March 29, 2024

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Nigeria finance minister: low oil output barely enough to cover petrol imports

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Nigerian Finance Minister Zainab Ahmed attends the IMF and Planet Bank’s 2019 Yearly Spring Conferences, in Washington, U.S. April 13, 2019. REUTERS/James Lawler Duggan/File Photograph

DAVOS, Switzerland, May 26 (Reuters) – Reduced crude oil production implies Nigeria is scarcely ready to address the value of imported petrol from its oil and gasoline earnings, Finance Minister Zainab Ahmed explained to Reuters on Thursday.

Ahmed extra in an interview at the Planet Financial Forum in Davos that she hoped Nigerian oil production would typical 1.6 million barrels per working day (bpd) this yr, up from all over 1.5 million bpd in the initially quarter. browse much more

The govt experienced budgeted 1.8 million bpd of output, Ahmed claimed, blaming crude theft and attacks on oil infrastructure for the shortfall.

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“We are not looking at the revenues that we had planned for,” Ahmed explained. “When the production is low it suggests we are … scarcely capable to include the volumes that are needed for the (petrol) that we need to import.”

Nigeria exports crude oil and imports refined petrol, struggling intermittent gas shortages. It faces double-digit inflation and small progress, amid a shrinking labour current market and mounting insecurity.

A system to abolish its petrol subsidy was scrapped in advance of nationwide elections in February 2023 and $9.6 billion was included to planned paying out to address it, placing force on the price range.

Nigeria raised $1.25 billion by using a Eurobond sale in March at a high quality fee and experienced planned to problem a further bond. But Ahmed mentioned the govt had “not found a good possibility to go in.” read through far more

The country’s deficit is set to increase to 4.5% of GDP this year thanks to the gasoline subsidy, up from an unique estimate of 3.42% in the funds.

Nigeria’s central bank stunned markets this week by elevating its key lending rate by 150 foundation details to 13%, right after inflation rose to 16.82% in April, the maximum in eight months. browse additional

Ahmed stated the central bank transfer was important.

In the meantime, the U.S. Federal Reserve’s curiosity rate hikes, such as a 50 basis-level rise before this month, alongside Russia’s war in Ukraine and coronavirus lockdowns in China have prompted a move from riskier emerging markets to safe havens.

“We are certainly really, incredibly concerned,” Ahmed said of the Fed’s coverage tightening. “The steps that the Fed or the central bank in Europe consider will impact us.”

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Reporting by Dan Burns in Davos, Switzerland
Composing by Rachel Savage and Chijioke Ohuocha
Modifying by Alexander Profitable, Diane Craft and Matthew Lewis

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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