Oil marketers, under the Natural Oil and Gas Suppliers Association of Nigeria (NOGASA), have called on the federal government to review Dangote Refinery’s plan to directly distribute petroleum products to end-users, citing potential disruptions to the supply chain and job losses in the downstream sector.

The appeal was made by NOGASA President, Benneth Korie, during the association’s Annual General Meeting in Abuja.

Korie urged President Bola Tinubu to intervene, arguing that the refinery’s model, set to begin direct sales of petrol and diesel to industrial users and marketers from August 15, could sideline independent marketers and destabilize the supply chain.

He warned that with over 50,000 filling stations in Nigeria, direct distribution could lead to scarcity, insecurity, and economic challenges.Dangote Refinery defended its plan, stating it aims to reduce logistics costs and enhance efficiency.

However, Korie highlighted past issues with similar models, stressing the need for the government to ensure marketers can continue their operations to maintain stability in the sector.

Also speaking, Billy Gillis-Harry, National President of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN), said Dangote’s entry into the distribution chain could reduce competition.

“This massive refinery is expected to satisfy domestic fuel demand and export surplus products,” he said. “We are concerned that the company may use its market power to fix prices and limit competition, similar to what we’ve seen in other sectors.”

He also cited Dangote’s planned rollout of 4,000 Compressed Natural Gas-powered trucks as a development that may displace existing truck operators and drivers.

“This shift could lead to widespread job losses in the industry,” he said. “We hereby call on the Authority Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and the Minister of State for Petroleum to put in place price control mechanisms to prevent any form of monopoly.”

At the meeting, a representative of the House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream) said lawmakers are monitoring developments around the refinery’s distribution plans. Ahmed Saba, who represented the committee chairman Ikeagwuonu Ugochinyere, said the National Assembly is reviewing how the move aligns with the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).

“This is a big change, and I want to assure you that we are carefully looking into this situation,” Mr Saba said. “Our goal is to create a situation where everyone wins, following the rules set in the Petroleum Industry Act.”

He said the PIA is intended to improve transparency and accountability in the sector and that its implementation requires cooperation between government and private players.

“By working together, we can remove existing barriers, create a fairer and more competitive environment, and ultimately provide a more dependable and efficient system for distributing petroleum products to all Nigerians,” he said.

FCMB Group Plc (“FCMB Group”) has announced its unaudited financial results for the six months ended June 30, 2025.

The Group reported a ₦79.3 billion profit before tax (PBT), representing a 23% year-on-year increase, driven primarily by improved net interest income and asset yields.

Gross revenue for the period rose to ₦529.2 billion, reflecting a 41.3 per cent year-on-year increase from ₦374.5 billion recorded in the first half of 2024, supported mainly by a 70.3 per cent growth in interest income.

However, non-interest income declined by 35.1 per cent due to a ₦36.6 billion drop in currency revaluation gains compared to last year.

Net interest income almost doubled, rising from ₦106.2 billion in the previous year to ₦207.4 billion by June 2025.

The yield on earning assets improved to 20.2 per cent, leading to a net interest margin of 9.1 per cent, up from 6.3per cent in the 2024 financial year.

The Group’s digital business—payments, lending, and wealth services—grew strongly. Digital revenues increased by 60 per cent year-on-year, rising from ₦46 billion in June 2024 to ₦73.6 billion in June 2025.

Digital services now account for 13.9% per cent of total earnings.

Operating expenses rose by 46.1 per cent to ₦153.2 billion.

The increase was due to higher personnel costs, regulatory expenses, technology costs, and general inflationary pressures.

Despite this, cost-to-income ratio improved to 57 per cent at the end of June 2025, compared to 59.9 per cent recorded at the end of 2024.

Net impairment losses on financial assets grew significantly to ₦36.2 billion on a quarterly basis, following FCMB Group’s banking subsidiary exit from the Central Bank of Nigeria’s loan forbearance programme.

This led to a rise in the cost of risk to 2.8 per cent, up from 1.8 per cent in the 2024 financial year.
After tax, profit increased by 23 per cent year-on-year, closing at ₦73.4 billion.

Each business division contributed to overall performance. Consumer Finance reported a profit before tax growth of 54.5 per cent, Banking Group reported a profit before tax growth of 41.3 per cent, and Investment Management recorded a 10 per cent growth.

Investment Banking recorded a 48.9 per cent decline due to an exceptional one-time gain from a divestment in the previous year.

In terms of contribution to Group’s PBT, the Banking Group accounted for 82 per cent, Consumer Finance for 11.6 per cent, Investment Management for 4.8 per cent, and Investment Banking for 1.4 per cent.

The Group’s balance sheet also showed improvement. Total assets increased by 6.9 per cent to ₦7.54 trillion, up from ₦7.05 trillion as of December 2024.

Loans and advances grew modestly by 1.1 per cent to ₦2.38 trillion, impacted by currency revaluation, loan write-offs and concentrated paydowns, while customer deposits rose by 5.6 per cent to ₦4.55 trillion.

This growth was supported by a stronger mix of low-cost deposits, which now account for 69.3 per cent of total deposits, up from 57.5 per cent at year-end 2024.

Assets under management increased by 15.5 per cent, reaching ₦1.58 trillion, compared to ₦1.37 trillion in December 2024.

FCMB’s investment banking business, which includes advisory services and capital market transactions, recorded a significant increase in capital raised for its clients —growing by over 600 per cent year-on-year to ₦2.97 trillion.

The Group also reported improved balance sheet efficiency. A more favourable deposit mix and better deployment of recently raised capital helped reduce funding costs for the second consecutive quarter.

As a result, the net interest margin rose from 7.9 per cent in the first quarter to 10.1 per cent in the second quarter of 2025, contributing to the 9.1 per cent margin for the half-year. Management expressed confidence in sustaining this trend and exceeding its full-year NIM guidance.

Following its ₦144.6 billion public capital raise in 2024, FCMB confirmed that the Central Bank of Nigeria has completed verification of the second phase of the programme—a ₦22.5 billion mandatory convertible note expected to increase the number of issued shares to approximately 42.8 billion.

Subsequent phases of the capital programme are ongoing and aim to ensure First City Monument Bank meets the new minimum capital requirement to retain its international banking license.

FCMB Group remains focused on improving operational efficiency, expanding its digital and retail business, and continuing its strong earnings momentum through the second half of the year.

The naira returned to appreciation against the dollar at the official foreign exchange market on Thursday.

Central Bank of Nigeria exchange data showed that the Naira strengthened marginally to N 1,533.55 per dollar on Thursday, up from N 1,534.52 traded on Wednesday.

This means that at the official market, the Nigerian currency, Naira, slightly gained N0.97 against the dollar on a day-to-day basis.

Meanwhile, at the black market, the Naira dropped significantly to N1,560 per dollar on Thursday from N1,545 the previous day. The decline at the parallel foreign exchange market represents N15.

A Bureau De Change operator in Wuse Zone, Abuja, Abubakar Hassan, attributed the drop in the naira against the dollar to increased demand for FX on Thursday.

Ekwutosblog reports that on Wednesday, the Naira depreciated for the first time at the official FX market but remained flat at the black market.