Nation
External Reserves Drop By $523m In Two Weeks
Nigeria’s external reserves dropped by $523million to $34.475billion as of March 16 from $34.998billion as of March 1, figures from the Central Bank of Nigeria revealed, last Wednesday.
The reserves, which had continued a downward trend of recent, lost $1.1billion in February, after it dropped from $36.19billion as of February 1 fell to $35.09billion as of February 26.
The CBN had recently stated that Nigeria’s external reserves at $35billion was sufficient to finance the country’s seven months’ imports.
When the reserves had experienced gains in the last quarter of 2020, the CBN disclosed that at $36.46billion, it could finance 8.4 months of import of goods or 6.3 months of import of goods and services.
According to the CBN’s monthly economic report for the fourth quarter of 2020, the performance of the external sector improved in the review quarter, despite the challenges of sluggish global recovery, weakened global demand, soaring second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic and tense political environment in the United States.
It stated that an estimated overall balance of payments surplus of $0.79billion was recorded in the fourth quarter of 2020, from the $0.14billion recorded in the third quarter of 2020.
The CBN stated that the deficit in the current account widened to $5.27billion in the review period, compared with $3.34billion in the previous quarter.
It stated, “A net disposal of $2.5billion was recorded in the financial account, relative to $2.66billion in the preceding quarter.
“The external reserves at end December, 2020, was $36.46billion, compared with $35.67billion at end September, 2020, indicating an accretion of $0.79billion.
“This could finance 8.4 months of import of goods or 6.3 months of import of goods and services.”
The improvement in external reserves stock was attributed, mainly, to foreign exchange reforms undertaken by the bank to block leakages and ensure enhanced inflow of remittances from Nigerians in Diaspora.
According to the CBN, public external debt stock stood at $31.99billion or 7.7 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product at end-September, 2020, which was within the sustainable threshold of 40.0 per cent of GDP.
In the foreign exchange market, the average naira exchange rate at the I&E and the BDC windows depreciated to N389.04/$ and N468.17/$ in the fourth quarter of 2020, from N386.60/$ and N461.94/US$ in the third quarter of 2020, respectively, the CBN stated.
Nation
Rivers Deputy Governor Hails PH City One Love For Humanitarian Gesture
Rivers state Deputy Governor Professor Ngozi Nma Odu has commended “The Port Harcourt City One Love,”a Port Harcourt based humanitarian orgnisation For it’s commitment towards alleviating the sufferings of the poor and vulnerable in the society.
Professor Ngozi Nma Odu said this while speaking at this year’s edition of “operation feed the needy” a yearly outreach program of “The Port Harcourt City One Love ” in Port Harcourt.
The Deputy Governor said by feeding more than sixty thousands hungry people within the past six years, the Port Harcourt City One Love Movement has distinguished itself as a club that cares for the less privilege in the society.
She commended the , organization for listing eleven thousand persons to be fed in the current exercise.
Meanwhile The Port Harcourt City One Love has planned a permanent solution to the problem of feeding the poor in the state.
The leader of the group Mr Idaere Gogo Ogan who said this in an interview with newsmen during the distribution of food items to the poor and vulnerables in Port Harcourt said the organization is planning a permanent food kitchen where poor and vulnerable persons can work in anytime and get fed.
Idaere Gogo Ogan said more than sixty thousands poor and vulnerable persons across Port Harcourt City and environs have been fed since the inception of “The operation feed the needy” program six years ago,adding that so far sixty thousands poor and vulnerable persons have beneffited.
He described the group as a platform to promote friendship, brotherhood, community development empathy and feeding the less privilege and hungry people
“That’s what we are doing today here,so we started the exercise six years ago”.he said.
Ogan said the effort was a private sector driven initiative but added “it also involves people in Government because the platform does not recognize any division,we bring everybody together in unity , friendship and brotherhood”he said.
He said the effort will go along way in alleviating hunger especially following the prevailing hunger in the country.
According to him “you know the country is very tough, people are hungry people are starving, there is a whole lot of economic hardship,so for us, this is just our own way of reaching out, our own social contribution to what is very difficult”he said.
Over eleven thousand persons were fed in the just concluded exercise.
Areas of coverage include, Isaac Boro park, Port Harcourt prison/Macoba, Borokiri/Enugu waterside Bundu areas Waterlines and others.
Some of the beneficiaries including an 80 years old widow commended the movement for the annual programm and urged other organizations to emulate them
John Bibor,/Esuuk Oyet/Suotor Memoye /Jeremiah Hannah
Nation
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Nation
SheVentures Open Zero-interest Loan Applications for Women Entrepreneurs
“Inclusive growth requires access to capital and the right conditions for businesses to deploy that capital effectively. Women-led enterprises are critical to economic activity, yet they face structural barriers.
“This intervention aims to help close that gap by providing financing that supports job creation, business expansion, and long-term sustainability for women entrepreneurs”, Edun said.
Group Head, SheVentures and Impact Segments at First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Nnenna Jacob-Ogogo said access to affordable finance remains a major constraint for women entrepreneurs.
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