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Against Emefiele’s claims, facts reveal NNPC remitted $2.7bn to its CBN accounts in six months

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CBN

Against Emefiele’s claims, facts reveal NNPC remitted $2.7bn to its CBN accounts in six months

Against Emefiele’s claims, facts reveal NNPC remitted $2.7bn to its CBN accounts in six months

 

 

Despite claims by the Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele, that the crisis being experienced by the Naira was due to non-remittances by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd, fresh facts revealed that the national oil company actually remitted a whopping sum of $2.7bn into its account with the apex bank during the first six months of this year.

The inflow into the NNPC’s account with the CBN, according to records seen by this website, was made between January and June this year.

 

 

 

 

 

The CBN has in a report titled: “The forex question in Nigeria: Fact sheet”, accused the NNPC Ltd of being behind the Naira crisis in Nigeria.

Specifically, the report stated that “domestically, there has been zero-dollar remittance to the country’s foreign reserve by the NNPC.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But investigations by this newspaper showed that out of the $2.7bn remittance into the NNPC account with the CBN, the sum of $645m was for dividend paid by the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas Company Ltd, while $1.786bn was remitted from the operational activities of the NNPC Ltd.

Further analysis showed that the sum of $18,770,418.97 was remitted into the NNPC account with CBN in January, while February, and March had inflows of $194, 563, 276. 49 and $373, 232,875.20 respectively.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Investigations further revealed that in the month of April, the inflow into the NNPC’s account with the apex bank was $247,884,295.52, May $591, 565, 425. 41 and June $880, 906, 761.81

Recall, this newspaper had reported how the Naira had depreciated to its lowest level in history to about N730 a dollar on the parallel market under the leadership of Emefiele as the CBN Governor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The apex bank governor had in recent times put the blame of the declining value of the currency on different stakeholders.

For instance, in 2018, the CBN Governor said that the huge appetite of Nigerians for importation was responsible for the declining value of the Naira. He thereafter placed a ban on Forex accessibility for importation of 41 items.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In July 2021, Emefiele also hit at Bureau De Change (BDC) operators accusing them that their illegal forex trading was having a negative impact on the Naira.

In September 2021, Emefiele blamed Aboki FX for the naira depreciation the country had suffered then and threatened to arrest the brain behind the forex intelligence firm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Early this year, the CBN governor again blamed the Naira depreciation on activities of those involved in money laundering, financing of terrorism as well as politicians.

This week, he has shifted the blame to the Nigerian National Petroluem Company Ltd.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) had while reacting to the latest onslaught of the CBN Governor claimed that he has been working with opposition political parties and other groups to sabotage the Nigerian economy under President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Group made the accusation in a statement issued on Sunday and signed by its President, Solomon Adodo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the statement which was made available to THE WHISTLER, the NYCN claimed that the poor economic management policies of the apex bank under the leadership of Emefiele was responsible for the recent free-fall of the naira.

The NYCN said in the statement that the inability of CBN to promptly release Joint Venture (JV) cash-call funding from the Treasury Single Account (TSA) even when the NNPC had adequate cash cover, had led to loss of JV Partners’ confidence to restore production and reap the benefits of today’s improved oil prices.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adodo said in the statement that as of date, over three months dollar-denominated cash call payment amounting to over $400m properly processed are yet to be paid by CBN.

The group flayed Emefiele for completely failing to concentrate on his core mandate of price stability as a CBN Governor, pointing out that with inflation hitting about 19 per cent and the exchange rate at close to N750 to a dollar, the CBN governor has pushed more Nigerians into poverty.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The action of the CBN governor, the statement said, negates President Muhammadu Buhari’s objective to take 100 million people out of poverty.

He said, “The combined impact of CBN’s inability to promptly release JV cash-call to restore production, the increasing losses due to crude oil theft and production deferments has culminated to significant crude oil output losses of over 600, 000 barrels per day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“At the current year-to-date average crude oil price of $107 per barrel, Nigeria is counting opportunity loses translating to over $64m per day, and a monumental impact of about $2bn per month.

“To its credit, NNPC has recorded significant gains on production ramp up including attaining ‘first oil’ production from the Anyala – Madu Fields and most recently Ikike fields which cumulatively boost national oil production by almost 80, 000 barrels per day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Furthermore, NNPC’s efforts towards attaining additional combined production of over 100, 000 barrels from fields like Obodo , Utapate etc has never abated despite the global setback recorded as a result of the effects of COVID-19 pandemic.”

He added, “In 2021, Emefiele blamed Aboki FX for the naira depreciation the country suffered then, it thereafter blamed members of the Association Bureau De Change, which led to the stoppage of dollar sales to the group, at another time, Emefiele blamed the naira depreciation on activities of money laundering, financing of terrorism as well as politicians.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Today, he has shifted the blame to the NNPC. This is clearly a case of a bad workman who blames every other person for his inability to deliver.”

The Group alleged that since his failed presidential bid, Emefiele has been working with various groups in the opposition to sabotage the government .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The statement added, “To us at the NYCN, Emefiele is tired and should be relieved of his appointment.

“From all indications since his failed presidential bid as well as his rejection by the All Progressives Congress, a partisan Emefiele has been doing all to rubbish the achievements of President Muhammadu Buhari.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“There are also allegations that Emefiele has been hobnobbing with the opposition Peoples Democratic Party since his failed presidential bid.

“We are all witness to the fact that from August 2020 to July 2022, official exchange rate has moved from N381 to N415/$, representing only nine per cent increase.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“However, the parallel market has moved from N470 to N710 within the same period representing 51 per cent increase and a record 71 per cent arbitrage with the official exchange rate creating a huge incentive for round tripping, price gouging, sharp market practices and inflation.

“The NYCN is therefore shocked by the comment of the Governor associating the free-fall of the parallel market rates to NNPC, even though it is purely a monetary policy issue and outside the purview of the NNPC.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“We advise that the CBN considers among other options, the World Bank’s recommendation of adopting a single market-responsive sustainable exchange rate, improving access to forex through well-defined periodic forex auctions and signaling a renewed commitment to price stability as a primary goal of the apex bank.”

According to Adodo, Emefiele and the CBN were aware of OPEC’s reduction of Nigeria’s oil production quota which led to reduction of the country’s production level from 2.1 million barrels per day to 1.4 million in May 2020.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Furthermore, Adodo pointed out that insecurity and huge oil theft in the Niger Delta have continued to challenge the oil industry, causing massive losses and declaration of force majeure across the country’s major onshore production export facilities of Bonny, Brass and Forcados.

The NYCN president also stated that Nigeria’s rising petrol subsidy cost as well as rising cost of external debt servicing are all obligations affecting the economy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These, it added, affected the NNPC’s remittances to the Federation Account. From January to June 2022, the cost of Premium Motor Spirit subsidy rose to N2.2trn.

Subsidy is being estimated to hit N5trn and N6trn in 2023.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Apart from government decision to defer the implementation of PMS deregulation, the subsidy profile is significantly influenced by CBN foreign exchange management,” he added.

The NYCN president also drew the attention of Nigerians to the decision by Emirates Airlines, flag carrier of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), to reduce its flight operations to Nigeria over the inability of the CBN to repatriate about $85m in revenue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Was the failure to repatriate Emirates funds also caused by the NNPC,” Adodo queried.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) had said Nigeria was withholding revenue worth about $450m earned by foreign airlines operating in the country.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Emirates said the planned reductions in its operations in Nigeria would take effect from August 15, 2022.

Adodo added, “Emirates clearly stated in that its letter to the Minister of Aviation that it made every effort to work with the CBN to find a solution to this issue and its Senior Vice-President met with the Deputy Governor of the CBN in May and followed up on the meeting by letter to the Governor himself the following month, however no positive response was received.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“The NYCN views this development as embarrassing to the federal government.”

However, the NYCN leader expressed optimism that the NNPC’s transitioning into a limited liability entity in line with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and its regulation now in line with the provisions of the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) would help resolve cash call payments delays as the company is now exempted from TSA, among others.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also, the company would be able to compete favourably with its peers globally. This, it added, would translate to more foreign exchange to the country as well as improved national energy security.

Business

BUA Foods Records 91% Surge in Profit After Tax, Hits ₦508bn in 2025

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BUA FOODS PLC RECORDS 101% PROFIT GROWTH IN H1 2025, CONSOLIDATES LEADERSHIP IN NIGERIA’S FOOD SECTOR …Revenue Rises to ₦912.5 Billion; PBT Hits ₦276.1 Billion

BUA Foods Records 91% Surge in Profit After Tax, Hits ₦508bn in 2025

By femi Oyewale

BUA Foods Plc has delivered one of the most impressive financial performances in Nigeria’s fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector, recording a 91 per cent increase in Profit After Tax (PAT) for the 2025 financial year.
According to the company’s unaudited financial results for the year ended December 31, 2025, Profit After Tax rose sharply to ₦508 billion, compared with ₦266 billion recorded in 2024, underscoring strong operational efficiency, improved cost management, and resilience despite a challenging macroeconomic environment.
The near-doubling of profit reflects BUA Foods’ ability to navigate rising input costs, foreign exchange volatility, and inflationary pressures that weighed heavily on manufacturers throughout the year. Analysts note that the performance places the company among the strongest earnings growers on the Nigerian Exchange in 2025.
The company’s Q4 2025 performance further highlights this momentum. Group turnover stood at ₦383.4 billion, while gross profit came in at ₦151.5 billion, demonstrating sustained demand across its core product lines including sugar, flour, pasta, and rice.
Despite a year marked by higher operating costs across the industry, BUA Foods maintained disciplined spending. Administrative and selling expenses were kept under control relative to revenue, helping to protect margins.
Operating profit for Q4 2025 stood at ₦126.9 billion, reinforcing the company’s strong core earnings capacity. Although finance costs and foreign exchange losses remained a factor, reflecting the broader economic realities, BUA Foods still closed the period with a Net Profit Before Tax of ₦102.3 billion for the quarter.
Earnings Per Share Rise Sharply
Shareholders were among the biggest beneficiaries of the strong performance. Earnings Per Share (EPS) rose significantly, reflecting the substantial growth in net income and strengthening the company’s investment appeal.
Market watchers say the improved earnings profile could support sustained investor confidence, especially as the company continues to consolidate its leadership position in Nigeria’s food manufacturing space.
BUA Foods Records 91% Surge in Profit After Tax, Hits ₦508bn in 2025

By femi Oyewale
Industry Leadership Amid Economic Headwinds
BUA Foods’ 2025 results stand out against a backdrop of currency depreciation, energy cost spikes, and logistics challenges that constrained many manufacturers. The company’s scale, backward integration strategy, and local sourcing advantages are widely seen as key contributors to its resilience.
Outlook
With a 91% year-on-year growth in PAT, BUA Foods enters 2026 on a strong footing. Analysts expect the company to remain a major driver of growth in the consumer goods sector, provided macroeconomic stability improves and cost pressures ease.
For now, the 2025 numbers send a clear signal: BUA Foods is not only growing—it is accelerating.
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Adron Homes Unveils “Love for Love” Valentine Promo with Exciting Discounts, Luxury Gifts, and Travel Rewards

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Adron Homes Unveils “Love for Love” Valentine Promo with Exciting Discounts, Luxury Gifts, and Travel Rewards

Adron Homes Unveils “Love for Love” Valentine Promo with Exciting Discounts, Luxury Gifts, and Travel Rewards

In celebration of the season of love, Adron Homes and Properties has announced the launch of its special Valentine campaign, “Love for Love” Promo, a customer-centric initiative designed to reward Nigerians who choose to express love through smart, lasting real estate investments.

The Love for Love Promo offers clients attractive discounts, flexible payment options, and an array of exclusive gift items, reinforcing Adron Homes’ commitment to making property ownership both rewarding and accessible. The campaign runs throughout the Valentine season and applies to the company’s wide portfolio of estates and housing projects strategically located across Nigeria.

 

Adron Homes Unveils “Love for Love” Valentine Promo with Exciting Discounts, Luxury Gifts, and Travel Rewards

Speaking on the promo, the company’s Managing Director, Mrs Adenike Ajobo, stated that the initiative is aimed at encouraging individuals and families to move beyond conventional Valentine gifts by investing in assets that secure their future. According to the company, love is best demonstrated through stability, legacy, and long-term value—principles that real estate ownership represents.

Under the promo structure, clients who make a payment of ₦100,000 receive cake, chocolates, and a bottle of wine, while those who pay ₦200,000 are rewarded with a Love Hamper. Payments of ₦500,000 attract a Love Hamper plus cake, and clients who pay ₦1,000,000 enjoy a choice of a Samsung phone or a Love Hamper with cake.

The rewards become increasingly premium as commitment grows. Clients who pay ₦5,000,000 receive either an iPad or an all-expenses-paid romantic getaway for a couple at one of Nigeria’s finest hotels, which includes two nights’ accommodation, special treats, and a Love Hamper. A payment of ₦10,000,000 comes with a choice of a Samsung Z Fold 7, three nights at a top-tier resort in Nigeria, or a full solar power installation.

For high-value investors, the Love for Love Promo delivers exceptional lifestyle experiences. Clients who pay ₦30,000,000 on land are rewarded with a three-night couple’s trip to Doha, Qatar, or South Africa, while purchasers of any Adron Homes house valued at ₦50,000,000 receive a double-door refrigerator.

The promo covers Adron Homes’ estates located in Lagos, Shimawa, Sagamu, Atan–Ota, Papalanto, Abeokuta, Ibadan, Osun, Ekiti, Abuja, Nasarawa, and Niger States, offering clients the opportunity to invest in fast-growing, strategically positioned communities nationwide.

Adron Homes reiterated that beyond the incentives, the campaign underscores the company’s strong reputation for secure land titles, affordable pricing, strategic locations, and a proven legacy in real estate development.

As Valentine’s Day approaches, Adron Homes encourages Nigerians at home and in the diaspora to take advantage of the Love for Love Promo to enjoy exceptional value, exclusive rewards, and the opportunity to build a future rooted in love, security, and prosperity.

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Why Nigeria’s Banks Still on Shaky Ground with Big Profits, Weak Capital

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*Why Nigeria’s Banks Still on Shaky Ground with Big Profits, Weak Capital*

*BY BLAISE UDUNZE*

Despite the fragile 2024 economy grappling with inflation, currency volatility, and weak growth, Nigeria’s banking industry was widely portrayed as successful and strong amid triumphal headlines. The figures appeared to signal strength, resilience, and superior management as the Tier-1 banks such as Access Bank, Zenith Bank, GTBank, UBA, and First Bank of Nigeria, collectively reported profits approaching, and in some cases exceeding, N1 trillion. Surprisingly, a year later, these same banks touted as sound and solid are locked in a frenetic race to the capital markets, issuing rights offers and public placements back-to-back to meet the Central Bank of Nigeria’s N500 billion recapitalisation thresholds.

 

The contradiction is glaring. If Nigeria’s biggest banks are so profitable, why are they unable to internally fund their new capital requirements? Why have no fewer than 27 banks tapped the capital market in quick succession despite repeated assurances of balance-sheet robustness? And more fundamentally, what do these record profits actually say about the real health of the banking system?

 

The recapitalisation directive announced by the CBN in 2024 was ambitious by design. Banks with international licences were required to raise minimum capital to N500 billion by March 2026, while national and regional banks faced lower but still substantial thresholds ranging from N200 billion to N50 billion, respectively. Looking at the policy, it was sold as a modern reform meant to make banks stronger, more resilient in tough times, and better able to support major long-term economic development. In theory, strong banks should welcome such reforms. In practice, the scramble that followed has exposed uncomfortable truths about the structure of bank profitability in Nigeria.

 

At the heart of the inconsistency is a fundamental misunderstanding often encouraged by the banks themselves between profits and capital. Unknown to many, profitability, no matter how impressive, does not automatically translate into regulatory capital. Primarily, the CBN’s recapitalisation framework actually focuses on money paid in by shareholders when buying shares, fresh equity injected by investors over retained earnings or profits that exist mainly on paper.

 

This distinction matters because much of the profit surge recorded in 2024 and early 2025 was neither cash-generative nor sustainably repeatable. A significant portion of those headline banks’ profits reported actually came from foreign exchange revaluation gains following the sharp fall of the naira after exchange-rate unification. The industry witnessed that banks’ holding dollar-denominated assets their books showed bigger numbers as their balance sheets swell in naira terms, creating enormous paper profits without a corresponding improvement in underlying operational strength. These gains inflated income statements but did little to strengthen core capital, especially after the CBN barred banks from using FX revaluation gains for dividends or routine operations. In effect, banks looked richer without becoming stronger.

 

Beyond FX effects, Nigerian banks have increasingly relied on non-interest income fees, charges, and transaction levies to drive profitability. While this model is lucrative, it does not necessarily deepen financial intermediation or expand productive lending. High profits built on customer charges rather than loan growth offer limited support for long-term balance-sheet expansion. They also leave banks vulnerable when macroeconomic conditions shift, as is now happening.

Indeed, the recapitalisation exercise coincides with a turning point in the monetary cycle. The extraordinary conditions that supported bank earnings in 2024 and 2025 are beginning to unwind. Analysts now warn that Nigerian banks are approaching earnings reset, as net interest margins the backbone of traditional banking profitability, come under sustained pressure.

Renaissance Capital, in a January note, projects that major banks including Zenith, GTCO, Access Holdings, and UBA will struggle to deliver earnings growth in 2026 comparable to recent performance.

 

In a real sense, the CBN is expected to lower interest rates by 400 to 500 basis points because inflation is slowing down, and this means that banks will earn less on loans and government bonds, but they may not be able to quickly lower the interest they pay on deposits or other debts. The cash reserve requirements are still elevated, which does not earn interest; banks can’t easily increase or expand lending investments to make up for lower returns. The implications are significant. Net interest margin, the difference between what banks earn on loans and investments and what they pay on deposits, is poised to contract. Deposit competition is intensifying as lenders fight to shore up liquidity ahead of recapitalisation deadlines, pushing up funding costs. At the same time, yields on treasury bills and bonds, long a safe and lucrative haven for banks are expected to soften in a lower-rate environment. The result is a narrowing profit cushion just as banks are being asked to carry far larger equity bases.

 

Compounding this challenge is the fading of FX revaluation windfalls. With the naira relatively more stable in early 2026, the non-cash gains that once flattered bank earnings have largely evaporated. What remains is the less glamorous reality of core banking operations: credit risk management, cost efficiency, and genuine loan growth in a sluggish economy. In this new environment, maintaining headline profits will be far harder, even before accounting for the dilutive impact of recapitalisation.

 

That dilution is another underappreciated consequence of the capital rush. Massive share issuances mean that even if banks manage to sustain absolute profit levels, earnings per share and return on equity are likely to decline. Zenith, Access, UBA, and others are dramatically increasing their share counts. The same earnings pie is now being divided among many more shareholders, making individual returns leaner than during the pre-recapitalisation boom. For investors, the optics of strong profits may soon give way to the reality of weaker per-share performance.

Yet banks have pressed ahead, not only out of regulatory necessity but also strategic calculation.

 

During this period of recapitalization, investors are interested in the stock market with optimism, especially about bank shares, as banks are raising fresh capital, and this makes it easier to attract investments. This has become a season for the management teams to seize the moment to raise funds at relatively attractive valuations, strengthen ownership positions, and position themselves for post-recapitalisation dominance. In several cases, major shareholders and insiders have increased their stakes, as projected in the media, signalling confidence in long-term prospects even as near-term returns face pressure.

 

There is also a broader structural ambition at play. Well-capitalised banks can take on larger single obligor exposures, finance infrastructure projects, expand regionally, and compete more credibly with pan-African and global peers. From this perspective, recapitalisation is not merely about compliance but about reshaping the competitive hierarchy of Nigerian banking. What will be witnessed in the industry is that those who succeed will emerge larger, fewer, and more powerful. Those that fail will be forced into consolidation, retreat, or irrelevance.

 

For the wider economy, the outcome is ambiguous. Stronger banks with deeper capital buffers could improve systemic stability and enhance Nigeria’s ability to fund long-term development. The point is that while merging or consolidating banks may make them safer, it can also harm the market and the economy because it will reduce competition, let a few banks dominate, and encourage them to earn easy money from bonds and fees instead of funding real businesses. The truth be told, injecting more capital into the banks without complementary reforms in credit infrastructure, risk-sharing mechanisms, and fiscal discipline, isn’t enough as the aforementioned reforms are also needed.

 

The rush as exposed in this period, is that the moment Nigerian banks started raising new capital, the glaring reality behind their reported profits became clearer, that profits weren’t purely from good management, while the financial industry is not as sound and strong as its headline figures. The fact that trillion-naira profit banks must return repeatedly to shareholders for fresh capital is not a sign of excess strength, but of structural imbalance.

 

With the deadline for banks to raise new capital coming soon, by 31 March 2026, the focus has shifted from just raising N500 billion. N200 billion or N50 billion to think about the future shape and quality of Nigeria’s financial industry, or what it will actually look like afterward. Will recapitalisation mark a turning point toward deeper intermediation, lower dependence on speculative gains, and stronger support for economic growth? Or will it simply reset the numbers while leaving underlying incentives unchanged?

The answer will define the next chapter of Nigerian banking long after the capital market roadshows have ended and the profit headlines have faded.

 

 

Blaise, a journalist and PR professional, writes from Lagos and can be reached via: [email protected]

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