Friday.
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