E-Financial
Nigeria Week Ahead: Oil, Inflation and PMI’s in Focus

A darker mood awaits the largest economy in Africa as Oil descends to levels to not seen in more than two decades below $15.
Over the past few months, the story defining Oil’s steep depreciation revolved around the coronavirus chaos, fears over falling demand, slowing global growth and oversupply concerns. With the grim outlook for Oil growing grimmer by the day amid demand destruction and slowing growth from the world’s largest energy consumer, Oil producing countries like Nigeria are under threat.
“The spectre of a recession will hang over the Nigerian economy for a long as crude oil remains the primary source of revenue.”
The statement above holds, especially when factoring in how Nigeria depends on crude sales for half of government revenues and 90% of foreign exchange earnings. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Africa’s largest economy is forecast to shrink by 3.4% in 2020 with the recession lasting until 2021. It does not end here.
One of the country’s benchmark grades, Bonny Light, fell to about $12 last week which was below the cost of producing Oil in Nigeria while demand from Asia has dropped significantly amid the global lockdown. Another challenge Nigeria faces may be where to store the excess capacity of Oil due the limited onshore storage space.
However, there is some light at the end of the tunnel as Nigeria plans to raise as much as $6.9 billion from global lenders to help counter the negative impacts of the coronavirus to the economy. Such a move may create fiscal space to enable effective methods in supporting the economy and health challenges presented by the coronavirus.
Investors will direct their attention towards the pending inflation figures for March which may shape monetary policy speculation this quarter. The annual inflation rate in Nigeria rose for the sixth straight month to 12.2% in February and is forecast to jump 12.5% last month. Signs of rising inflationary pressures are likely to complicate the Central Bank of Nigeria’s efforts to ease monetary anytime soon. The Central Bank of Nigeria Manufacturing PMI will be published on Friday 24 April with the index projected to slip to 49.2 in April which signals a contraction
E-Financial
Nigerian Banks End Years of Embargo, Resume Intl Transactions on Naira Cards

Nigerian banks have resumed international transactions on naira-denominated debit cards, marking a significant shift in banking operations for customers who rely on foreign payments.
This is coming nearly three years of suspension.
United Bank for Africa (UBA) and Wema Bank, in separate communications to their customers, announced the restoration of international payment services on their naira cards.
In a notice to its customers, UBA said the reactivation of international transactions on its premium naira cards aligns with its commitment to delivering improved and seamless banking experiences.
“We are pleased to inform you that all UBA Premium Naira Cards, including Gold, Platinum, and World variants, are now enabled for international transactions,” the bank stated.
“This means you can now use your Premium Naira Card for global payments — including online shopping, POS, and ATM transactions — with ease and flexibility. If you haven’t used your card recently, now is a great time to rediscover the convenience and prestige that comes with being a UBA premium cardholder.”
Similarly, Wema Bank announced that its customers can now make dollar payments on international platforms using their naira Mastercards.
“Your Wema Naira Mastercard just went global!” the bank said. “Now you can pay in dollars on all your favourite international platforms — Amazon, eBay, AliExpress, Netflix, Spotify, YouTube.”
The development marks a major relief for Nigerian customers who have had to rely on dollar cards or alternative payment methods since most banks suspended international usage of naira cards in 2021 due to foreign exchange scarcity.
E-Financial
Flutterwave Secures 20 more US Money Transmitter Licences

Flutterwave, Africa’s leading payments technology company, today announced the relaunch of its flagship remittance solution, Send App, across U.S. states following its newly acquired Money Transmitter Licences (MTLs).
This comes after Flutterwave secured 20 additional MTLs in the U.S., adding to the 14 licenses the brand has held since 2023.
Altogether, this achievement raises Flutterwave’s total number of direct licenses to 34, allowing the company to operate across many U.S. states and territories without partners or intermediaries.
Users in the U.S. can now send money to Nigeria, Ghana and Egypt, unlocking new remittance corridors that were previously unavailable.
Alongside this expansion, the onboarding process has been streamlined with a quick ID check, making it faster and easier for new users to get started.
Additional improvements include optimised payment support for US-issued Visa and Discover cards, enhanced security measures to safeguard transactions and maintain compliance, and improved in-app flows for a simpler, more efficient sending experience.
This return also highlights Flutterwave’s commitment to delivering a seamless, secure, and regulatory-compliant user experience for all Send App customers in the U.S. Users can now send money from DC, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, Michigan, South Carolina, Tennessee.
Other U.S. states and territories where Send App by Flutterwave supports outward remittances include Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, and Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Commenting on the relaunch, Olugbenga “GB” Agboola, Flutterwave Founder and CEO, said, “By expanding our reach and enhancing our services, we are empowering millions of Africans in the U.S. to maintain strong financial ties with their home countries, support their families, and contribute to economic development across the continent. Additionally, we are staying true to our core mission of bridging Africa with the global economy and vice versa.”
Earlier this year, Flutterwave integrated Swap into Send App for seamless FX transactions and strengthened its services in Ghana by securing approval for inward remittance from the Bank of Ghana.
E-Financial
Court Affirms NIBSS Authority to Manage BVN

Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday affirmed the authority of the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS), to manage the Bank Verification Number (BVN), database across the country, in line with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Act and other relevant banking laws.
This is according to a judgment delivered by Justice James Omotosho on Friday.
Wolemi Esan, senior advocate of Nigeria, NIBSS’s counsel, and Kofo Abdulsalam-Alada, lead counsel for the CBN, among others, had sought a restraining order to prevent any institution in Nigeria from challenging the agency’s statutory authority to maintain and manage the BVN database.
This comes as NIBSS had alleged that Digital Rights Lawyers Initiative filed multiple suits, either directly or through proxies, challenging its authority to manage the BVN database and claiming that such management violates constitutional privacy rights.
However, Justice Omotosho, delivering his judgment, said the BVN does not infringe on the constitutional right to privacy.
“The initiative does not infringe on the constitutional right to privacy but rather serves as a necessary tool for safeguarding public interest and enhancing financial security.
“NIBSS has the power to manage the BVN,” the judge said, citing relevant CBN laws.
“The court grants the reliefs of NIBSS as prayed,” he stated.
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