Business
FG Clarifies Management Of External Reserve
The Federal Ministry of Finance has said President Jonathan’s administration did not in anyway squander the national reserve.
This is contained in a statement issued by the ministry in Abuja, on Wednesday.
“ it is absolutely not true that the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan has squandered the nation’s reserves.
“The facts are clear and indisputable. At the end of May 2007, Nigeria’s gross reserves stood at 43.13 billion dollars, comprising the CBN’s external reserves of 31.5 billion dollars, 9.43 billion dollars in the Excess Crude Account (ECA) and 2.18 billion dollars in Federal Government’s savings.
“These figures can be independently verified from the CBN’s records,” it said.
According to the statement, the figure of 67 billion dollars cited in some recent commentary is factually incorrect.
It added that it was a misconception to think that reserves are immutable or cast in stone.
It added that since May 2007, the reserves had fluctuated in line with developments in the international oil market, rising from 43.13 billion dollars at that time, peaking at 62 billion dollars in September 2008 during the Yar’adua and Jonathan’s administration.
It said that then, the oil prices reached a peak of 147 dollars per barrel, and falling subsequently to as low of 31.7 billion dollars in September 2011.
“This fall in reserves was largely a result of the vicissitudes of the global economy and oil market which caused the CBN to intervene, using some of the reserves, to defend the value of the naira.
“ The Excess Crude savings, which it should be noted is a component of the reserves, was largely used to cushion the economy at the height of the global financial crisis in 2008-2009.
“ As a result, Nigeria was one of the few countries in the world that did not seek assistance from international financial institutions at that time.
“ The fiscal stimulus used to shore up the economy during that period was shared by all three-tiers of government.
“Similarly, savings in the ECA were also used to pay for fuel subsidies for the entire nation and that sharing continued after the crisis ended,” he said.
It noted that from 2012, such payments had been published each time they were made.
It blamed the quest by the governors to the depletion of ECA, adding that most of them kicked against continuous building up of the account.
The statement noted that it was on record that states even took the Federal Government to court on this matter, and the case was still pending at the Supreme Court.
It added that the present administration had established the first ever Sovereign Wealth Fund for the nation in which savings were being made for future generations of Nigerians and important infrastructure investments were being supported.
“ It is also a matter of public knowledge that the fund would have generated more savings and investments if the same sort of opposition that blocked savings in the ECA had also not been at work,” it said.
It further explained that the Federal Government and states, had in 2009 in common agreement, took 5.5 billion dollars from the ECA to invest in Independent Power project.
Today, various state governments are shareholders in the projects and hold share certificates confirming their stake in the projects.
It stated that it was not correct to say that the nation’s external reserves were dipped into or misapplied by the administration.
“ Anyone familiar with foreign reserves management will be aware that the Federal Government cannot dip its hands into the external reserves.
“ Like in other countries, the management of external reserves is one of the statutory mandates of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Section 2 sub-section (c) of the CBN Act (2007) states that the Bank shall “maintain external reserves to safeguard the international value of the legal tender.
“No President since the democratic dispensation has contravened this Act.
Rivers State Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Hon. Chuma C. Chinye (right) in handshake with Administrative Director MCC, Mr. Nelson Jaja (left) in the public presentation of the Yellow Pages Directory, orgnaised by Ministry of Commerce and Industry in Port Harcourt recently. Photo: Egberi A. Sampson
The Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, John Enoh said this at the 8th annual induction and conference of the Chartered Institute of Project Managers of Nigeria (CIPMN).
He explained that abandoned projects continue to lock up public funds that could have been used for infrastructure development, industrial growth, job creation and essential social services.
Represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Chris Osa Isokpunwu, he said the impact goes beyond financial losses, as incomplete projects affect communities and limit access to important public services
He cited examples of that remain unopened, schools that cannot accommodate students, roads that fail to connect communities and electricity projects that have not delivered their intended benefits.
The Registrar-General and Chief Executive Officer of CIPMN, Henry Ifeanyi Mbadiwe, also identified poor project management as a major challenge affecting development in Nigeria.
He revealed that the institute had developed a project management curriculum for Nigerian universities, which has received approval from the National Universities Commission (NUC). The programme is expected to enable universities to offer project management as a bachelor’s degree.
Mbadiwe further referenced findings by the Presidential Projects Assessment Committee, which identified 11,886 ongoing federal capital projects in 2011, with an estimated financial commitment of ?7.78 trillion.
He noted that inadequate planning, supervision, accountability and implementation were among the factors contributing to the abandonment of projects across the country.
The minister called for stronger project management structures across ministries, departments and agencies to improve planning, monitoring and evaluation.
He added that the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment had introduced a 90-day implementation reporting cycle to strengthen transparency and monitor the progress of government programmes.
Ikenga said the company remained committed to Nigeria’s power sector and would continue investing in its operations despite the challenging business environment.
He spoke in Lagos at the third edition of the Shell Power Conference, themed “Powering Nigeria’s Progress: Turning Ambition and Action into Sustainable Impact”.
The Transcorp Power chief said the company would sustain electricity generation, invest in its facilities and deliver value to shareholders.
“Transcorp Power is a long-term player, not a short-term player. This year has been challenging, but what is important is getting power to schools, hospitals and businesses to power progress,” he said.
Ikenga said the company’s focus on operational efficiency and investment had strengthened its contribution to Nigeria’s electricity supply.
He disclosed that since acquiring the Ughelli Power Plant in Delta State in 2013, Transcorp Power had quadrupled its available generation capacity.
He also said the company became the first privatised power generation firm to receive a post-privatisation discharge certificate after fulfilling all its privatisation obligations.
The company’s unaudited results for the nine months ended September 30, 2026, showed a profit before tax of N83.1 billion, while its profit-before-tax margin rose to 31.2 per cent from 29.6 per cent recorded in the corresponding period of 2025.
Its total assets rose to 11.7 per cent amounting to N629.5 billion, while shareholders’ funds grew 8.9 per cent to N199.8 billion. Cash and cash equivalents also rose to N10.3 billion, supported by improved collections.
On the company’s contribution to grid stability, Ikenga said Transcorp Power’s black-start capability enabled it to restart operations without relying on electricity from the national grid.
He explained that the capability allowed the company to support power restoration following grid disturbances, helping to restore electricity supply to homes, businesses and industries.
Ikenga noted that Nigeria had an installed electricity generation capacity of about 13,000 megawatts, with an estimated potential of 50 gigawatts, adding that realising the potential would require effective coordination across the entire value chain.
“Everything in the value chain has to work,” he said.
He called for stronger collaboration among federal and state governments, regulators and private-sector operators, alongside increased private investment, to build a sustainable electricity market.
This was contained in a statement issued on Thursday by his Senior Special Assistant on Communications and Press Secretary, Maryann Duke.
The statement said Oyedele pointed to “improved digital systems, including electronic invoicing, as a key driver behind a record of N33tn in government revenue collected between January and October 2026.”
The minister said the performance demonstrated the potential of technology to improve revenue administration, strengthen compliance and increase efficiency across government institutions.
Speaking on the theme, ‘Digital Sovereignty and Ethics: Guarding the Economy for the Next Generation,’ Oyedele warned that Nigeria risked losing substantial economic opportunities if it continued to depend heavily on foreign digital infrastructure.
Citing Nigerian Communications Commission figures, he disclosed that the country recorded more than 157 million active internet subscriptions as of May 2026.
He explained that these connections generated significant volumes of information through financial transactions, healthcare, education and taxation.
However, citing estimates from the Nigeria Data Protection Commission, Oyedele said as much as 90 per cent of the country’s data was hosted abroad.
According to him, the situation has implications for foreign exchange expenditure, employment opportunities, technological skills and Nigeria’s control over information generated by its citizens.
He compared the country’s reliance on foreign digital infrastructure with its historical dependence on imported refined petroleum products, warning against a situation where Nigerian data would be processed abroad and the resulting services sold back to domestic users.
The minister consequently advocated greater investment in local data infrastructure, technical expertise, cybersecurity and predictable regulations to enable Nigerian businesses to capture more value from the digital economy.
He clarified that digital sovereignty should not translate into technological isolation but should strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to participate competitively in international markets.
Addressing graduating students, Oyedele urged young Nigerians to become developers of technological solutions rather than remain primarily consumers of products created elsewhere.
He identified artificial intelligence as both a disruptive force and an opportunity for innovation, advising graduates to acquire relevant digital skills alongside critical thinking, creativity, sound judgement and integrity.
The minister also cautioned against irresponsible online behaviour, explaining that digital footprints increasingly influence employment prospects, commercial relationships and professional credibility.
Oyedele outlined five priorities for graduates, including continuous learning, value creation, integrity, responsible digital citizenship and active participation in national development.
“Your degree is evidence of what you have learned. Your competence will demonstrate what you can do. Your character will reveal who you truly are,” he told the graduating students.
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