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TikTok restores service in US after Trump pledge

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TikTok is resuming services to its 170 million users in US after President-elect Donald Trump said he would issue an executive order to give the app a reprieve when he takes office on Monday.

On Saturday evening, the Chinese-owned app stopped working for American users, after a law banning it on national security grounds came into effect.

Trump, who had previously backed a ban of the platform, promised on Sunday to delay implementation of the law and allow more time for a deal to be made. TikTok then said that it was in the process of “restoring service”.

Soon after, the app started working again and a popup message to its millions of users thanked Trump by name. In a statement, the company thanked the incoming president for “providing the necessary clarity and assurance” and said it would work with Trump “on a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States”.

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TikTok CEO Shou Chew is expected to attend Trump’s inauguration Monday.

Posting on Truth Social, a social media platform he owns, Trump said on Sunday: “I’m asking companies not to let TikTok stay dark! I will issue an executive order on Monday to extend the period of time before the law’s prohibitions take effect, so that we can make a deal to protect our national security.”

TikTok’s parent company, Bytedance, previously ignored a law requiring it to sell its US operations to avoid a ban. The law was upheld by Supreme Court on Friday and went into effect on Sunday.

It is unclear what legal authority Trump will have to delay the implementation of a law that is already in effect. But it expected that his government will not enforce the ban if he issues an executive order.

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It’s an about-face from his previous position. Trump had backed a TikTok ban, but has more recently professed a “warm spot” for the app, touting the billions of views he says his videos attracted on the platform during last year’s presidential campaign.

For its part, President Joe Biden’s administration had already said that it would not enforce the law in its last hours in office and instead allow the process to play out under the incoming Trump administration.

But TikTok had pulled its services anyway on Saturday evening, before the swift restoration of access on Sunday.

The short-form video platform is wildly popular among its many millions of US users. It has also proved a valuable tool for American political campaigns to reach younger voters.

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Under the law passed last April, the US version of the app had to be removed from app stores and web-hosting services if its Chinese owner ByteDance did not sell its US operations.

TikTok had argued before the Supreme Court that the law violated free speech protections for its users in the country.

The law was passed with support from both Republicans and Democrats in Congress and was upheld unanimously by Supreme Court justices earlier this week.

The issue exposes a rift on a key national security issues between the president-elect and members of his own party. His pick for Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, had vocally supported the ban.

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“TikTok extended the Chinese Communist Party’s power and influence into our own nation, right under our noses,” he said last April. But he seemed to defer to the president-elect when a journalist asked if he supported Trump’s efforts to restore the ban.

“If I’m confirmed as secretary of State, I’ll work for the president,” he told Punchbowl media last week.

After Trump intervened on Sunday morning, Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Tom Cotton, a Republican senator from Arkansas, broke with Trump by saying that any company that helps TikTok stay online would be breaking the law.

“Any company that hosts, distributes, services, or otherwise facilitates communist-controlled TikTok could face hundreds of billions of dollars of ruinous liability under the law, not just from DOJ, but also under securities law, shareholder lawsuits, and state AGs,” he wrote on social media.

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An executive order that goes against the law could be fought in court.

Several states have also sued the platform, opening up the possibility to TikTok being banned by local jurisdictions, even if it is available nationally.

Although the platform went live again on Sunday for existing users, the question of whether third-parties – hosting platforms or app stores like Google or Apple – could support TikTok in the US remains murky, says University of Richmond law professor Carl Tobias. The app had been removed from those stores in anticipation of the ban.

“It is murky,” he told the BBC.

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In a post on Truth media, Trump promised to shield companies from liability, opening the door to TikTok being available on Apple and Google again.

“The order will also confirm that there will be no liability for any company that helped keep TikTok from going dark before my order,” the president-elect said on Truth Social Sunday.

But during the Supreme Court hearings, Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar was adamant that an executive order cannot change the law retroactively.

“Whatever the new president does, doesn’t change that reality for these companies,” Justice Sonia Sotomayor said during the hearings.

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“That’s right,” Prelogar said.

Professor Tobias said that the law does include a provision that would allow the president to postpone the ban for up to 90 days, if he can show that the company is making substantial progress on alleviating national security issues. But, he said, it’s not clear whether those conditions have been met.

“The best thing Trump could do is work with Congress, and not potentially be in violation of the law or have any questions left hanging,” he said.

“I don’t know that we’re going to know a whole lot more until we see that executive order.”

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Economy

Pension assets rise 51% to N31.48tn in two years, says PenCom DG

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Nigeria’s pension assets have risen by 51 per cent over the past two years, from N 20. 7 trillion to N 31. 48 trillion, while nearly one million new contributors have joined the Contributory Pension Scheme, Omolola Oloworaran, Director- General of the National Pension Commission (PenCom), said on Tuesday.

Oloworaran attributed the growth to renewed public confidence in the nation’s pension system, saying reforms introduced by the President Bola Tinubu administration had strengthened the industry’s credibility and expanded participation.

She disclosed this while briefing journalists at the Meet the Press session organised by the Presidential Communications Team at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

According to her, pension assets increased by N 10. 7 trillion over the period, reflecting what she described as restored trust in the system.

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“Every successful pension system on Earth is built on a simple foundation: confidence—confidence that contributions are safe, confidence that institutions work, confidence that after decades of honest labour, retirement will bring security, not uncertainty. Two years ago, that confidence needed restoring. Today, the verdict is in.

“Pension assets have grown from N 20. 7tn to N 31. 48tn as at this month. That is a 51 per cent increase, representing N 10. 7tn in new retirement wealth.

“Let me say plainly what those numbers mean: confidence is back, and the system is growing,” she said.

The PenCom boss noted that the growth was driven not only by improved investment performance but also by increased enrolment, with 938, 938,229 new contributors joining the Contributory Pension Scheme over the past 24 months.

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She said the commission had also prioritised translating the growth in pension assets into improved welfare for retirees.

According to Oloworaran, aggregate monthly pension payments have risen by 22 per cent, increasing from N 12. 2 billion to N 14. 9 billion.

She further disclosed that following the implementation of the new national minimum wage, the Federal Government approved a N 32, 000 monthly consequential pension adjustment for eligible retirees of treasury- funded Ministries, Departments and Agencies who retired on or before July 29, 2024.

She said more than 195, 195,000 pensioners have already benefited from the upward review, describing it as part of the administration’s commitment to improving the welfare of retired public servants.

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Economy

See Black Market Dollar To Naira Exchange Rate Today 14th July 2026

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The Black Market Dollar-to-Naira Exchange Rate for 14th July 2026 Can Be Accessed Below.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The exchange rate changes hourly. It depends on the volume of dollars available and the Demand. This means…you can buy or sell 1 dollar at a certain rate, and the price can change (high or low) within hours.

The official naira black market exchange rate in Nigeria today, including the Black Market rates, Bureau De Change (BDC), and CBN rates.

Please note that the exchange rate is subject to hourly fluctuations influenced by the supply and demand of dollars in the market.
What’s the dollar to naira black market today, 14th July 2026?

The exchange rate for a dollar to naira at Lagos Parallel Market (Black Market) players sell a dollar for ₦1425 and buy at ₦1410 on Tuesday, 14th July, 2026, according to sources at Bureau De Change (BDC).

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Please note that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) does not recognize the parallel market (black market), as it has directed individuals who want to engage in Forex to approach their respective banks.
Dollar to Naira Black Market Rate Today
Dollar to Naira (USD to NGN) Black Market Exchange Rate Today
Selling Rate ₦1425
Buying Rate ₦1410
Dollar to Naira CBN Rate Today
Dollar to Naira (USD to NGN) CBN Rate Today
Highest Rate ₦1381
Lowest Rate ₦1378

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Economy

Nigeria’s crude oil output hits 74-month high, beats OPEC quota

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Nigeria’s crude oil production has climbed to its highest level in more than six years, with the country exceeding its Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries production quota for the fourth consecutive month, buoyed by improved operational stability and fewer disruptions to oil infrastructure.

Latest figures released on Sunday in Abuja by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission showed that the country’s average crude oil production rose to 1.56 million barrels per day in June 2026, while condensate output stood at 0.18 million barrels per day, bringing total crude oil and condensate production to 1,735,398 barrels per day.

The production level represents 104 per cent of Nigeria’s 1.5 million barrels per day crude oil production quota approved by OPEC and marks the country’s highest crude oil output since April 2020, making it a 74-month high.

The figures, contained in the commission’s latest production report and conveyed in a statement issued by its Head of Media and Corporate Communications, Eniola Akinkuotu, showed that June also marked the fourth consecutive month of production growth, reinforcing the recovery of Nigeria’s upstream oil sector after years of production losses caused by crude theft, pipeline vandalism and operational disruptions.

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The statement read, “Nigeria’s crude oil and condensate production soared to an average of 1,735,398 barrels per day in the month of June 2026, representing positive growth for a 4th consecutive month. In the month under review, crude oil production hit 1.56mbpd while 0.18mbpd of condensates was produced. This means Nigeria met 104 per cent of the 1.5mbpd crude oil production quota set by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries.”

According to the commission, total crude oil and condensate production increased from 1.700 million barrels per day recorded in May to 1.735 million barrels per day in June, representing a 2.2 per cent month-on-month increase.

The report showed that combined production had earlier stood at 1.483 million barrels per day in February before rising steadily to 1.564 million barrels per day in March, 1.663 million barrels per day in April, 1.701 million barrels per day in May and 1.735 million barrels per day in June.

The NUPRC attributed the improved performance to stable production activities across major oil-producing assets and the absence of significant pipeline outages during the review period.

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“The improved performance was primarily driven by stable production operations across most producing assets and the absence of any major pipeline outages during the period under review.

“This enhanced operational stability supported improved production uptime and crude evacuation efficiency. Although a limited number of assets experienced short-duration operational shutdowns, the overall impact on national production was minimal.

“In addition, scheduled turnaround maintenance activities were effectively managed and completed without significant disruption to production operations.

“The sustained growth recorded in June reflects the continued commitment of operators and industry stakeholders towards improving operational efficiency, maintaining asset integrity, and enhancing production reliability across the Nigerian upstream petroleum sector,” the statement added.

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The commission also disclosed that Nigeria’s highest daily combined crude oil and condensate production during the month reached 1.89 million barrels per day, while the lowest daily production stood at 1.57 million barrels per day.

The peak production level underscores Nigeria’s growing potential to achieve the Federal Government’s medium-term ambition of producing two million barrels of oil per day, a target that has remained elusive for years due to insecurity in oil-producing communities, crude theft and ageing infrastructure.

An analysis of production by export terminals showed that Bonny Terminal retained its position as Nigeria’s highest-producing terminal, recording an average daily production of 318,280 barrels, compared with 293,880 barrels in May.

Forcados Terminal ranked second with 306,360 barrels per day, up from 289,900 barrels recorded in the previous month.

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However, production at Qua Iboe Terminal declined to 164,730 barrels per day from 173,360 barrels per day in May.

Similarly, Escravos Terminal recorded a slight increase to 138,030 barrels per day, compared with 135,470 barrels per day in the previous month, while Bonga Terminal maintained steady output, producing 103,660 barrels per day, slightly above the 102,540 barrels per day recorded in May.

The sustained production growth is expected to strengthen Nigeria’s oil export earnings, improve foreign exchange inflows and provide additional fiscal revenues for the Federal Government at a time authorities are seeking to increase crude output and attract fresh investment into the upstream sector.

Nigeria has struggled in recent years to meet its OPEC production allocation because of widespread crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism, underinvestment and prolonged operational challenges.

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However, reforms introduced under the Petroleum Industry Act, enhanced security around critical oil infrastructure and closer collaboration between government agencies and oil producers have contributed to the gradual recovery in production.

Maintaining production above the OPEC quota and sustaining operational stability will be critical if Nigeria is to realise its target of producing two million barrels per day and maximise the benefits of favourable global oil market conditions.

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