Economy

AfCFTA Secretary-General allays fears of turning Nigeria into dumping ground

AfCFTA Sec.Gen, Wamkele Mene

Eyewitness reporter

The Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area(AfCFTA), Wamkele Mene, has allayed the fears of Nigeria over the possibility of being turned into a dumping ground for goods under the continental trade agreement.

Mr Mene, who stated this during the visit of the AfCFTA secretariat to Lagos ports Wednesday, said adequate measures have been built into the trade agreement to safeguard the country and other African nations from being turned into dumping grounds for foreign goods.

It could be recalled that it took Nigeria’s President, Mohammed Buhari to sign the trade agreement owing to fears being expressed by the government that Nigeria, as the biggest market in Africa, could easily be turned into a dumping ground under the continental trade agreement.

However, the AfCFTA scribe said though such fears are real, the agreement has taken care of its possibility.

He said the issue of dumping is a serious one but the agreement has given each country under the agreement powers to deal with the situation when it arises.

According to him, the agreement is intended to create jobs and not job losses, as dumping could lead to job losses.

“On the issue of dumping, it is a very very serious issue. This agreement is intended to create jobs, not job losses.

“So, we have to make sure that we are very vigilant against the transshipment of goods, against fraudulent invoicing.

” Any goods that are coming in that are not part of AFCTA, we should not hesitate to take action against such goods.

“That is why we are working closely with the customs authorities in Africa.

“In the agreement, there are rules: anti-dumping measures, all these rules are meant to protect domestic economies.

“If you see there is the importation of certain goods from certain countries, the agreement allows you to take action against those goods in that country.

“So we have built into the agreement safeguards to make sure that we minimize these.

“Fraudulent invoicing, and transshipment, like any other crimes, those things will always be there, the issue is to mitigate and make it difficult” Mr Mene declared.

He disclosed that in order to mitigate the issue of dumping, the AfCFTA secretariat is working closely with customs authorities in Africa to check against this menace.

“So we are working closely with the customs authorities, that is why we have hosted them in Accra, five times so that we can jointly together confront these challenges of the possibility of dumping of goods.

“What I always find interesting is that many times, we are willing to accept goods from a country whose name I would not mention that is not on this continent., substandard goods, goods that don’t meet our own requirements, these are the things we have to be vigilant against because it is not a Nigerian market, a Malian market, a Ghanian market, it is AFCTA market.

The AfCFTA chief said that dumping will not affect one county alone but the whole of Africa and that is why the secretariat viewed the issue with all seriousness.

“We are now creating one market, so if there is dumping in Nigeria, it impacts all of us. If it is dumped in another country, it imparts on all of us.

“So I really appreciate the sensitivity of this issue of dumping and I understand it.

“I mentioned in the previous session that in Southern Africa, there is a sugar that is being dumped from another part of the world that is being brought here, displacing the local market in Southern Africa, and creating job loss.

.”So we have to work together to make sure that we prevent this scourge of dumping” Mene stated.

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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.

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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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.