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Economy

Nigeria data protection ecosystem hits N16.2 billion in value within three years

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The National Commissioner and CEO of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), Dr Vincent Olatunji, said on Wednesday that Nigeria is now a global player as the country’s Data Protection and Privacy ecosystem now peaked at about 16.2 billion naira in value.

Dr Olatunji attributed the feat to pragmatic steps taken by the leadership of the Commission following the signing into law of the Data Privacy and Protection Act by President Bola Tinubu in June 2023.

The NDPC boss said in less than four years the NDPC has transformed into a global institutions with no fewer than 12 countries understudying its ecosystem, while some institutions had signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with NDPC on how to replicate the Commission’s achievements in their country.

Speaking during the opening ceremony of the 2026 Data Protection and Privacy Summit at the Transcorp Hotel, Abuja on Wednesday, Dr Olatunji praised President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of Communications, Innovations and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani for the transformations taking place in the sector.

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He announced that besides the on going massive awareness campaigns embarked upon by the NDPC under his leadership, the Commission has been able to ensure the conclusion of investigations on 246 data privacy breaches by various institutions in the country.

Olatunji said while appropriate sanctions and remediation mechanisms have been meted out, no fewer than 23,000 new jobs have been created within the ecosystem, while government has earned 5.2 billion naira in compliance revenue from the sector.

He said the 2026 National Privacy Week with the theme “Privacy in the Age of Emerging Technologies: Trust, Ethics, and Innovation” which started on 28th January through to 4th February, ending with the summit would further enlighten Nigerians, the private and public sectors about the significance of data protection and privacy in the context of national security and economic development.

Listing the achievements of the NDPC, Dr Olatunji said, “The Commission initiated a multi-sector compliance drive, issuing compliance notices to 1,348 entities in August 2025 across the banking, insurance, pension, and gaming sectors, strengthening engagement and informing enforcement actions.

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“Since the signing of Act by Mr President over 23,000 new jobs have been created within the ecosystem while the value of the data protection ecosystem is now over N16.2b.”

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Communications, Innovations and Digital Economy, Mr Nadungu Gagare said the choice of the theme of the summit could not have been more relevant given the challenges of digitalisation in contemporary global economy.

The Permanent Secretary who was represented by Adetunji Adeyemo, a Director in the Universal Service Provision Department in the Ministry, called for ethical guidance that respect human dignity in the management of personal information and citizens’ data

He said responsible data management would be a catalyst to the growth and development of Nigeria economy, stressing that protection and privacy of data by institutions would not constitute any obstacle to innovations in the digital space.

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He emphasised trust, credibility and collaboration of stakeholders in data protection and privacy, assuring that the government would continue to strengthen regulatory frameworks and build capacity of its workforce to enable them carry out their duties efficiently and effectively.

The Permanent Secretary further said emerging technologies such Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and others should be leveraged and deployed ethically to improve Nigeria Gross Domestic Product (GDP), while the private and public sectors, academia and civil society groups should work together to protect the private rights of citizens.

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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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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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