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Dangote’s 650,000bpd, Modular Refineries to Drive Nigeria’s Huge Demand for Petroleum Products – Kyari

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The 650,000bpd Dangote Petroleum Refinery, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) as well as other modular refineries are expected to be the major drivers of Nigeria’s demand for petroleum products, which is projected to grow massively in the nearest future.

Speaking at the 15th Oil Trading and Logistics (OTL) Africa Downstream Week in Lagos, the Group Managing Director of NNPC, Mallam Mele Kyari, said NNPC Refineries’ 445,000 barrels-per-day (BPD), Dangote Refinery’s 650,000 BPD and the 250,000 BSD expected to come from the Condensate Refineries through the private sector partnership respectively would supply the requirement of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) needs in Nigeria.

Kyari’s position only corroborated that of President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote who said he was dissatisfied with the fact that Nigeria is a leading oil producer but imports all her petroleum needs.

Dangote who was speaking on his mega refinery project in Lagos said it was the unsavoury situation the nation found itself that made him to take up the challenge to embark on the construction of the gigantic refinery project, which he said is one of the biggest in the world.
According to him some 29,000 Nigerians would be employed in the refinery when completed and that would also help in the employment generation drive of the federal government.

Kyari, who was represented by the Group Executive Director, Downstream, NNPC, Adeyemi Adetunji, explained that the diversification of NNPC’s portfolio through acquisition of 20 per cent equity valued at $2.6 billion in the 650,000 bpd Dangote Refinery located in the Lekki Free Trade Zone would ensure national energy security and guarantee market for Nigeria’s 300,000 bpd.

He stated, “NNPC is adding 215,000 BPD of refining capacity through private sector driven co-location at the existing facilities in Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company (WRPC) and Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) respectively. Modular refineries are also adding capacities such as the 5,000 BPD Waltersmith refinery, which will be upgraded to 50,000 BPD.

“Additional 250,000 BPD is expected to come from the Condensate Refineries through the private sector partnership. The co-location and Condensate refineries will close the PMS supply-demand gap and create positive returns to the investors,” the NNPC helmsman added.

He said the Corporation has progressed with the Refineries Rehabilitation Programme to boost its participation in the oil & gas value chain by awarding the $1.5 billion Port Harcourt rehabilitation contract with the commitment to deliver on Warri and Kaduna Refineries.
On gas commercialisation effort, Kyari said the Federal Government has declared 2021-2030 as the decade of gas development in Nigeria.

Kyari said the demand for natural gas could grow about four times over the next decade, increasing from 4.8 billion cubic feet per day (bcf/d) in 2020 to between 10 – 23 bcf/d in 2030.

He said currently, supply to the domestic market was about 8bcf/d to power, 0.77 bcf/d to industries, and about 54 bcf/d was flared, while 3.2 bcf/d was for export gas through the LNG and the West Africa Gas Pipeline (WAGP).

According to him, achieving this growth in demand would be occasioned by increasing the dispatchable capacity of existing power, in line with the Presidential Power Initiative, which is less than 1.4 bcf/d).

He added that the growth would be achieved through assuring delivery of major fertiliser projects (Dangote, Brass) 5 bcf/d), and enabling industrial demand for natural gas in the northern axis of the country (1.2 bcf/d).

On the global oil market outlook, Kyari said, “Some $10.4 trillion global stimulus in response to the COVID-19 pandemic has led to the rebound in consumers’ spending while incentives for long-term investments in hydro-carbon have waned.”

He stated that hydrocarbon would continue to be relevant in the global energy mix for the next two decades, quoting the recent data by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

On the issue of downstream in transition, the NNPC boss noted that the Nigerian oil and gas industry has been in transition prior to the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), in response to the global energy transition and decarbonisation initiatives.

Kyari maintained that it would be difficult to discuss the transition in the downstream sub-sector in isolation from the overall evolution that was happening in the industry. He said NNPC had diversified its portfolio over the years, transiting to an energy company with new investments in gas, power, and renewables, pointing out that key pipeline projects are ongoing to assure delivery of gas to the demand nodes.

He stated, “The OB3 project, which brings gas from East to West, is nearing completion. The 614km Ajaokuta, Kaduna, Kano (AKK) project, which was launched by Mr. President in June 2020, is progressing very well. These could add up to $40 billion to annual GDP and create additional six million jobs.

“The corporation has progressed with the Refineries Rehabilitation Programme to further boost its participation in the Oil and Gas value chain by awarding the $1.5 billion Port Harcourt rehabilitation contract with the commitment to deliver on Warri and Kaduna Refineries.

“The rehabilitation of critical downstream infrastructure comprising of major pipelines, depots and terminals through the Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) financing model is on course,” he added.
Kyari explained that the transition in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector was being driven by the global decarbonisation efforts to switch to renewables in response to environmental concerns.
As investments in hydrocarbon continued to wane due to energy transition and geopolitics, Kyari said the world economy faced shortages, high energy prices, rising inflation and sluggish growth.

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2025: UBA Charts Path, Focuses on Innovation, Sustainability, Expands Operations to Saudi Arabia, France

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Africa’s Global Bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, has outlined its roadmap for the 2025 financial year, with a strong focus on innovation, digital transformation, physical and financial strength as well as its global reach.

On the back of its full-year financial performance for the year 2024, which was released to stakeholders on Tuesday, the bank disclosed plans to accelerate growth through strategic investments in technology, enhanced risk management frameworks, and capital efficiency.

UBA’s Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Oliver Alawuba, who was speaking to its global investors during the Full year 2024 Investors Conference Call, which held at the UBA Head Office on Thursday, explained that the performance reflected broad-based growth across its core businesses, surpassing previous records and reinforcing its status as a leading global financial institution.

At the end of the 2024 full-year, the bank delivered an exceptional financial performance as the results showed an impressive rise in the bank’s profit after tax which went up by 26.14 percent to close the year at N766.6 billion up from N607.7 billion recorded at the end of the 2023 fiscal year.

Its Gross earnings also grew significantly from N2.07tn recorded at the end of the 2023 financial year to N3.187tn in the period under consideration, representing a 53 percent growth.

Despite the highly challenging global economic and business environment, UBA recorded a profit before tax of N803.72 billion representing a 6 percent increase from N757.68 billion recorded at the end of the 2023 financial year.

Consequently, UBA Group Shareholders’ Funds rose from N2.030 trillion as at December 2023 to close the 2024 financial year at N3.419 trillion, achieving an impressive growth of 68.39 percent.

As a result of the impressive performance the bank proposed a final dividend of N3.00 kobo for every ordinary share of 50 kobo, for the financial year ended December 31, 2024.

Alawuba told the investors at the meeting that the bank is set to further surpass its growth projection through strategic investments in technology, enhanced risk management frameworks, and disciplined capital efficiency.

“We will continue to push the frontiers of innovation and technology adoption to build sustainable value for shareholders by making strategic investments in technology. Our team of committed and motivated workforce will continue to work assiduously to sustain our performance and propel the bank in delivering high-impact, customer-centric product offerings,” Alawuba stated.

He disclosed that the bank is on course to sustain the momentum that it has achieved in the past years, adding that “We shall remain focused on best-in-class risk management strategies in navigating emerging market uncertainties while ensuring financial strength, full regulatory compliance, and long-term sustainability.”

This performance underscores UBA’s ability to generate sustainable revenue growth through core operations, including increased loan book growth, deposit mobilization, and transaction banking.

While disclosing the Bank’s finalisation of its planned expansions to France and Saudi Arabia, he said  that the Bank’s ex-Nigeria (Rest of Africa & International) operations have expanded significantly over the past five years, now contributing 51.7% of Group revenue, up from 31% in 2019, “delivering diversification benefits and further boosting long-term shareholder value. This will continue to grow, as we further explore strategic markets that align with our overall vision.”

UBA’s Executive Director, Finance & Risk Management, Ugo Nwaghodoh, said the bank recorded triple digit growth in net interest income, resulting in remarkable improvement in net interest margin from 6.83 percent in 2023 to 9.14 percent, while also recording strong double-digit growth in fee and commission income lines of 91.66 percent.

He explained that as the bank navigates evolving risks, its management remains focused on responsible growth, delivering customer-focused value propositions, whilst ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements in all jurisdictions.

United Bank for Africa is one of the largest employers in the financial sector on the African continent, with 25,000 employees group wide and serving over 45 million customers globally. Operating in twenty African countries and the United Kingdom, the United States of America, France and the United Arab Emirates, UBA provides retail, commercial and institutional banking services, leading financial inclusion and implementing cutting edge technology.

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2024: UBA Grows Profit to ₦804bn, Declares N3.00 As Final Dividend

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Solid core earnings drive growth in profitability and returns…

Africa’s Global Bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, has released its audited financial results for the full year ended December 31, 2024, with all its major indicators witnessing significant improvement.

The 2024 financials, filed with the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGx) on Monday, showed an impressive rise in the bank’s profit after tax which went up by 26.14 percent to close the year at N766.6 billion, up from N607.7 billion recorded at the end of the 2023 fiscal year.

The Bank’s gross earnings also grew significantly from N2.08tn recorded at the end of the 2023 financial year to N3.19tn in the period under consideration, representing a 53.6 percent growth.

Like in the previous years, the banks’ total assets also rose remarkably by 46.8 percent, from N20.65 trillion in 2023, to close at N30.4 trillion in December 2024; signifying a milestone leap for the bank with the largest spread across the continent.

Despite the highly challenging global economic and business environment, UBA recorded a profit before tax of N803.72 billion representing a 6.1 percent increase from N757.68 billion recorded at the end of the 2023 financial year.

Consequently, UBA Group Shareholders’ Funds rose from N2.030 trillion as at December 2023 to close the 2024 financial year at N3.419 trillion, achieving an impressive growth of 68.39 percent.

As a result of the impressive performance and in fulfilment of the promise made by the UBA Group Chairman, Tony Elumelu, to shareholders at the last Annual General Meeting, the Bank proposed a final dividend of N3.00 kobo for every ordinary share of 50 kobo, for the financial year ended December 31, 2024. This brings the total dividend in the year to N5.00. The final dividend is subject to the ratification of the shareholders during its upcoming Annual General Meeting (AGM).

UBA’s Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Oliver Alawuba, who expressed excitement at the results, stated that the 2024 financial performance demonstrates the bank’s continued focus on driving earnings growth, preserving asset quality, expanding business operations and deepening market share.

“Our continued investment in our highly diversified global network allows UBA to deliver high quality, consistent earnings. Our businesses have been able to grow product and service income and expand our deposit base, allowing the Group to increase earnings, while maintaining strong spreads and margins,” Alawuba highlighted.

According to him, “With total deposit increasing by 42.03 percent from N17.4 trillion in 2023 to N24.7 trillion and total assets hitting N30.4 trillion from N20.7 trillion, the just released results reflect broad-based growth across all core businesses and were achieved despite prevailing macroeconomic challenges, geopolitical uncertainties, and exchange rate volatilities.”

The GMD expressed excitement at the marked improvement recorded in the bank’s core earnings profile, as he explained that the profit is derived from high-quality income streams from funding intermediation, fees and commissions, thus reflecting strong long-term, sustainable revenues generation capacity.

“Our ex-Nigeria (Rest of Africa & International) operations have expanded significantly over the past five years, now contributing 51.7% of Group revenue, up from 31% in 2019, delivering diversification benefits and further boosting long-term shareholder value. This will continue to grow, as we further explore strategic markets that align with our overall vision. We are currently upgrading our business scope and authorization in France, and considering other viable markets in the short to medium term,” Alawuba noted.

He pointed out the bank’s resolve to invest continuously in technology, data analytics, product innovation, staff training and development, which, according to him, will collectively enhance our customers’ experience.

On his part, UBA’s Executive Director, Finance & Risk Management, Ugo Nwaghodoh, said the bank recorded triple digit growth in net interest income, resulting in remarkable improvement in net interest margin from 6.83 percent in 2023 to 9.02 percent, while also recording strong double-digit growth in fee and commission income lines of 91.66 percent.

“UBA Group continues to demonstrate strong capital levels, with shareholders’ funds growth of 68.4% to N3.42 trillion and a solid capital adequacy ratio of 31.0%., and as we defensibly position the portfolio to navigate prevailing global and regional macroeconomic upheavals, asset quality improved, with NPL ratio moderating to 5.58%, with strong provision coverage at 81%”, Nwaghodoh noted.

He explained that as the bank navigates evolving risks, its management remains focused on responsible growth, delivering customer-focused value propositions, whilst ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements in all jurisdictions.

United Bank for Africa is one of the largest employers in the financial sector on the African continent, with 25,000 employees group wide and serving over 45 million customers globally. Operating in twenty African countries and the United Kingdom, the United States of America, France and the United Arab Emirates, UBA provides retail, commercial and institutional banking services, leading financial inclusion and implementing cutting edge technology.

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Heirs Holdings, GIVO Africa Partner to Tackle Plastic Waste for Sustainable Future

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Heirs Holdings, a leading pan-African investment company with a portfolio spanning the power, energy, financial services, hospitality, real estate, healthcare and technology sectors, has announced its strategic partnership with GIVO Africa, a climate technology and recycling company, reinforcing the company’s deep commitment to driving initiatives that deliver meaningful impact.

This initiative will advance Heirs Holdings’ efforts in promoting a circular economy in Africa; fostering sustainable practices that minimise waste and maximise resource efficiency.

Over the past 15 years, Heirs Holdings’ impact-driven approach has been instrumental in shaping Africa’s business landscape, underscoring its commitment to long-term, sustainable development. Guided by its Africapitalism philosophy, Heirs Holdings has championed inclusive growth by investing in businesses that drive economic transformation, generate employment, and uplift communities across the continent.

Speaking on the partnership, Group Sustainability Officer at Heirs Holdings, Clari Green said: “At Heirs Holdings, we believe in a shared destiny with our local communities—businesses have a responsibility to drive sustainable solutions that create lasting economic and environmental impact. This initiative reinforces our commitment improving lives and driving meaningful transformation across our continent.”

Similarly, CEO of GIVO Africa, Victor Boyle-Komolafe remarked: “We are excited to join forces with Heirs Holdings in tackling plastic waste and promoting a circular economy in Africa. By leveraging our expertise in climate technology and community engagement, we are confident that this partnership will contribute significantly to environmental conservation while fostering economic opportunities.”

Heirs Holdings continues to lead in sustainable business practices, integrating sustainability into its corporate strategy to tackle environmental challenges while fostering meaningful social impact.

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