The further tightening of the Monetary Interest Rate to tame elevated inflation by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) may create more hurdles for the manufacturing sector and other debtors of commercial banks with a possible consequential negative growth rate effect on the economy.

Rising from its 294th meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) on Tuesday, the central bank announced an increment in interest rate benchmark by 200 basis points to 24.75 percent from 22.75 in a continued chase to tame Nigeria’s stagflation that has seen food inflation rise to 37.92 percent in February 2024.

The decision by the MPC to increase the MPR by 200 bps makes it a total of 600 bps in just one month if one adds the 400 bps delivered in February.

The high cost of funds presents a significant challenge to businesses and the economy. For businesses, it translates to increased borrowing expenses, which can strain their financial resources and hinder investment in expansion, innovation, and hiring.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in particular, face heightened difficulty accessing affordable financing, limiting their growth potential.

The MPC also adjusted the asymmetric corridor around the MPR to +100/-300 basis points, while retaining the Cash Reserve Ratio of Deposit Money Banks at 45 percent. It also adjusted the Cash Reserve Ratio of Merchant Banks from 10.0 per cent to 14 per cent, and retained the Liquidity Ratio at 30 per cent.

Governor of the central bank Olayemi Cardoso who announced the decisions of the MPC meeting yesterday in Abuja said the “considerations underscore the importance of the CBN’s commitment to the price stability mandate and the need to urgently bring inflation under control to ensure that the purchasing power of ordinary Nigerians is restored in the short to medium term.”

However, he said he doesn’t expect the tightening rates to be long-drawn.

The CBN governor also disclosed that his office refused to validate the outstanding $2.4 billion Forex forward transactions because they were ineligible for forex allocation.

Cardoso made the remark on Wednesday in reaction to airline operators who said they lied in their claim of settling all FX backlog to its members.

Cardoso said the central bank relied on the report by Deloitte Consultants to refuse approval for the applications. Deloitte Consultants had produced an audit report that revealed that most of the transactions did not qualify for payment.

“In some cases, some allocations were made without being requested. You also had some where they had no naira and they allocated foreign exchange. It was for that reason that we refused to validate those particular transactions. Because, apart from the fact that documentation was not satisfactory, many cases were outright illegal,” the CBN governor said, while responding to questions from journalists at the end of this month’s meeting of the MPC of the bank.

He said law enforcement agencies are now looking into the transactions that are not valid to be paid.

However, he said if there is any information to the contrary, the CBN management would reconsider its stand in due course.

“Other transactions have been settled. And as of today, the valid transactions – as far as the Central Bank of Nigeria is concerned – have been taken care of. We are also not unmindful of the fact that there may be some stakeholders who over some time may have had a backlog in one form or the other,” he stated.

Cardoso said his administration has done what it could to make the FX market as transparent and liquid as possible.

In reaction to the outcome of the MPC meeting, economic experts said much as tightening is necessary at this time because of the elevated inflation, MPC should tighten policy incrementally and in a measured manner that optimises the CBN’s policy tool kit without undue reliance on the monetary policy rate. 

Professor of capital market and former commissioner of finance in Imo State, Uche Uwaleke, said the development is now driving undue pressure by banks on the CBN’s Standing Lending Facility and increasing cost of funds generally.

“The CBN should recognise that the challenge currently facing the Nigerian economy is not just inflation but stagflation, and to this end should equally have regard to growth concerns in future meetings of the MPC,” he stated.

Rate Hike To Limit Banks’ Lending To Businesses —- Experts

Analysts have expressed concern that the latest hike in benchmark interest rate will see deterioration of the lending books of banks and would also have a negative impact on growth in the country.

According to analysts, the MPC is trading growth for stability with its latest moves.

In line with the expectations of analysts, the MPC had for the second consecutive time this year raised the benchmark interest rate from 18.75 per cent to 22.75 per cent, and now 24.75 per cent.

Commenting on the latest hike, managing director and chief executive of Arthur Steven Asset Management Limited, Mr Olatunde Amolegbe, noted that he had expected the committee to continue with its hawkish stance.

According to him, the MPC is reading effectiveness to its massive rate movement of last month, given that the naira had begun to strengthen and this is expected to slow the rate of growth in inflation rate in subsequent months.

“I suspect that is why they kept applying the same measures this month albeit at a relatively less hawkish level. The rate increase will, of course, continue to attract foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) at a high rate as we have seen in recent weeks, which will continue to boost supply to the forex market and ensure price stability.

“It is also possible that local investors move towards fixed income instruments rather than speculating in the forex market which could reduce inordinate demand and strengthen the Naira further,” he said.

He, however, noted that ‘the flip is that finance cost increases sharply for industries with negative impact on production, unemployment and economic growth.”

Meanwhile, Amolegbe whilst stating that the CBN is trading growth for stability at this point, said, “The point at which this needs to be reversed is anybody’s guess. As costs such as interest rates rise, the probability of default or non-performance loans (NPLs) also tends to rise. “This, also coupled with rising inflation and lower consumer purchasing power, might mean higher NPL levels in the books of banks.”

This was also the view of the chief executive of the Centre for Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE), Dr Muda Yusuf, who stressed that the hike would mean a higher cost of credit to the real sector.

He said, “The new dramatic increase in MPR means that the cost of credit to the few private sectors that have exposure to bank credits will increase, which will impact their operating costs, prices of their products and profit margins, amidst very challenging operating conditions.”

Noting that in the Nigerian context, price levels are not interest sensitive, Yusuf said supply side issues are much more profound drivers of inflation.

According to him, the hike would further pose a risk to the financial intermediation role of financial institutions in the country.

“The increase would constrain the capacity of banks to support economic growth and investment, especially in the real sector of the economy because the increases are quite significant.

“Already, bank lending has been constrained by the high CRR, with many operators in the sector claiming that effective CRR is as high as 50 per cent for many banks. The Nigerian banks are yet to live up to their financial intermediation role because of these constraining factors,” he concluded.

Legal Luminary, Femi Falana has called for the advertisement of the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chairman and that of the Residents Electoral Commissioners (RECs) for the sake of transparency and credibility in the system.

Falana suggested that after eligible persons apply for the office of the INEC chairman and the RECs, the National Assembly would conduct a thorough screening of the three best candidates before one of them should be announced.

The senior advocate, who is part of a movement for the Electoral and Judicial Reforms that emerged after the Haske Satumari Foundation Annual Colloquium, insisted that if a credible person emerges as INEC chairman through an open process, it will go a long way in the nation’s election credibility.

“In appointing INEC chairman and Residents Electoral Commissioners, the position should be advertised.

“The best three names should be sent to the Senate for screening before announcement,” Falana said.

Falana who said their interest is to ensure that Nigeria gets the best when it comes to election, urged the country to ensure that the Justice Uwais panel report on election should be fully adopted.

“We must go back to the Uwais panel report,” Falana said.

Speaking, the founder of Haske Satumari Foundation, Hon Kudla Satumari, said they are working to ensure that both the electoral act and the constitution provided for full transmission of election results electronically.

“We want electronic transmission of election results to be fully adopted,” Kudla said, adding that the non-transmission of election results electronically has denied many people victory.

Speaking on why many lose in court, Kudla said their movement is suggesting that once grounds of an appeal are clear and acceptable, the onus of proof should be shifted to the acclaimed winner.

“While dealing with the principles of evidence, some people only look at the technicalities. So, once you are able to prove your case in the petition, the onus of proof should be shifted to the acclaimed winner,” Kudla said.

On the issue of immunity, Kudla said it should be removed in all political offices adding that their movement is also working on how the constitution and the electoral act would be amended to ensure that only the number of people that voted for a lawmaker is required for a recall process.

“If you are recalling a member, it should be a similar percentage that voted for the person. A simple majority that elected the member should be enough for the recall of the member,” Kudla said while disclosing areas they will be pushing for amendment in the electoral act and the constitution amendment.

The Delta State House of Assembly has reversed the termination of Emmanuel Emenetie by the Post Primary Education Board, 24 years ago.

Emenetie had written a petition to the Assembly on February 17, 2000, claiming that the Post Primary Education Board had unlawfully terminated his employment.

In the petition, Emenetie prayed for his reinstatement as Permanent Secretary to be on par with his colleagues in service and for all financial benefits to take effect from the termination date.

He also requested the sum of N4,800,000.00 as compensation for the number of years he was out of employment.

However, in a unanimous decision during Tuesday’s sitting, presided over by the Speaker, Hon Emomotimi Guwor, the lawmakers stated that the sack was in clear violation of the law and should be set aside.

While recommending that Emenetie be paid all his salaries/emoluments, lawmakers directed that all benefits be paid from the date of his unlawful termination of employment.

While commending the Public Petitions Committee report, the Speaker directed the Clerk of the House to inform the appropriate authorities of the House’s decision and mandated the Deputy Speaker to do a follow-up for compliance.

The lawmakers said, “He should be paid other benefits he is entitled to from the date of the unlawful termination of his employment through the rank to the position of Director, which is supposed to be at least his present rank, and through to the date of his supposed retirement.

“That Mr Emmanuel Emenetie be made to retire at the grade level of a Director. That the Chairman of the Post Primary Education Board and Head of Service of Delta State be directed that the recommendations/directives of the house as contained in paragraphs 1-3 above are complied with forthwith.”

A married man, Ernest Okporu, who was accused of having unlawful carnal knowledge of his landlord's 11-year-old daughter in Osubi town, Okpe Local Government Area of Delta State, has been arrested.

Human rights activist, Kelvin Ejumudo, who disclosed this on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, said the 39-year-old suspect is currently cooling off in detention at the Orerokpe police station.
 
According to Mr. Ejumudo, the incident happened on Saturday 23rd March 2024, after the suspect told the victim to bring his charger to his apartment and then defiled her.
 
"One Mr Ernest Okporu, 39 years of age and married has allegedly r*ped and defile the daughter of his landlord on Saturday 23rd March 2024 in the Osubi area of Delta state," he wrote.

"I got a distress call from the mother of the little girl and well meaning Deltans that a minor has been r*ped and defiled. The little girl said Mr Ernest asked her to go bring his charger from his apartment at the back of his fridge and little did she know he followed her and grabbed her from the back, tied her hands to the back and forcefully had carnal knowledge of her

"Thereafter he threatened to kill her if she told anyone and then forced her to wash her bloodstained pants.
     
"The medical reports show that the hymen has been broken, there was penetration and presence of semen.
     
"Mr Ernest okporu admitted to the crime and was pleading for forgiveness from the father of the little girl. He’s currently cooling off in detention at the Orerokpe police station in okpe local Government council area of Delta state and will be arraigned in court before the end of the week.
     
"I especially want to appreciate the DPO Orerokpe Division of the Nigeria police force Delta State Command CSP Paul Oboware for his stand on this case to ensure justice is served and will not be swept under the carpet."

Three sisters who were abducted in Egbudu-Akah, Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State have been rescued by the police.

The command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, disclosed this in a post on his X handle on Tuesday, March 26.

The sisters have now been reunited with their families after they were rescued.

He wrote: “The command yesterday, March 24, 2024, rescued three sisters who were allegedly kidnapped in Egbudu-Akah, in Aniocha South LGA, and arrested one of the suspected kidnappers.

“The sisters have since been reunited with their families. This feat was achieved when a concerned resident of the community sighted the kidnappers dragging the girls to the bush.”

He added that in a stop-and-search duty on the same day, the operatives of the command also apprehended a suspected cultist and recovered a locally made cut-to-size double barrel gun.

He wrote, “On the same date in Agbor, a suspected cultist was intercepted during w stop-and-search duty. When searching, a locally made cut-to-size double barrel gun was recovered.

“CP Abaniwonda Olufemi has directed that the suspects be transferred to SCID for further investigation.”

Operatives of the Osun State Police have started investigating the circumstances leading to the discovery of the headless body of a woman in Osogbo.

DAILY POST had reported that a headless body of a woman was discovered opposite the Osogbo local government secretariat, Oke-Baale, Osogbo, on Tuesday.

The command’s spokesperson, Yemisi Opalola, confirming the presence of the corpse, stated that relevant authorities have been contacted to evacuate the body.

Opalola further stated that the operatives have begun an investigation into the incident to unravel the mystery surrounding how the body came to be in the spot where it was found.

“Concerning the dead body of a headless and armless woman that was found opposite Osogbo LG secretariat, Oke Baale, I want to inform you that the police are aware.

“The necessary authority has been contacted for the immediate evacuation of the corpse, while discreet investigation is ongoing,” she said.

Amid the continued appreciation of the Naira in the foreign exchange market, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has said Binance speculators wishing the Naira dropped to N2,500 have been proven wrong by the Central Bank of Nigeria under Governor Olayemi Cardoso.

Onanuga disclosed this on Tuesday through his official X handle while reacting to the sustained appreciation of the Naira at both the official and the parallel foreign exchange markets.

According to him, the Naira appreciation against USD is good news for Nigeria and should be appreciated by patriots.

He condemned the doomsday prediction of Nigeria’s currency as clearly off the mark.

“…This is good news for our country and should be appreciated by patriots. The doomsday prediction for our national currency is clearly off the mark, like the comparisons of our economy with Argentina and Zimbabwe’s.

“Those currency speculators on Binance, wishing that the Naira would fall to N2,500, have also been proven wrong by Cardoso’s CBN. The economic measures are working. The Naira will continue to wax stronger and stronger, and our people will soon start enjoying great relief as prices for goods fall”, he wrote.

DAILY POST recalls that the Naira has maintained its appreciation drive against the USD for weeks.

On Tuesday, N1,290 and N1,382.95 per USD were exchanged at both parallel and official foreign exchange markets, respectively.

The development comes as CBN sold $10,000 to each BDC at N1,251 per US dollar on Monday.

Transfer speculations swirling around Nigeria International striker Victor Osimhen has yet assumed another dimension after each of the trio, Arsenal, Chelsea and PSG, are reportedly ready to table a staggering €90m (about N138,974,356,080.00) for the Napoli star striker.

Several Italian outlets claim Napoli President, Aurelio De Laurentiis, could accept a bid below the striker’s release clause, said to be around £113 million ($143m) when the Nigerian ace signed a one-year extension last December.

But citing a report in Il Mattino newspaper, Football Italia has reported that Napoli are prepared to part company with Osimhen at the end of the season with Chelsea, Arsenal and PSG each ready to offer €90m for the Nigeria international.

According to the report, Osimhen is ‘fed up’ with Serie A and is looking forward to leaving the Stadio Maradona.

Intermediaries are already working with the striker’s agent, Roberto Calenda, to find a new club for the ex-Lille striker, who has scored 72 goals in 125 appearances with the Partenopei since 2020.

The 25-year-old recently signed a contract extension until June 2026 and the new deal includes a release clause of €120-130m.

However, Il Mattino claim De Laurentiis could accept an offer below the release clause, given that Osimhen has already decided to leave the club with words rife that his next destination is Chelsea.

In fact, Italian journalist Rudy Galetti was quoted as saying that Osimhen has agreed to personal terms with Chelsea, signalling a potential move to the London club in the upcoming summer transfer window.

Galetti, via his X account (formerly Twitter), disclosed that Chelsea are prepared to activate Osimhen’s release clause once the 2023/24 season ends.

”Victor Osimhen is always a main target for Chelsea to strengthen their attack,” Galetti said.

The former representative of Kogi West in the Red Chamber of the Nation’s Assembly, Senator Dino Melaye, has called on the Senate to save the nation from massive corruption bedevilling the economy.

Melaye stressed in a statement that “this will be the highest-ever budgetary allocation to the National Assembly, whose initial allocation in the 2024 budget proposal was pegged at N197.93bn.

According to the Senator, “On an x-ray of some of the budget, it appears that they have no national significance but an avenue to syphon public funds.”

He said, “Some years ago, I called the attention of well-meaning Nigerians to the most unfortunate and poignant situation we Nigerians have found ourselves in, where our collective wealth has been consistently looted under the guise of budget padding.

“I also recalled stating that more than 60% of corruption issues in Nigeria are built into and legalized in the budget. It’s impossible to argue the veracity when, out of 115 countries globally, Nigeria is ranked 90th on budget transparency, according to the Open Budget Index (OBI). With Nigeria’s annual budgets laced with fake items running into billions, budget fraud would be nothing but the real foundation of all corrupt practices in Nigeria.

“Lately, the news of an increase in the budget that was passed by the National Assembly. On November 29, 2023, President Bola Tinubu presented the N27.5 trillion budget to the joint session of the National Assembly. The budget has a recurrent expenditure profile of N9.92 trillion and a capital expenditure component of N8.7 trillion, while N8.25 trillion was set aside for debt servicing. Within 30 days, the lawmakers passed the budget, increasing it by N1.2 trillion and bringing the total figure to N28.7 trillion.

“Obviously, the lawmakers sacrificed diligence on the altar of speed, and so did the Commander-in-Chief, President Tinubu, who signed the bill into law within 48 hours after it was transmitted to him. The Premium Times reported on December 30, 2023, that the budget was passed after considering a report presented by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Adeola Olamilekan (APC, Ogun West).

“The lawmaker explained that the increase in the appropriation was a result of a request for additional funding for items that were not listed in the Appropriation Bill as submitted by President Tinubu. He said the joint National Assembly Committee on Appropriation observed inadequate funding in the budgetary allocation of some ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) of the federal government.

“It was on the basis above that the National Assembly raised its 2024 budgetary allocation by 74.23 per cent to N344.85 billion. May I humbly remind Nigerians that this will be the highest-ever budgetary allocation to the National Assembly, whose initial allocation in the 2024 budget proposal was pegged at N197.93bn? On an x-ray of some of the budget, it appears that they have no national significance but are an avenue to syphon public funds.

“The new legislative budget is more than what NASS got between 2011 and 2014. The increase in allocation to the Senate and House of Representatives is happening amidst a cost-of-living crisis in the country, with the government telling citizens that the country is facing tough times.

“The same cost applies for the Senate car park (109 members) and the Reps car park (360 members). In other words, a 109-car capacity car park costs the same as a 360-car capacity car park. N15 billion for the NASS hospital (a project for 500 people). This project is enough to build one primary health care centre in every local government area in Nigeria. This applies to all the projects listed above.

“Sadly, it is the same story through all the ministries, departments, agencies, parastatals, and even the presidency. Our budgeting system is now an avenue to cheat, defraud the country, and enrich a few elected principal officers through manipulation of budget numbers, yet we still try to legalise the act.

“The complicity is jaw-dropping, especially when one discovers that the Executive is now defending the actions of the National Assembly. Could it be because the National Assembly is their alma mater? No wonder at the presentation of the budget, Senate President Godswill Akpabio declared: “Our old boys are running the executive.”

What Nigerians have witnessed so far in this administration is the over-pampering of the lawmakers by President Bola Tinubu’s led administration at a time when ordinary Nigerians are enduring the pains of the reform initiatives of his administration, like fuel subsidy removal and the merger of the exchange rates of the Naira.

“The National Assembly has failed in its primary assignment of checking the excesses of the executive arm of government. The National Assembly has turned a blind eye to a huge sum of money budgeted for imaginary projects. Both now work in partnership to perpetrate this miasma. It has become the case of chop-make I -chop. Things have fallen apart.”

The naira yesterday appreciated to N1,350 per dollar in the parallel market from N1,430 per dollar on Monday.

Similarly, the naira yesterday appreciated to N1,382.95 per dollar in the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEM). Data from FMDQ showed that the indicative exchange rate for NAFEM fell to N1,382.95 per dollar from N1,408.04 per dollar on Monday, indicating N25.09 appreciation for the naira.

Consequently, the margin between the parallel market rate and NAFEM widened to N32.95 per dollar from N21.96 per dollar on Monday.

Over the past month, the Nigerian naira has surged by 18.28 percent to reach N1,408.04 on Monday, up from its low of N1,665.50 recorded on February 23, 2024, as per data compiled from the FMDQ Securities Exchange.

The recent appreciation of the naira against the dollar can be attributed to foreign exchange reforms implemented by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Key reforms include the consolidation of exchange rate windows, liberalization of the FX market, resolution of FX backlog obligations for banks and airlines, implementation of a Price Verification System (PVS), imposition of limits on banks’ Net Open Position, removal of the daily cap on remunerable Standing Deposit Facility (SDF) to N2 billion, and restructuring of the Bureau De Change (BDC) segment.

The additional measures implemented are aimed at promoting a market where both the buyer and seller are willing participants. These measures include the removal of margin limits for International Money Transfer Operator (IMTO) remittances, the introduction of a two-way quote system, and comprehensive reforms within the BDC segment to bolster stability, transparency, supply, and price discovery in the Nigeria Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) sold dollars to Bureau De Change (BDC) Operators at a rate of N1,251.

In a circular issued by the CBN, the BDCs were directed to sell to eligible customers at a rate that does not exceed 1.5 percent above the purchase price.