Author: Olu Anisere

NCC Licenses New Internet Service Providers The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has licensed six new Internet Service Providers (ISPs), pushing the total number of authorised ISPs in the country from 224 in December 2025 to 231. Each of the new operators has been granted a five-year licence, running from January 1, 2026, to December 31, 2030, according to updated data from the regulator. Most of the new entrants are clustered where business activity is highest. Five are based in Lagos, while Abuja and Imo State picked up one each. The newly licensed companies include Amazon Kuiper Nigeria Limited, Boost ISP,…

Ripple (XRPUSD) climbed by about 2% on Thursday, trading at $1.93 amidst volume fluctuation following announcement of major banking partnership and stablecoin listing.

Oil Prices Drop after Trump’s Framework for Greenland Deal Oil prices dropped on Thursday as pressure eased in the global commodity market after the US announced a framework for a Greenland deal in Davos and ‘golden dome’ talks. Prices of crude spiked significantly with the US trade threat against major allies and the economic retaliatory plan that plunged the dollar index. The markets face imbalance between oil demand and supply. Brent crude traded at $64.58 per barrel, down around 0.2% from the previous close of $64.70. US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) was at $60.55 per barrel, down about 0.1%…

The financial system liquidity has been plunged into negative following a huge OMO bills auction settlement, and absence of significant inflows to weather the storm.

US Threat of Greenland Tariffs Raises European Geopolitical Risks The threat of Greenland-related US tariffs on European allies and European retaliatory measures will be subject to intense discussions, and implementation remains highly uncertain. Fitch Ratings said it signifies a serious upsurge in transatlantic tensions, increasing pressure in Europe to raise defence spending, posing risks to trade and growth, and weakening deterrence against future Russian aggression. US President Donald Trump threatened on 17 January a 10% tariff on Denmark and seven other European countries. The tariffs, which Fitch Ratings assumes would be levied in addition to existing tariffs, would take effect…

IEA Raises Global Oil Demand Growth Forecast The International Energy Agency (IEA) has revised up its forecast for global oil demand this year by 69,000 barrels per day (bpd). Global oil demand is now expected to rise by around 932,000 bpd in 2026 compared to last year, reaching 104.98 million bpd, according to the IEA’s January Oil Market Report on Wednesday. The previous report had projected an increase of about 863,000 bpd to 104.79 million bpd. IEA said the upward revision reflects a normalisation of economic conditions after last year’s tariff turmoil that impacted consumption levels, especially for petrochemicals. “Oil…

BTCUSD Falls to $88k as Transatlantic Stokes ETF Outflow Bitcoin (BTCUSD) fell 3.18% over the past 24 hours, reflecting early profit-taking action amidst geopolitical and geoeconomic tensions amidst exchange-traded outflow. BTC price dropped as a result of sell pressure, underperforming the broader crypto market’s daily loss of -3.24% as top cryptocurrency assets shed weight across exchanges on Wednesday. Trading at $88 level, Bitcoin has lost $10k in a week.  The world’s largest digital asset valuation drop aligns with a 7-day decline of -7.16%, driven precisely by geopolitical tensions, corporate ETF outflows, and technical breakdowns. Bitcoin fell alongside equities as U.S.…

CBN Sets to Raise N1.15trn from Treasury Bills Subscription The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is set to conduct its second Treasury Bills auction for the month on Wednesday amidst significant liquidity levels in the financial system and rate expectations. The CBN will open N1.15 trillion in offer size across standard maturities, including 91 days, 182 days and 364 days Treasury bills. A breakdown from the offer circular revealed that the authority will place N150 billion worth of 91-day bills for subscription. Also, the CBN will attempt to sell N200 billion worth of 182-day bills to investors. Reflecting investors’ appetite…

Oil Prices Steady as Markets Weigh U.S Tariff ‘Weaponisation’ Oil prices steadied in the global commodity market on Tuesday after sharp fluctuations following renewed tariff weaponisation by the U.S. government seeking control of Greenland. Price stabilised as new data revealed robust economic indicators from China, indicating a likely rise in crude imports from Beijing. President Donald Trump of the United States has, in an official capacity, utilised the prospect of increased tariffs as a tool to intimidate European nations, the UK, and other critics of his actions on various fronts. In reaction, the dollar index declined on Tuesday as trading…

Nigeria’s Non-oil Export Rises by 11.5% to $6.1bn in 2025 Nigeria’s non-oil export value recorded 6.1 billion dollars in 2025, reflecting diversification, higher volumes, and expanding markets, the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) said on Monday. Mrs Nonye Ayeni, Executive Director, NEPC, disclosed this at a news conference on the 2025 Non-Oil Export Performance and 2026 Outlook in Abuja. Ayeni said that the NEPC was in partnership with the National Bureau of Statistics, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and other stakeholders to mainstream informal trade. According to her, based on records obtained from the pre-shipment inspection agencies, Nigeria’s non-oil…