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Economy: FG projects N26trn In 2024 as debt servicing gulps N8.25trn

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Atiku Bagudu
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The Federal Government is projecting N26.01 trillion as expenditure for the 2024 fiscal year.

Of the amount, N8.25 trillion is being projected for debt servicing.

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) chaired by President Bola Tinubu on Monday approved the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) for 2024 – 2026.

Minister of Budget and National Planning, Abubakar Bagudu, told journalists after the meeting that the administration would maintain the January–December budget implementation cycle.

“The aggregate expenditure is estimated at N26.01 trillion for the 2024 budget, which includes statutory transfers of N1.3 trillion non-debt recurrent expenditure of N10.26 trillion. Debt service estimated at N8.25 trillion as well as N7.78 trillion being provided for personnel pension cost,” Bagudu said.

The minister explained that increase in the debt service was because of “N22.7 trillion Ways and Means was securitised, meaning it became a federal government debt at nine per cent.”

Bagudu stated that FEC benchmarked Dollar at N700 while the price of crude was projected at $73.96 per barrel. The production of 1.7 million barrels of crude per day and 21 per cent interest rate were some of the parameters of the 2024 Budget.

He said that the budget would be presented to the National assembly before the end of the year since President Bola Tinubu was already engaging with the legislative arm towards getting their buy-in.

The budget minister said that the budget was expected to consolidate on the various economic reforms initiated by the present administration aimed at improving the standard of living of Nigerians and attracting investors.

Also, the second FEC meeting took up the issues of economy and the agreement reached between government and the labour unions early this month to avert an industrial action.

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, said that the meeting approved the application for financing from the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA).

He said that the country was able to access $1.5 billion from the IDA, which is the virtually free or zero-interest lending arm or financing arm of the World Bank.

“Nigeria has been able to make the kind of macro-economic moves to take the tough decisions to restore balance in the economy in the government’s finances that has warranted support.

“This had engendered support from the multilateral development banks.

“It is on this basis that the world bank is willing to consider and to process on our behalf $1.5 billion of concessional financing, relatively cheap financing and financing that will be dispersed relatively quickly,” he said.

Edun said that another $80 million financing from the African Development Bank was approved by the FEC for the Ekiti Knowledge Zone (EKZ) project aimed at empowering the youth in the sector of Knowledge Economy through technology and communications generally.

He said: “This is basically to support young people and their quest to take on technology to use it to be employed to be trained and to benefit from being part of the knowledge economy.

“This is being part of the technological wave that is present very much in Nigeria, which is becoming a bigger and bigger share of the economy.”

Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong, said that FEC gave approval for the agreement between labour and the government during the October 2 meeting.

“Presidential approval was given after analysing the agreement to provide for industrial harmony. Similarly, the 30 days implementation timeline agreed on was also approved by FEC,” he said.

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Business & Economy

Mangal Cement Reiterates Commitment to Consistence Quality, Tightens Relationship with Stakeholders

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The General Manager, Sales and Marketing, Omowunmi Goriola Oduguwa Monday, July 14th, 2025 addresses Annual Stakeholders Forum, Abuja
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By AbdulRahman Obaje

Mangal Cement has reiterate its commitment to consistence quality while reinforcing its relationship with it stakeholders.

The General Manager, Sales and Marketing, Omowunmi Goriola Oduguwa made this known Monday, July 14th, 2025 during this year Annual Stakeholders Forum, Abuja.

Omowunmi said, “We are here today basically because of this title: ‘building stronger partnership, quality trading solution and value for money’. We are here; number one, to tighten the collaboration that we’ve been having with our stakeholders. We know that we’ve been having relationship with you by virtue of the fact that you are partner to our business, you are using our brand; that automatically has clarify the fact that we are in partnership”

”We don’t just want it to be like that, we want it to be tighter, so we want to strengthen that collaboration, we want it to be tighter. That is why we are here and that is why we have invited you to be part of this event.”

“And secondly. We are also here to reaffirm the consistency in quality and innovation. We want to assure you that our quality remain the way it has ever been since inception; since we started production. My colleague said this is first of its kind; I mean the stakeholder forum we are having. But obviously this is first of its kind in Abuja environment. And I want to also appreciate us for being part of this very first one.”, she continued.

Participants also expressed satisfaction with Mangal product. Obastar Block Industry Said the cement is very good. He said, “People should join in using it, we have been using it. The cement is good. We have been using other cements but since we have tried Mangal cement, we have not been disappointed.”

“The only place they need improvement is setting, outside that, the cement is very good.” he concluded.

Olayinka AbdulWahid, IBZA Blocks said, “Mangal cement is very good in terms of quality and durability.

The blocks that we produced with Mangal cement, the customer actually vouch for. I have some few friends that whenever they want to cast, they always request that make Mangal cement available.

So, in terms of quality, it is a very good quality/ the only challenge we have is the availability and most of the time the delivery is very very poor in which sometimes, some of us we are unable to wait. we have to look for alternative product.

But with this seminar we attend today, if we can have access to more of the vendor or more of the distributor, we can have alternative demand.

So, that is the only challenge, the availability.”

However, Omowunmi further revealed that Mangal Industries is not slowing down on innovation and quality assurance, asserting that this is the reason for the forum, so as “to reaffirm our commitment to quality and innovation as an organisation.”, she continued.

The forum saw notable personalities such as Engr. Yusuf Ibrahim, Industrial Training Fund, Silifa Shagaya, SON and others in attendance

High point of the event was the distribution of wheelbarrows and protective gears to all the participants of the stakeholder forum.

 

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Business & Economy

Nigerian Economy Stabilising — CBN Governor, Cardoso

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CBN Governor Yemi Cardoso
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The governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Olayemi Cardoso, has said the Nigerian economy has stability.
He disclosed this at the press briefing at the end of its 300th Monetary Policy Committee meeting on Tuesday.

According to him, investors’ confidence in the Nigerian economy has improved over the past eighteen months.

Responding to questions on how improved macroeconomic fundamentals of the Nigerian economy are impacting the lives of Nigerians, he said, “Investors do not go to where there is economic instability. They don’t go out to lose money but to make a profit. With that stability comes confidence and then investment and growth.

“What is now being recognised is that the Nigerian economy is not stable. The inflation numbers speak for themselves.”

Recall that the World Bank, in its latest Nigerian Development Update report, said the country is in good shape as it grew by 3.4 percent in 2024.

 

 

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 CBN Retains Nigeria’s Interest At 27.50%

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Yemi Cardoso,CBN Governor
Yemi Cardoso, CBN Governor
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The Central Bank of Nigeria Monetary Policy Committee has retained the country’s interest rate at 27.50 percent.

The governor of CBN, Olayemi Cardoso, disclosed this in a press briefing on Tuesday after the 300th MPC meeting in Abuja.

“The committee unanimously agreed to retain MPR at 27.50 percent,” he stated.

Cardoso also announced that the MPC member decided to retain the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) at 50 basis points for commercial bank and 16 percent for mortgage bank, the liquidity ratio (LR) at 30 percent, and the asymmetric corridor at +500/-100 basis points around the MPR; other monetary policy decisions were retained.

He justified MPC’s decision to pause the rate hike on the easing of Nigeria’s inflation rate to 23.7 percent in April.

it would be recalled that last week the National Bureau of Statistics consumer price index showed that country’s inflation dropped by 23.7 percent.

In February, the MPC retained the country’s interest rate at 27.50 percent as inflation cooled off.

 

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