Business

Why Buhari Approved Old Naira Deadline Extension — Emefiele

Published

3 years ago

January 29, 2023

President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday, in Daura, approved the Central Bank of Nigeria’s request to extend the deadline for swapping of old naira notes with the redesigned notes from January 31, 2023, to February 10, 2023.

Buhari also approved a seven-day grace period which runs from February 10 to February 17 2023, to allow Nigerians to deposit their old notes at the CBN after which the old notes cease to be Legal Tender.

The CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, disclosed these to State House correspondents shortly after he met the President in his country home in Daura, Katsina State, on Sunday.

He disclosed that 75 per cent of the N2.7tn held outside the banking system had been recovered.

The governor said, “We are happy that so far, the exercise has achieved a success rate of over 75 per cent of the N2.7tn held outside the banking system. Nigerians in the rural areas, villages, the aged and vulnerable have had the opportunity to swap their old notes; leveraging the Agent Naira Swap initiative as well as the CBN senior staff nationwide sensitisation team exercise.

“Aside from those holding illicit/stolen naira in their homes for speculative purposes, we do aim to give all Nigerians that have naira legitimately earned and trapped, the opportunity to deposit their legitimately trapped monies at the CBN for exchange.

“Based on the foregoing, we have sought and obtained Mr President’s approval for the following: 10-day extension of the deadline from January 31, 2023, to February 10, 2023; to legitimately held by Nigerians and achieve more success in cash swap in our rural communities after which all old notes outside the CBN losses their Legal tender Status.

“Our CBN staff currently on mass mobilisation and monitoring together with officials of the EFCC and ICPC will work together to achieve these objectives. A seven-day grace period, beginning on February 10 to February 17,2023, in compliance with Sections 20(3) and 22 of the CBN Act allowing Nigerians to deposit their old notes at the CBN after the February deadline when the old currency would have lost its Legal Tender status.

“We therefore appeal to all Nigerians to work with the Central Bank of Nigeria to ensure a hitch free the implementation of this very important process for program.”

Emefiele also vowed that Nigerians found selling, abusing or spraying the new naira notes at public functions will be “sanctioned” by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

He said with each note having a unique number, abused currencies can now be tracked to their users.

“For those involved in this, even if they are CBN staff members, they will be sanctioned. We will track them. Luckily, those new naira notes have trackers, we have their numbers because they have been issued.

“Once we see these numbers, we will track them and we will make public those that are involved in this business of selling new naira. Whereas, there are people who are suffering in the villages that need those new notes, we will deal with them.

“We have passed on a few videos to the EFCC and they are going to track these people. It’s not about the CBN tracking them. It’s about the EFCC or the ICPC and independent enforcement institutions to go after them,” he said.

Business

Dangote Refinery Reduces Fuel Price

Published

23 hours ago

August 12, 2025

Editor

Dangote Petroleum Refinery has announced a reduction in the ex-depot (gantry) price of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, commonly known as petrol, by N30, from N850 to N820 per litre, effective from August 12, 2025.

This was disclosed in a statement by the company’s spokesman, Anthony Chijiena, on Tuesday.

The 650,000-barrel-per-day plant said the move is part of its unwavering commitment to national development, assuring the public of a consistent and uninterrupted supply of petroleum products.

Business

Indian Refiners Abandon Russia For Nigerian Crude, As Dangote Refinery Relies On US

Published

2 days ago

August 11, 2025

Editor

India Refineries have abandoned Russian crude for Nigerian crude, while domestic refiner Dangote Refinery relies heavily on West Texas Intermediate crude from the United States of America.

This followed a recent sanction threat by US president Donald Trump on India over continued patronage of Russian crude.

According to Reuters, industry sources said that Indian Oil Corporation recently bought one million barrels of Nigeria’s Agbami crude for September 2025 delivery in a tender awarded to global trader Trafigura.

Also included are one million barrels of Angola Girassol, one million barrels of US Mars, three million barrels of Abu Dhabi Murban, and two million barrels of Nigerian oil, according to Reuters.

The report noted that the purchase is part of a broader sourcing spree that has seen Indian refiners secure millions of barrels from non-Russian sources post July 2025.

Meanwhile, Indian refiners secured purchases of Nigerian crude grades; the $20bn Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, is relying on around 60 percent on US and other imoorts to feed its processing units.

Data showed that the refinery imported an average of 10 million barrels in July 2025, saying it was increasingly relying on the US for its feedstock despite the naira-for-crude deal with the Federal Government, which kicked off in October last year.

According to Reuters, the Indian Oil Corp and Bharat Petroleum have bought a million barrels of non-Russian crude billed for delivery in September and October after the US pressured India to halt purchases from Russia.

Business

NNPCL Increases Fuel Price

Published

1 week ago

August 5, 2025

Editor

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, has increased the pump price of premium motor spirit across its retail outlets.

It was gathered that NNPCL retail outlets in Abuja have adjusted their fuel pump price to N955 per litre from N890.

This is the case in NNPCL retail outlets along Kubwa Expressway, Wuse and other parts of Abuja.

Similarly, the pump price hike has been implemented at filling stations in Kogi and Nasarawa.

This means that the petrol pump price was increased by N65.

This comes after independent petroleum product marketers and filling station owners in Abuja increased petrol pump prices to between N950 and N971 per litre at the weekend. Their decision followed an upward review of the ex-depot petrol price by Dangote Refinery to N858 per litre, up from N820.