![[The Nigerian Economy Daily] FG has approved the closure of five foreign missions and embassies](https://nairametrics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/nigerian-economy-today-1.jpg)
Summary of the top business, economic and political news in Nigeria today.
- Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, has said that infrastructure deficit in Nigeria has risen to $15billion. Link
- The Federal Government is set to compel International Oil Companies (IOCs) to cut the cost of producing oil in Nigeria. Link
- The Minister for Energy, Ghana, Mr. Boakye Agyarko, has said his country will like to have more gas supply from Nigeria for power generation. Link
- A group of Nigerian banks has agreed to an extension of a $1.2 billion loan made to 9mobile, formerly Etisalat Nigeria, pending when the mobile operator’s finds new investors, FCMB bank said yesterday. Link
- Uber has launched its Greenlight Hub in Lagos and plans to extend the facility to the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, in a bid to further support its driver-partners in its areas of operation. Located strategically at the Maryland Mall, it said the hub would be open six days a week, and serve as a resource centre where existing and potential driver-partners could receive support for app-related inquiries. Link
- The Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, on Tuesday said that 55% of the revenue generated by the Federal Government from Value Added Tax receipts was being collected from Lagos State. Link
- Daar Communications Plc. has reported a loss before tax of N681.9m for the first quarter of 2017 compared to N687.9m loss posted in the corresponding period of 2016. Link
- The Federal Government has signed a five-year pact with Dangote Sugar, BUA Sugar and Golden Sugar for the second phase of the Backward Integration Plan (BIP) for the sugar industry. Link
- The Federal Government’s diversification programme yesterday received a boost, with Acting President Yemi Osinbajo commissioning Africa’s largest parboiled rice mill in Argungu, Kebbi State. Link
- Afrinvest Asset Management Limited (AAML), Fund Managers of the Nigerian International Debt Fund (NIDF) is set to pay investors the interim coupon for the 2017 financial year in August 2017. This marks the 39th coupon since the creation of the Fund, in line with its consistent dividend history since 1997. Link
- The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has said that not less than 75 manufacturing firms from about 150 in its membership list in the South East had shut down in the last five years. Link
- The Nigeria Immigration Service says from January 1, 2018, anybody without the National Identification Number, issued by the National Identity Management Commission, will not be able to procure Nigerian passport. Link
- Ethiopian Airlines has launched its 5th destination in Nigeria and 55th African destination in Kaduna. The Ethiopia Airlines inaugural flight on B737-800 with registration number ET-EQN touched down at Kaduna International Airport yesterday at about 12noon with 17 passengers onboard and was treated to a water canon ceremony by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Fire Service department. Link
- The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) will be addressing key issues confronting the e-payment industry at a Bi-Monthly Forum organised by the Finance Correspondents Association of Nigeria (FICAN). Link
- The Federal Government of Nigeria and Nigerian Association of Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, NICCIMA, yesterday, moved against the signing of the Economic Partnership Agreements, EPAs, between the European Union (EU) and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) expressing reservations about some aspects of the agreements. Link
- Ahead of the certification of Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has said it would set aside special funds for maintenance programmes in order to sustain the standards. Link
- The Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, has stated that maritime administrators in Africa are set to tackle issues of piracy, sea crimes and illegal migration on the continent. Link
- Zenith Bank Plc, Ecobank Transactional Incorporated Plc, and Guaranty Trust Bank Plc (GTBank) lead 13 others to emerge as best performing stocks in the banking sector in July. As at the close of trading on Monday, July 31, the stock price of ETI added 18.1 per cent or N2.25 per share to close at N16.50 from opening figure of N13.97. Similarly, prices of Zenith Bank and GTBank shares appreciated by 17.8 per cent and 12.1 per cent in July respectively. Link
- Unilever Nigeria has scaled back the amount it planned to raise from shareholders via a rights issue to N1.96 billion ($5.39 million). Link
- The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has said Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) increased by 1.2 basis points to 54.1 index points in July from 52.9 index points recorded in June. According to CBN, the increase in Manufacturing PMI, indicates expansion in the manufacturing sector for the fourth consecutive month. Link
- The Federal Aviation Administration of the United States will carry out an audit of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority this month . Link
- PAN Nigeria Limited, the assembler of Peugeot brand of vehicles, has said it is adequately equipped to meet local demand for its vehicles. Link
- The Senate Joint Committee on Customs and Marine Transport, as part of its investigation into the alleged N30tn revenue leakage in the import and export value chain, has quizzed over 60 companies. Link
- The Research & Development (R&D) Division of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), has sealed a strategic partnership with CypherCrescent Limited, to enhance oil and gas production using innovative technologies and optimised workflows. Link
- Two years after the full implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA), the policy has shored up the government’s earnings by N7 trillion by the end of March. The TSA is a bank account or a set of linked bank accounts through which the government transacts all its receipts and payments and gets consolidated view of its financial status at any given time. Link
- The Katsina State Government on Tuesday defended its $110 million (about N34.5 billion) loan request from the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) before the House of Representatives Committee on Debt. Link
- The Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir el-Rufai, on Tuesday stated that the closure of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, opened up opportunities for the Kaduna International Airport, which he said had gained a global status. Link
- DELTA State Government, yesterday, said it released N1.650 billion to the State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, against the N500 million being speculated in some quarters. Link
