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Nigeria, Spain deepen partnership on gas development, investments

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Nigeria and Spain Flags
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Nigeria and Spain have expressed commitment to deepen bilateral relationship and partnership in investments and development of Nigerian gas resources for global energy market.

Chief Timipre Sylva, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources made this known on Thursday in Abuja when he received Spanish Foreign Minister, Jose Albarese, in the company of other top officials and investors from Spain.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the bilateral meeting between Nigeria and Spain dwelt on Spain’s investment on Security, technology and development of Nigerian gas resources.

According to the minister, Spain has been a partner and customer of the Nigerian Liquified Natural Gas (NLNG) company from inception.

Sylva, who describe Spain as one of the first countries to visit in 2023, said the visit could tell the importance of the relationship between the countries, adding that Nigeria required investments in the oil and gas sector, being the core of the economy.

He said the identified major investment companies and potential investors on the table, occasioned huge opportunities for Nigeria in view of the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) already pitched process of mini bid round.

“These are people that they would have ordinarily gone to meet in their country before any bid round, but in this case, the potential investors are here by themselves, so you can see why this meeting is very important.

“As a country, we need a lot of investments, we need Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and Spain is one of the countries that we believe can give us a lot of that investment to help in development,” he said.

According to Sylva, Nigeria currently has proven gas reserves up to over 200 trillion cubic feet of gas, and with focus on the exploration for additional gas, Nigeria can increase these reserves to up to 600 TCF.

He further said that Europe also required gas currently, hence Nigerian energy transition programme should be more mindful of the development of gas as well, because there was the clamour from some sources to move so quickly to renewables.

“And as a country we felt that we are going to move on the transition train through the instrumentality of gas.

“Spain is in the position to also support us in this area of security because insecurity is one of the major problem facing the industry today. So we are going to be looking up to Spain.

“And then of course, Spain will also look up to us for further supply of gas. They are also interested in the pipeline that we are developing to Morocco. I believe that is going to settle the issue of vessel flight from Nigeria to Europe.

Albarese, earlier had commended Nigeria’s ability and expressed Spain’s interest to facilitate investment opportunities in oil and gas sector of the economy, adding that Nigeria was its first supplier of oil and gas.

The Spanish minister who was pleased with the revolution and opportunities in the sector as informed by Sylva, said the cooperation from the countries, especially from Spanish investors, would yield gains.

“Nigeria has been a strategic partner to Spain and has proven once again as a trusted partner in the complex setting of global energy market,” he said.

The meeting had in attendance, the Group Chief Executive Officer, NNPC Limited, Mallam Mele Kyari; Authority Chief Executive, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Regulatory Authority, Mr Ahmed Farouk; Commission Chief Executive, NUPRC, Mr Gbenga Komolafe; Managing Director, NLNG, Mr Philip Mshelbila, among others.

 

(NAN)

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Business & Economy

Tinubu Tables ₦58.18trn 2026 Budget, Projects Sustained Economic Stability

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu
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President Bola Tinubu on Friday presented a ₦58.18 trillion 2026 Appropriation Bill to a joint session of the National Assembly of Nigeria, declaring that Nigeria’s economy is showing measurable signs of stabilisation following years of structural pressure.

Tagged “Budget of Consolidation, Renewed Resilience and Shared Prosperity,” the 2026 fiscal plan is aimed at locking in recent macroeconomic gains while translating economic recovery into improved living standards for citizens.

According to the President, Nigeria’s economy expanded by 3.98 per cent in Q3 2025, while inflation moderated significantly, falling to 14.45 per cent in November 2025 from 24.23 per cent in March 2025.

“With stabilising food and energy prices, tighter monetary conditions, and improving supply responses, we expect the disinflationary trend to persist into 2026, barring major supply shocks,” Tinubu said during the presentation on December 19, 2025.

The President highlighted additional positive indicators, including improved crude oil production, rising non-oil revenues, renewed investor confidence, and external reserves climbing to a seven-year high of approximately $47 billion.

Under the proposal, the Federal Government projects ₦34.33 trillion in revenue against planned expenditure of ₦58.18 trillion, resulting in a budget deficit of ₦23.85 trillion, equivalent to 4.28 per cent of GDP. Tinubu emphasised that the fiscal framework is built on realism, prudence, and growth-driven assumptions.

He further assured lawmakers of tighter discipline in budget implementation, stressing that fiscal spending in 2026 would be more outcome-focused.

“Every naira spent or borrowed must deliver measurable public value,” the President said.

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CBN Governor Reassures U.S. Investors on Nigeria’s Economic Reforms, Stability

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CBN Governor, Yemi Cardoso
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The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Olayemi Cardoso, has reassured United States investors of Nigeria’s commitment to macroeconomic stability and market-driven reforms, amid global economic uncertainty.

Cardoso gave the assurance during high-level engagements with U.S. business leaders and institutional investors in Washington, D.C., including the U.S.–Nigeria Executive Business Roundtable.

Speaking at the forum, the CBN governor said Nigeria remains focused on rules-based economic management, transparent markets, and predictable policy frameworks to restore investor confidence and drive sustainable economic growth.

He highlighted recent reforms in the foreign exchange market, the adoption of orthodox monetary policy measures, ongoing banking sector reforms, and the modernisation of the payments system. According to him, the reforms are aimed at stabilising the economy and supporting private-sector-led development.

The roundtable, convened by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s U.S.-Africa Business Center, focused on macroeconomic stabilisation, regulatory clarity, and opportunities to scale bankable projects across key sectors of the Nigerian economy. Discussions also emphasised efforts to deepen commercial and investment ties between Nigeria and the United States.

Commenting on the outcome of the engagement, President of the U.S.-Africa Business Center, Ms. Kendra Gaither, said investors are increasingly prioritising policy credibility and consistency.

She noted that clarity of rules, credible reforms, and disciplined economic management are critical factors driving investor interest, adding that Nigeria’s evolving message of discipline and opportunity is important in a global economy seeking stability and predictability.

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Tinubu Welcomes Nigeria’s Removal from FATF Grey List, Pledges Continued Financial Reforms

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President Bola Tinubu
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu
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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has welcomed the removal of Nigeria from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list, describing it as a major milestone in the nation’s economic reform and global credibility drive.

The FATF, the world’s foremost body for combating money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing, announced Nigeria’s delisting on Friday at its plenary session in Paris, France.

The decision formally removes Nigeria from the list of countries under increased monitoring, following the nation’s successful completion of its FATF Action Plan after over two years of sustained reforms and inter-agency coordination.

In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu said the development reflects Nigeria’s progress in strengthening its Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) framework.

“Rather than treat our placement on the grey list in 2023 as a setback, we saw it as a call to action,” the President said. “This delisting is a strategic victory for our economy and a renewed vote of confidence in Nigeria’s financial governance.”

The President credited the achievement to far-reaching legal, institutional, and operational reforms implemented under his administration through the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), in collaboration with the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, and other key ministries.

Tinubu commended the Director/CEO of the NFIU, Ms. Hafsat Abubakar Bakari, and her team for their diligence and professionalism, as well as the contributions of several ministries, agencies, and private sector representatives who participated in the National Task Force on AML/CFT.

He also acknowledged the support of international partners including France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, the United Nations, and the European Commission, for their technical assistance throughout Nigeria’s reform process.

President Tinubu assured that his administration will sustain and deepen the reforms that led to the country’s delisting.

“This is not just a technical accomplishment,” he said. “It marks the beginning of a new chapter in our financial reform agenda as we continue building a system Nigerians and the world can trust.”

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