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Don says CBN can print money to augment fall in revenue

 

Eyewitness reporter
A professor of Economics, Lanre Olaniyan,  has declared that it was within the fiscal responsibilities of the Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN) to print money to augment Federal Government’s revenue.
Olaniyan said on  Tuesday that there was nothing unusual about this phenomenon whenever the need arises.
He was reacting to an allegation made by Gov. Godwin Obaseki of Edo State that the CBN printed money to augment the shortfall of March revenue allocations to states.
However , Prof. Olaniyan, who teaches at the University of Ibadan, said the concept of ‘printing money’ does not always relate to the printing of physical cash.
“This happens virtually all over the world. The money is not always printed as cash.
“Sometimes, it just refers to ‘creation of money’ for the government.
“Cash is only involved when and if the cash reserve is very low.
“But the big issue is that any money that is printed to support the government is a loan.
“It is not a free gift. It appears in the balance sheet as loans given to the government,’’ he said.
The idea, he added, was for the Central Bank to give loans to the government as ‘the lender of last resort’.
“I do not know for sure whether or not the CBN printed money, but there is nothing wrong if it did.
“It is the duty of the CBN to print money, and virtually, every Central Bank in the world prints money.
“Apart from the reason of shortage of cash or replacing mutilated cash in circulation, the CBN can print money to give loan to the government.
“In elementary economics, we are told that the Central Bank is the lender of last resort to the government,’’ he said.
According to the professor, when governments face revenue challenges, they usually resort to their Central Banks for succour.
The Central Banks, he said, would usually raise such monies through the sale of bonds and treasury bills.
He, however, added that the idea of printing money should be under certain economic considerations.
“When the CBN gets such money, either through bonds or treasury bills, it then gives it to the government as a loan with terms.
“It could be a short term of between one month and 90 days, or long term of between one year and five years.
“When government prints money, it is usually to stimulate a productive sector of the economy for increased economic growth and sustainability,’’ he said.
Olaniyan added that high-interest rates usually served as incentives for people to invest in bonds or treasury bills.
“In the last one year, because of the recession that we had, the interest rate has gone low, and people are not too willing to invest in treasury bills or bonds,’’ he said.
According to him, Nigeria has limited choices in sourcing for improved revenue as most revenue sources are getting tight.
“The other alternative is foreign loans, but we already have a high burden of foreign loans.
“The total revenue of the government is about the same amount we are spending on debt servicing,’’ he said.
The Finance Minister also addressed the issue of external debt last Wednesday.
“The Nigerian debt is still within a sustainable limit.
“Our debt, currently at about 23 percent to GDP, is at a very sustainable level if you look at all the reports that you see from multilateral institutions,’’ she had said.
Olaniyan said also that “the only option is to go back to elementary economics and approach the ‘lender of last resort’, the CBN.
“If people are not investing in treasury bills and bonds, the Central Bank embarks on printing of money.
“It is called, ‘Seigniorage’, a process where the apex bank prints money to fund activities of government.’’
The Don said that Nigeria was a country freshly out of recession, which needed to put money in people’s pockets to sustain the post-recession economy.
“The Federal Government will have to spend enough money that will go round a large percentage of the citizenry; it is called ‘Quantitative Easing’.’’
Nevertheless, Zainab Ahmed, Minister of Finance, Budget, and National Planning, has debunked Obaseki’s claim.
“It is not true to say we printed money to distribute at FAAC. It is not true,’’ the minister said last Wednesday at the end of the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting.

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Economy

News Alert! Tinubu sacks Wale Edun as Finance Minister in cabinet reshuffle, appoints Taiwo Oyedele as replacement 

Funso OLOJO, Editor 
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has carried out a major reshuffle exercise in his cabinet in which he dropped the Minister of Finance and the Coordinating Minster, Mr Wale Edun.
Taiwo Oyedele, who was recently appointed as the Minister of State for the Ministry, has now replaced the sacked Edun.
Also removed in the reshuffle exercise was the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa.
A statement on Tuesday, April 21st, 2026,by the Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Yomi Odunuga, said the development was contained in a memo signed by the
Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume.According to the memo, Taiwo Oyedele has been appointed as the new Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy.
Also appointed was Dr. Muttaqha Darma as Minister-designate for Housing and Urban Development.

The memo directed the outgoing ministers to complete handover processes to their respective successors or supervising officials.It stated that all handing over and taking over activities must be concluded on or before the close of business on Thursday, 23rd April, 2026.

Explaining the decision, Akume said the changes were aimed at improving coordination and strengthening delivery across key sectors of the economy under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

“These changes are aimed at strengthening cohesion, synergy in governance as well as achieving more impactful delivery on the economy to Nigerians, through the Renewed Hope Agenda,” Akume stated.

He added that President Tinubu acted in line with his constitutional powers as provided under Sections 147 and 148 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

The SGF also conveyed the President’s appreciation to the outgoing ministers for their service to the nation and wished them well in their future endeavours, noting that the process of cabinet reinvigoration would remain continuous.

The statement further noted that Taiwo Oyedele was appointed as Minister of State for Finance in March 2026, while Edun was among the ministers appointed on August 16, 2023.

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Economy

Tinubu assents to 2026 Appropriation bill , extends 2025 budget implementation 

Funso OLOJO, Editor
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has assented to the 2026 Appropriation Bill, which provides for an aggregate expenditure of ₦68.32 trillion.
He has also signed the bill extending the implementation period for the 2025 budget from March 31, 2026, to June 30, 2026.
The N68.32 trillion budget for this year earmarks N4.799 trillion for statutory transfers and N15.8 trillion for debt service.
It allocates N15.4 trillion to recurrent expenditure and N32.2 trillion to the Development Fund for Capital Expenditure.
According to the statement signed by Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on information and Strategy, with capital expenditure accounting for about 50 per cent, the 2026 budget underscores the administration’s continued commitment to economic stability, national security, infrastructure development, and inclusive growth.
The allocations reflect a strategic balance between statutory obligations, debt servicing, recurrent expenditure, and capital investments critical to driving productivity and improving the quality of life for Nigerians.
Additionally, the President has assented to the Appropriation (Repeal and Enactment) (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which extends the implementation period of the capital component of the 2025 Appropriation Act from March 31, 2026, to June 30, 2026.
The extension will ensure the full and effective utilisation of appropriated funds, particularly for critical infrastructure and development projects that are at advanced stages of implementation across the country.
It will enable Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to consolidate ongoing works, enhance project completion rates, and maximise value for public expenditure.
With the 2026 Appropriation Act coming into force on April 1, the Federal Government will commence full implementation in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda.
President Tinubu directed MDAs to ensure disciplined, transparent, and efficient utilisation of allocated resources, with a strong emphasis on value for money and timely project delivery.
He commended the leadership and members of the National Assembly for their diligence, cooperation, and patriotism in expeditiously considering and passing the budget.
The President reaffirmed the importance of sustained collaboration between the Executive and Legislative arms of government in advancing national development objectives.
He further assured Nigerians of his administration’s resolve to deepen fiscal reforms, enhance revenue generation, and prioritise investments that will stimulate economic growth, create jobs, and strengthen social protection mechanisms.
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Economy

NNPC attributes increased crude oil production to enhanced security surveillance of pipelines in Niger- Delta

Funso OLOJO, Editor

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) has confirmed that national crude oil production has grown from a historic low of 960,000 barrels per day in 2022 to an average of 1.71 million barrels per day and a peak production of 1.84 million barrels per day in 2025, owing to the establishment of the integrated energy security for pipelines in the Niger Delta.

Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd, Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, made the disclosure at the Parliamentary Roundtable on the State of Pipelines Security which held at the National Assembly, in Abuja, on Wednesday, April 8th, 2026.

Speaking on the success of the security arrangement, Ojulari explained that it was not accidental, and that it involved an “integrated energy security model that combines legislative and executive policy alignment, actionable intelligence, kinetic deployment capabilities, regulatory oversight, industry cooperation, and community‑embedded surveillance mechanisms”.

He said the resurgence of production due to the effective tackling of the twin menace of oil theft and pervasive pipeline sabotage has led to the restoration of investors’ confidence in the nation’s oil and gas sector.

In his welcome address, the President of the Senate, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, represented by Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, called for collaboration among agencies and stakeholders in resolving all challenges impeding production growth.

On his part, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, who was represented by the Leader of the House, Hon. (Prof.) Julius Ihonvbere, urged the forum to evaluate the progress made so far with a view to ensuring fairness and equity.

The Parliamentary Roundtable on the State of Pipelines Security was convened by the Joint Senate and House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources.

It had in attendance the Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, National Security Adviser, Minister of Defence, and representatives of oil industry regulatory agencies.

The Roundtable also featured presentations by the Chief of Defence Staff, Inspector General of Police, Director General of the Department of State Services, Commandant General of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps, and private security companies.

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