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FG bans export of LPG amid price surge

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By Obas Esiedesa, Abuja

The Federal Government has banned the export of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), also known as cooking gas, produced in Nigeria, as the price of the commodity continues to soar.

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, expressed concern over the rising cost of LPG in a statement issued by his media aide.

Despite efforts to stabilize prices, including the formation of a high-level committee in November 2023 led by the Authority Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Mr. Farouk Ahmed, prices have spiked from an average of N1,100-N1,250 per kg to N1,525 per kg.

The statement highlighted that Ekpo convened a meeting with key stakeholders in the LPG value chain to address the escalating prices and the hardship they impose on Nigerians.

As part of the government’s efforts to curb the situation, the Minister announced the following directives:

Short-Term Solution: Effective from November 1, 2024, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and LPG producers are to halt the export of LPG produced in the country. If they continue exporting, they must import an equivalent volume at cost-reflective prices.

Pricing Framework: The NMDPRA will engage stakeholders within 90 days to create a domestic LPG pricing framework. The new framework will be indexed to the cost of in-country production, replacing the current system of using external market prices from regions like the Americas and Far East Asia.

Long-Term Solution: Over the next 12 months, the government plans to develop infrastructure for blending, storing, and distributing LPG, with the aim of halting exports until domestic supply is sufficient and prices stabilize.

The Minister emphasized that these measures are aimed at improving availability, ensuring affordability, and protecting Nigerians from the economic strain caused by rising LPG prices.

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Elon Musk’s Wealth Rises By $13bn After Trump’s Win

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Elon Musk’s Wealth Rises By $13bn After Trump’s Win
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The wealth of billionaire Tesla and X owner, Elon Musk, has soared by about $13 billion hours after his ally, Donald Trump, won the United States presidential election.

Early Wednesday, investors said Trump’s win will also be a win for Musk’s major public holding, Tesla (TSLA), sending shares of his electric vehicle maker up 13% at the market open, CNN reports.

The development lifted the value of the 411 million shares of Tesla that Musk owns outright by more than $13 billion, which works out to a better than a 11,000% return on the $119 million he donated to Trump.

No single business leader did more to support former President Donald Trump’s candidacy than Musk.

Musk has donated nearly $119 million so far to a political action committee he set up to support Trump, according to Federal Election Commission filings. He has also appeared with Trump at rallies and hosted a fawning interview with him on X, his social media platform.

“He’s bet big here. He dove into the deep end of the pool on this election,” said Daniel Ives, tech analyst at Wedbush Securities.

Much of Musk’s massive net worth can be traced to the government support his companies, such as Tesla and SpaceX, have received over the years. Even if Vice President Kamala Harris had won, much of that money would have continued to flow.

But even if some of the government support for electric vehicles is now trimmed or cut off, as is likely with Trump’s victory, Musk’s wealth will remain firmly intact. In fact, Tesla could benefit if government support for EVs ends.

Musk posted numerous tweets on his social media platform X late Tuesday and early Wednesday celebrating Trump’s victory.

“The people of America gave @realDonaldTrump a crystal clear mandate for change tonight,” he wrote in one of them.

But Trump’s victory could be negative to Musk’s investment, too. Trump has been openly hostile to electric vehicles, saying they are too expensive, have limited range, and will destroy jobs and the American auto industry. But what might seem like the biggest blow to Tesla from another Trump presidency — a reduction, if not the end of federal support for EVs — might not be all that bad for Tesla and Musk.

Other policies that are the centre of Trump’s plans could cause major problems.

Trump has vowed to end something he calls “Biden’s EV mandate,” even though no such mandate exists, and it is unclear what he is referring to.

But under Biden there has been significant government support for building and buying EVs, including billions of dollars in loans to encourage automakers to invest in factories to build EVs and batteries in the United States, support for charging stations and a $7,500 tax credit to many electric car buyers.

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Again, Nigerian Electricity Companies Raise Meter Prices

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Again, Nigerian Electricity Companies Raise Meter Prices
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Again, Nigerian Electricity Companies Raise Meter Prices

Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) in Nigeria have officially announced an increase in the prices for electricity meters.

The increased prices will start on Tuesday, November 5, 2024.

The cost of a single-phase meter, a common type for household use, will now range from about N117,000 to as much as N149,800, depending on the DisCo and vendor.

The price for the three-phase meter, which is often used for larger homes or commercial buildings, has also seen a rise, although specific figures were not provided in this announcement.

This decision comes amidst rising operational costs, which have made it more challenging for DisCos to maintain their services at the current price levels.

The hike in meter prices is expected to affect millions of Nigerians who rely on prepaid meters, with the new rates set to be implemented across various states.

The announcement has sparked concerns among consumers who are already dealing with the economic pressures of rising inflation.

Many households and small businesses that rely on electricity to operate are now questioning the affordability of these new charges.

Despite the increase, DisCos argued that it is necessary to ensure sustainability in their operations and provide better services in the long run.

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EXCLUSIVE: How Dangote Lied To Tinubu Over 500 Million Fuel Storage Claims, Lobbies For Fuel Subsidy, Pressures President To Force NNPC To Buy His Petrol At N990/Litre

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Aliko Dangote, the billionaire industrialist, reportedly misled President Bola Ahmed Tinubu regarding his fuel storage capacity, claiming to have 500 million litres available.

It was gathered that Dangote is charging ₦990 per litre for loading at his refinery, with a minimum purchase requirement of 1 million litres, all of which must be paid for in advance.

Sources privy to the recent discussions between Dangote and President Tinubu disclosed to SaharaReporters that Dangote misled the president during their meeting by claiming he had 500 million litres of fuel in storage.

“Delays in loading are common. If buying with a vessel, the minimum purchase is 15,000 metric tonnes (approximately 20 million litres) at ₦971 per litre.

“The total cost of chartering a vessel, port fees, and discharge to a private depot is about 60 naira per litre, making the landing cost for private depot owners 971 + 60 naira. This is the reason why private depots are not buying,” one of the sources said.

The source told SaharaReporters that as a result, no private depot owner can afford to compete with Dangote

“Femi Otedola has suggested that private depot owners should sell their depots as scrap, which highlights the struggles in the market,” the source said.

The source explained that the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) is unable to purchase because they cannot afford to pay ₦990 million for 1 million litres of PMS.

“Dangote’s target is to sell to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, which will then sell to other distributors,” the source said.

One of the sources also revealed that Dangote urged President Bola Tinubu to compel NNPC to purchase fuel from his refinery.

However, President Tinubu reportedly clarified that NNPC would only make purchases if the pricing was deemed reasonable, emphasizing that Dangote should treat NNPC similarly to other oil companies like Total and 11 PLC.

When questioned about the volume of fuel he claimed to have, Dangote reportedly expressed uncertainty about the current naira-to-dollar exchange rate, stating that he was awaiting guidance from NNPC.

“NNPC doesn’t want to buy from Dangote because they must cover their costs while also making a profit, which could lead to higher prices for consumers. NNPC does not want consumers to pay more,” one of the sources said.

The source added that Dangote appears to be aiming for a subsidy and a monopoly; however, President Tinubu has removed the subsidy, creating an environment conducive to monopoly.

“Dangote’s target is subsidy and monopoly, unfortunately President Tinubu had removed subsidy and this would bring monopoly.

“At the recent meeting, Dangote misled the President, claiming he had 500 million litres in storage. When the President asked him why he was keeping such volume, he stated that he was unsure about the naira-to-dollar exchange rate and was waiting for NNPC to provide a rate.

“The President pointed out that as a smart businessman, he should not need to wait for guidance from NNPC regarding exchange rates.

“Dangote urged the President to force NNPC Retail to purchase his fuel, but the President clarified that NNPC should only buy if the price is right and that Dangote should treat NNPC the same way he would treat Total and 11 PLC (formerly Mobil Oil Nigeria),” the source said.

Ekwutosblog also learnt that the billionaire businessman also wanted the President to fix the foreign exchange rate to use but Tinubu declined.

One of the sources said, ” Dangote also wanted the President to fix the naira to dollar exchange rate and president refused and said ‘No’.”

Sources told SaharaReporters that African Export – Import Bank (Afreximbank) representatives also attended the meeting because the bank wants to become the settlement bank.

“The President of Afreximbank, Dr Benedict Okey Oramah is retiring next year from the bank, and he needs to protect his private investment in Dangote Refinery, just like former Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele.

“Oramah and Zacchs Adedeji of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) are doing everything possible to force NNPC to give foreign exchange discount and foreign exchange subsidy to Dangote. They are putting pressure on NNPC to give this foreign exchange subsidy and charge it to the federation account but NNPC is resisting that.

“They want NNPC to provide foreign exchange discounts and subsidies to Dangote, which NNPC is currently resisting.

“Now, plans are underway to push for the removal or sacking of NNPC management if they refuse to cooperate with them. They want to bring in a Kano man named Engineer Rabiu Suleiman,” the source added.

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