Business

Forex: Naira Rises As CBN Injects dollar

Published

17 years ago

November 20, 2009

The Naira grew against the dollar at the interbank market last week, after the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) raise the supply of the dollar by 50 per cent. The apex bank sold $300 million to end-users at N150 per dollar at the wholesale Dutch Auction System (WDAS) representing about $ 100 million increase over dollar sales in the past two months but short of $322.46 million demanded at the action.
The foreign exchange (forex) traders believed that the fact that CBN was able to meet the bulk of dollar demanded at its auction on Wednesday helped the naira to regain some ground at the interbank. They demand that dollars remained stronger, but expected some increase in supply of dollar by the CBN early this week.
The managing director and chief executive officer Digare BDC Limited, Mr Jelili Ajibola said that naira may further weaken if federal government implements the deregulation of the downstream petroleum sector of the economy.
His words: Nigerians should forget about deregulation of the oil sector as it will worsen our economy and devalue the naira more.
He said there are lots of interests in this campaign adding that the same politicians that are calling for deregulation would hoard petroleum products to increase prices in order to make abnormal profit when deregulation is finally implemented.
He also pointed out that with the relative stability in the Niger Delta, there is every tendency that oil production would increase thereby boosting the nation’s reserves.
He insisted that deregulation would further worsen the standard of living of the economically changed Nigerians.
Managing director and chief executive officer, Yomade BDC Limited, Usmand Suleiman said that deregulation would encourage inflation and that the poor would suffer the most. He stated that, even when workers salaries are increased, their pay would still not be able to cater for their needs. He added that, the prices of food stuff would skyrocket because fuel prices would definitely increase thereby affecting transportation fare.
He advised government to resuscitate the refineries and build new ones, provided social amenities such as stable power to encourage small and medium enterprise (SMEs) in the country.
Also speaking Adeboye Adenuga, managing director and chief executive officer, Dambis BDC Limited said that the reason for the appreciation of the naira over the dollar was due to falling demand for foreign exchange by the operator as they now find it difficult to access loan from banks.
Equally he added, that currency traders who used to sorrow from banks have started recalling facilities.
According to him, “The situation is affecting those with genuine business, as many of them no longer have access to naira to purchase foreign exchange for importation. This recent appreciation of the naira is due to the result of the CBN reform programmes in the banking sector.
He further wished that government should find a way of employing law enforcement agencies that would take charge in controlling the activities of the black marketers till sanity is restored in the forex business.
Mr Adeboye Adenuga added that the economy is not moving but people can no longer buy forex as much as before to import finished goods, noting that even those who travel to Dubai for trading purposes no longer do so, as many banks now find it difficult to support such trades. He advised that government should be able to develop local industries by improving infrastructure. Adenuga argued the aggregate supply for forex to the market is not enough also that there are lots of loopholes in the market which must be blocked to move the economy forward.

Aluka Anita O

Business

Boat Mishap Kills Pastor, Wife And Church Members In Brass Water

Published

7 hours ago

May 18, 2026

The Tide

A boat accident in Bayelsa state has killed a serving Pastor, Wife and other church members along Brass waterways

The sad incident happened at Odioama in Brass local government area of Bayelsa State when the Pastor, wife and members of his church were in a programme.

?Tide confirmed that the lifeless body of the Pastor’s wife has been found and deposited in a mortuary while the remains of her husband ,the Pastor is yet to be recovered

as search party are still ongoing.

Although the real cause of the boat Mishap is not yet known as at the time of this report, our Correspondent gathered that the identities of the Pastor, wife and church members were not disclosed to the public.

The mishap, Tide gathered occurred on Friday morning when the church members were on a boat transit

The Bayelsa State government and the state police command are yet to issue official statement’s on the sad accident

By: CHINEDU WOSU

Business

Rivers Workers Seek Scrapping Of Contributory Pension Scheme

Published

7 hours ago

May 18, 2026

The Tide

The Rivers State Council of Nigeria Civil Service Union has called on the State Government to urgently scrap the contributory pension scheme, describing it as unfavourable to long-serving civil servants in the state.

Chairman of the union, Chukwuka Osuma, said this in an interview with newsmen in Port Harcourt, recently.

Osuma said the current pension structure has continued to worsen post-retirement hardship for workers.

He noted that the contributory pension scheme had failed to provide adequate retirement security for workers who had spent many years in service, especially those approaching retirement age.

According to him, civil servants who had served for more than 20 years were among the worst affected under the scheme, insisting that many retirees could no longer cope with prevailing economic realities.

He also informed that the Union has made moves to showcase their concerns, pleading with Governor Siminalayi Fubara to abolish the pension policy and introduce a more favourable arrangement for affected workers.

“The union was not opposed to pension reforms, the contributory scheme should only apply to newly employed workers or those with fewer years in service”, he said.

Osuma explained that workers who had already spent decades in the civil service ought to remain under a more secure pension structure capable of guaranteeing stability after retirement.

The labour leader further noted that inflation and the rising cost of living had continued to erode the value of retirement savings, thereby increasing the suffering of pensioners across the country.

He also appealed to the state government to consider extending the years of service in the civil service from 35 to 40 years and the retirement age from 60 to 65 years.

Osuma argued that such adjustment had become necessary in view of present-day economic realities and changing conditions in the workplace.

The unionist also reviewed that similar policies had already been adopted in some sectors and jurisdictions, expressing optimism that the State could also implement the reforms for the benefit of workers.

He however, commended Governor Fubara for approving an N85,000 minimum wage for workers in the state, noting that the amount was above the national benchmark of N70,000.

Osuma also acknowledged the government’s efforts in the area of workers’ promotions and bonuses, but insisted that pension reforms and extension of years of service remained critical to the long-term welfare and stability of civil servants in Rivers State.

By: King Onunwor

Business

FG Begins South-West Tour To Promote New Cooperative Bank

Published

5 days ago

May 13, 2026

The Tide

The Federal Government has launched the South-West zonal engagement and ministerial advocacy tour on the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria share capital mobilisation, sensitisation and cooperative sector digitalisation.

Reports say the initiative was launched through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.

According to reports, the advocacy tour, organised by the ministry’s Federal Department of Cooperatives, began on Monday in Lagos.

Speaking at the event, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security and Supervising Minister of Cooperative Affairs, Dr Aliyu Abdullahi, said the initiative was part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Abdullahi described the exercise as a strategic effort to reposition the cooperative sector as a key driver of inclusive economic growth, financial inclusion, enterprise development, food security and national prosperity.

“Today represents a defining moment in our collective determination to reposition the cooperative sector as a major driver of inclusive economic growth, financial inclusion, enterprise development, food security and national prosperity,” he said.

The minister noted the modern cooperative movement in Nigeria originated in the South-West following the 1934 Strickland Report, which led to the enactment of the Cooperative Societies Ordinance of 1935.

According to him, the decision to commence the sensitisation and share capital mobilisation tour in the region is symbolic, as it marks a return to the roots of cooperative development in the country.

Abdullahi said the advocacy tour was a direct outcome of resolutions reached at the 8th Regular Meeting of the National Council on Cooperative Affairs held in Abuja in March 2026.

He said the council approved the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme, a comprehensive framework designed to strengthen the cooperative sector and align it with the administration’s goal of building a one-trillion-dollar economy.

“The reform programme focuses on seven strategic pillars, including governance reforms, cooperative financing and the establishment of the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria, digitalisation, capacity building, value chain development, inclusion of youths, women and persons with disabilities, and strategic partnerships,” he said.

He said the establishment of the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria and the digitalisation of the cooperative sector were the two major transformational initiatives under the programme.

“The Cooperative Bank of Nigeria is aimed at rebuilding a strong cooperative financial system capable of supporting cooperators, farmers, artisans, traders, SMEs, youths, women and persons with disabilities with accessible and affordable financial services,” he said.

Abdullahi emphasised that the proposed bank would be government-enabled but not government-funded.

“Government is not establishing the bank as an owner, nor will it rely on Treasury Single Account funds.

“The role of government through the FMAFS is to provide policy support, stakeholder coordination, regulatory facilitation and an enabling environment under the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme,” he said.

Also speaking, the Lagos State Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Mrs Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to cooperative sector transformation.

She described cooperatives as critical tools for promoting inclusive growth, grassroots productivity, food security, financial inclusion and community wealth creation.

Ambrose-Medebem said Lagos State would continue to support reforms and collaborate with stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme (2025–2030).

“Together, let us build a cooperative ecosystem that is modern, transparent, digitally enabled, financially inclusive and globally competitive.

“Let us build cooperatives that not only mobilise savings, but also mobilise prosperity,” she said.