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Nigeria Naira now among worst performing currencies globally

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Naira Redesign: CBN pledges to protect interests of rural dwellers

While officially, Nigeria’s naira can be said to be doing well this year, down just 4 per cent against a strong US dollar, ahead of the Canadian dollar and the Swiss franc, a Bloomberg report has said it remains one of the worst performing worldwide.

The report said that is only a small part of the story because the official exchange rate is used only by the government and the well heeled while ordinary Nigerians are suffocating under a 37 per cent drop on the widely-used black market, which most have accepted as a better measure for the local currency.

 

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“That makes it one of the world’s worst-performing currencies, after Ghana’s cedi, which is down nearly 55 per cent this year, and the Sri Lankan Rupee,” Bloomberg said.
Its peers, the report said, include Sierra Leone’s currency, which is down 36 per cent, and the Egyptian pound, which has lost 35 per cent, according to Bloomberg.

Africa’s largest economy operates a tightly controlled official rate but it’s in the parallel market where the exchange rate of the local currency is largely determined by the level of demand for the dollar.

Businesses and ordinary Nigerians are feeling the pain. The Naira volatility is the single largest contributor to the surge in inflation which is ravaging the economy, taking prices of virtually everything to the top and causing considerable concern ahead of the year end festivities.

Rice the staple now cost N51,000 a bag, and flight ticket fares are now well out of the reach of most of the people, the report added.
Nigeria’s central bank rations dollars at the official rate, cutting off access to many businesses and individuals, which in turn drives demand to the unauthorized black market.
This has led to a widening gap between the managed and parallel markets to more than 90 per cent.

While the naira officially closed at 442.75 to the dollar on Friday, currency traders on the streets of Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial hub, quoted the greenback at N890, according Umar Salisu, a bureau de change operator who tracks the data and quoted by Bloomberg.

The local unit’s drop in the black market started a day after the central bank announced last week that it will issue redesigned 200-, 500- and 1,000-naira notes from mid-December in a bid to mop up excess cash in circulation.

The Abuja-based regulator gave Nigerians until January 31 to exchange the existing bills for new ones, a tight deadline considering that the central bank estimates that as much as N2.7 trillion ($6.1 billion) sits outside bank vaults.

Africa’s most populous country has an average of 4.5 bank branches per 100,000 people and 45 per cent of adults don’t have a bank account.

The naira’s slump is likely to continue in the near term given low oil revenue and rising outflows due to uncertainties associated with February’s presidential election, said Uche
Uwaleke, a professor of finance and capital markets at the Nasarawa State University in central Nigeria. The dollar is seen as a safe haven, he said.
“It’s evident that a lot of currency substitution is going on as many people now see the greenback as a better store of value,” Uwaleke added.

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Commission, journalists partner to revamp water sector in Kaduna

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The Kaduna State Water Services Regulatory Commission (KADWREC) says it is partnering media practitioners towards revamping water services in the state.

Mr Dogara Bashir, the Executive Chairman of KADWREC, disclosed this on Monday at a one-day workshop organised for media practitioners on regulation of ‘Water, Sanitation and Hygiene’ (WASH) activities held in Kaduna.

Bashir said the commission was aware of the importance of the role media practitioners played in the society.

He stated that the workshop was to provide an avenue to liaise with them as important stakeholders on water supply and sanitation services in the state.

Bashir said: “As media practitioners, we believe you are a gateway to the citizens so, the workshop would acquaint you with some of the regulations already in place so that you can in turn transmit it to the public

“The state of water services in Kaduna State is in dire need of attention and the State Water Corporation and KADWREC were established towards addressing the seeming challenges.

“The commission is mandated to ensure better service delivery and regulation of water and sanitation services in the State.

“The idea is that once the regulations are developed, we send them to the State Ministry of Justice to gazette and then we get the state government to endorse and give the go ahead to commence the implementation of the regulations

“We intend to implement them fully come January, 2025 God willing, as we have embarked on advocacy activities having gone to zones 1 and 2 where we talked to traditional rulers, security agencies and the Judiciary.”

He disclosed that a special Court has already been attached to the commission by the Chief Judge of the State for service providers who may likely violate regulations.

The chairman further said that amongst the commission’s objectives include ensuring security, reliability and quality of service in the production and delivery of water to the consumers as well making regulations to control the sinking of boreholes.

Others included; maximising access to water services by promoting and facilitating consumer connections to distribution systems in urban and rural areas.

According to Bashir, they also include ensuring that regulatory decision-making has regards to all the relevant health, safety, environmental and social legislation applying to the water sector.

Bashir further said that the commission collaborate with the relevant state and federal agencies on water policies.

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Crime

2 ladies docked for allegedly obtaining money by fraud

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The police in Lagos have dragged two women, Mmesuma Ofunna, and Blessing Adimekwe, before an Ojo Magistrates’ Court in Lagos, over alleged obtaining money by false pretence.

Ofunna, 22, and Adimekwe, 25, were arraigned before the Magistrate, Mr L K J Layeni, on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining by false pretence, stealing and conduct likely to breach peace.

They each, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The prosecutor, ASP Simon Uche, told the court that the defendants conspired with others now at large, to commit the offence on Oct. 26 at the Okokomaiko area of Ojo.

He alleged that they had obtained the sum of N70, 000 from one Faith Ahamefule, with a promise not to post her nude photo on social media.

The prosecutor alleged that the defendants later posted the nude photo of the nominal complainant on social media, knowing that their promise was false.

He alleged that they stole the N70, 0000, thereby conducting themselves in a manner likely to breach public peace.

The offence contravenes the provisions of sections 168(d), 287, 314, and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.

The court granted the defendants bails in the sum of N500, 000 each, with two sureties each in like sum.

He adjourned the case until Jan. 8, 2025 for mention.

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Driver jailed 6 months for attempting to steal a car

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A Jos Magistrates’ Court on Monday, sentenced a 37-year-old driver, Ahmad Umar to six months in imprisonment for attempting to steal a car.

The Magistrate, Shawomi Bokkos, summarily tried and sentenced the convict after he pleaded guilty to the charge.

Bokkos in his judgment, ordered the convict to pay an option of N30, 000 fine or spend six months in prison.

Earlier, the Prosecutor, Insp Ibrahim Gokwat, told the court that the case was reported on Oct. 10, at the Area Command Police station through a distress call by one Sydney Peacemorie the complainant.

Gokwat said the complainant parked his Toyota RAV4 in front of Access Bank and went inside to carry out some transactions, only to return to find the convict inside his car.

“The convict unlawfully opened the car and was in the driver’s seat when the complainant raised alarm and he was apprehended, but his accomplice escaped.

“The convict was severely beaten by a mob but was rescued by the police,” said Gokwat.

“The prosecutor said that the offence contravened the Plateau Penal Code Law.

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