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Inflation hits record high of 29.90% on naira weakness

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Inflation

Nigeria’s annual inflation rate reached 29.90 percent in January, the country’s statistics agency reported today as the naira continues to weaken.

The Consumer Price Index report released by the NBS showed that prices rose by 0.98 percent to 29.90percent in January 2024, compared with 28.92 percent in December.

“On a year-on-year basis, the headline inflation rate was 8.08 percent higher compared to the rate recorded in January 2023, which was 21.82 percent,” the report said.

This exceeds the Financial Derivatives Company projections that the headline inflation is likely to spike further to 29.73 percent.

it will be the thirteenth consecutive monthly increase and a record high

“The foremost inflation culprit in Nigeria today is the weakened currency. In January alone, the naira lost 21 percent, touching a record low of N1,530/$. This is largely because of the lingering disequilibrium in the forex market as dollar demand continues to outpace supply.,” the report said.

The FDC report mentioned that the persistent currency depreciation has led to increased costs of imported goods such as wheat, subsequently pushing up the prices of wheat-related products like noodles, semovita, and bread by 20.4 percent, 35.8 percent and 14.3 percent

, respectively.

They also revealed that food inflation, which constitutes 50 percent of the inflation rate, rose to 35.41 percent in January from 33.93 percent in December.

The rise in the Food inflation on a Month-on-Month basis was caused by a rise in the rate of increase in the average prices of Potatoes, Yam & Other Tubers, Bread and Cereals, Fish, Meat, To- bacco, and Vegetable.

A breakdown of the NBS’ latest consumer price index report shows that food and non-alcoholic beverages contributed the most (15.49 percent) to the increase in the headline index, followed by housing water, electricity, gas, and other fuel (5.00 percent), clothing and footwear (2.29 percent), transport (1.95 percent), furnishings and household equipment and maintenance (1.50 percent) and education (1.18 percent).

Others are health (0.90 percent), miscellaneous goods and services (0.50 percent), restaurants and hotels (0.36 percent), alcoholic beverages, tobacco and kola (0.33 percent), recreation and culture (0.21), and communication (0.20 percent).

Furthermore, On a year-on-year basis, in January 2024, the Urban inflation rate was 31.95 percent, this was 9.40 percent points higher compared to the 22.55 percent recorded in January 2023.

While the Rural inflation rate in January 2024 was 28.10 percent on a year-on-year basis; this was 6.97 percent higher compared to the 21.13 percent recorded in January 2023. On a month-on-month basis, the Rural inflation rate in January 2024 was 2.57 percent , up by 0.40 percent compared to December 2023.

Core inflation, which excludes the prices of volatile agricultural produces and energy stood Core inflation, which excludes the prices of volatile agricultural produces and energy stood at 23.59 percent in January 2024 on a year-on- year, up by 4.71 percent from 18.88 percent recorded in January 2023.

The highest increases were recorded in prices of Passenger Transport by Road, Medical Services, Passenger Transport by Air, Actual and Imputed Rentals for Housing, Pharmaceutical products, Accommodation services, etc.

Except for a brief pause in Dec 2022, Nigeria’s inflation reading has steadily increased since January 2023, a twelve -month consecutive high.

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Aisha Achimugu: Bank MD, compliance chief linked to alleged $12m laundering

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The first prosecution witness (PW1) in the trial of SunTrust Bank Managing Director, Halima Buba, and Chief Compliance Officer, Innocent Mbagwu, on Thursday, July 17, 2025, detailed before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, how multi-million-dollar cash transactions were routed through him for transfers.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting both bank executives on a six-count charge bordering on money laundering to the tune of $12 million.

Led in evidence by prosecuting counsel, Ekele Iheanacho, SAN, the witness, a bureau de change operator, described multiple foreign exchange transactions involving the first defendant, Aisha Achimugu, and himself.

“Sometime in March 2025, I received a call from Aisha Achimugu that she had some forex transactions at SunTrust Bank branches in Abuja and Lagos. I called the first defendant, and she confirmed her knowledge of the transactions,” he testified.

On March 13, 2025, the witness said a staff of Achimugu, Iliya, visited SunTrust Bank Abuja for a $1 million cash swap, to be paid into Ocean Gate Energy Oil and Gas’ Zenith Bank account. The witness confirmed the transaction with the first defendant before arranging for the collection of the cash through intermediaries.

The witness further narrated, “Aisha told me she needed dollar inflows into her Ocean Gate Energy account to purchase an oil block. I got to know her in 2021 through the first defendant, and we met at SunTrust Bank.”

He added that the first defendant communicated transaction confirmations through WhatsApp, including screenshots of chats with the second defendant when he initially denied knowledge of the transactions.

According to the witness, “On March 13, 2025, Muktar Miko received a $2 million cash payment from the second defendant. Another $2 million was received on March 14, while on March 20, an additional $2 million was collected for cash swap transactions, all confirmed with the first defendant.”

On March 24, 2025, another $2 million was collected, with subsequent dollar inflows transferred in tranches into Ocean Gate Energy Oil and Gas’ Zenith Bank account after the swaps were completed.

The witness also testified that aside from the oil block purchase, Aisha Achimugu conducted further Naira-to-dollar exchange transactions, which he regularly confirmed with the first defendant, with Naira credited to local accounts and dollar equivalents transferred to Ocean Gate Energy.

The matter continues as the EFCC seeks to establish its case in the ongoing multi-million-dollar money laundering trial.

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My Encounter With Aboki Selling Dollars that May Help You

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Sometime last month…

 

I withdrew $500 because I needed to pay for something that day and was in a rush.

Because of how urgent it was, I couldn’t use my regular aboki, had to look for one around the bank I used.

 

After plenty back and forth, we agreed on 1600 as the rate.

 

Forgetting that this wasn’t the aboki I already had a relationship with, I handed him the dollars while he was still collecting my account details.

 

Not even a few minutes later, the aboki looked up and said, “Ah! Na $500? I think say na $5000.”

 

$5k how?

 

Next thing, he said he wasn’t buying again unless I’d agree to sell for 1570.

 

Knowing I wouldn’t meet up with where I needed the money that day again,

 

I decided to just kuku take my money back (big mistake), go to my usual aboki whose place was far from where I was, and then handle what I needed the money for the next day.

 

When I got there, my regular aboki, who I’d already spoken to on the phone, saw me and immediately transferred 800k to me in exchange for the $500.

 

I got the alert, handed him the dollars, only for him to shout… that the money was fake.

 

What happened?

 

The first aboki had switched the bills.

 

Why didn’t I go back to the first aboki?

 

Even if the distance isn’t far, will he ever accept that he was the one who switched the money?

 

I just accepted my loss and picked my lesson, which is…

 

Never hand over your dollars to an aboki until you’ve received the alert.

 

Please learn from my mistake.

 

Written by Gift Nkechi Imasuen

 

Me: sharing this so you understand that people don’t think like you do. So you don’t lose your hard-earned money

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Anambra Industrialist Plans South-East’s Biggest Food Processing Factory.

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Anambra-born billionaire industrialist and renowned entrepreneur, Dr. Ikenna Ifejiofor, has announced strategic plans to establish what he described as the largest food processing factory in the entire South-East region of Nigeria.

Dr. Ifejiofor, who is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Ike God Foods Industries Limited, made this known during an exclusive chat with journalists, where he unfolded his company’s expansion drive and his unrelenting vision to not only boost the Nigerian economy but also position Anambra State as the industrial hub of the South-East.

“Our goal is to make quality food products at affordable prices for everyone, and we’re committed to achieving this through the use of the latest technology and the best professionals in the industry,”

Ike God Foods Industries Limited is the proud producer of the popular Jolly-Jolly Noodles, a brand that has grown to become a household name in Nigeria’s instant noodles market. He also disclosed that plans are underway to incorporate other products into the company’s growing catalogue, including peanut-based snacks, flour, and other value-added food items. The company, headquartered in Anambra State just ventured into bread production

The plan to venture into other productions , he noted, will significantly increase their production capacity and create more job opportunities for the teeming unemployed youths in Anambra and beyond.

 

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