The naira crashed against the dollar at both official and parallel foreign exchange markets to begin the week on a negative note.

FMDQ data showed that the naira weakened to N1,675.62 per dollar on Monday from N1652.62 last Friday, indicating a N23 loss.

Similarly, at the black market, the naira depreciated to N1,755 per dollar on Monday from the N1,750 exchange rate at last week’s end.

This comes as the FX transaction turnover dropped significantly to $108.79 million on Monday from $243.05 million recorded on Friday, according to FMDQ data.

In the past months, the country’s FX market has continued to witness fluctuations despite interventions by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 3.46% in real terms in 3rd quarter (Q3) of 2024 on a year-on-year basis.

This is according to a Monday GDP report published by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) which showed that the growth represents a 3.19 percent increase from the one recorded in Q2 2024.

“Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 3.46% (year-on-year) in real terms in the third quarter of 2024,” the NBS said. “This growth rate is higher than the 2.54% recorded in the third quarter of 2023 and higher than the second quarter of 2024 growth of 3.19%.”

“In the quarter under review, aggregate GDP at basic price stood at N71,131,091.07 million in nominal terms,” the report read.

“This performance is higher when compared to the third quarter of 2023 which recorded an aggregate GDP of N60,658,600.37 million, indicating a year-on-year nominal growth of 17.26%.”

The NBS said the growth in the GDP was driven mainly by the services sector. It said the sector had a growth rate of 5.19 per cent and contributed 53.58 percent to the aggregate GDP, underscoring its increasing importance to the country’s economy.

“The agriculture sector grew by 1.14%, from the growth of 1.30% recorded in the third quarter of 2023,” the NBS said.

The growth of the industry sector was 2.18%, an improvement from 0.46% recorded in the third quarter of 2023.

“In terms of share of the GDP, the services sector contributed more to the aggregate GDP in the third quarter of 2024 compared to the corresponding quarter of 2023.”

The NBS said in the quarter under review, Nigeria had an average daily oil production of 1.47 million barrels per day (mbpd), higher than the daily average production of 1.45 mbpd recorded in the same quarter of 2023 by 0.02 mbpd and higher than the second quarter of 2024 production volume of 1.41 mbpd by 0.07mbpd”.

“The real growth of the oil sector was 5.17% (year-on-year) in Q3 2024, indicating an increase of 6.02% points relative to the rate recorded in the corresponding quarter of 2023 (-0.85%),” the report read.

But the non-oil sector grew by 3.37% in real terms during the reference quarter (Q3 2024).

“This rate was higher by 0.62% points compared to the rate recorded in the same quarter of 2023 which was 2.75% and higher than the 2.80% recorded in the second quarter of 2024,” the NBS added.

The Honourable Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, has reaffirmed the Federal Government of Nigeria’s commitment to supporting the NNPC Limited/FIRST Exploration; Petroleum Development Company Limited (FIRST E&P) Joint Venture (JV) in achieving its ambitious target of producing 100,000 barrels of oil per day (BOPD).

The Minister made this declaration during a comprehensive engagement with the JV, which included a tour of its offshore drilling and production facilities in the Niger-Delta.

The two-day visit was designed to provide the Honourable Minister firsthand insight into the JV’s operations and underscore its contributions to Nigeria’s energy security and transition goals.

Head, Joint Venture Investment Management, NNPC Upstream Investment Management Service(NUIMS), Mr. Olanrewaju Igandan; Minister of State, Petroleum Resources(Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri; Managing Director, FIRST E&P Development Company Limited, Ademola Adeyemi-Bero and Managing Director, First Marine and Engineering Services Ltd, Joseph Penawou during the tour of Ogu Base logistics in Yenagoa Bayelsa State

The visit commenced with a tour of the Abigail-Joseph, the JV’s Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel, followed by inspections of the Anyala OML 83 and Madu OML 85 Conductor Supported Platforms (CSPs) on Tuesday, November 19, 2024. The Minister’s itinerary also included a visit to the JV’s Ogu Logistics Base and a Host Community Stakeholders Engagement meeting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

Describing his tour as quite strategic to Nigeria, the Minister disclosed that by meeting this ambitious 100,000 BOPD target, the JV would be helping the Federal Government achieve its production goal of 2.5 million BOPD by 2025. The Minister also praised FIRST E&P for its role in Nigeria’s recent achievement of 1.8 million BOPD and highlighted the strategic significance of the company’s operations to national growth.

During an engagement held with the Minister, FIRST E& P’s Managing Director, Ademola Adeyemi-Bero, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to supporting the Federal Government in achieving its target by maximising production, optimising efficiency, and contributing to Nigeria’s energy security through the NNPCL/FIRST E&P JV partnership. “For a nation like Nigeria, where oil and gas remain critical drivers of socio-economic growth, ensuring a sustainable energy supply is essential for industrialization, economic diversification, and improving the quality of life for millions. At FIRST E&P, our vision is strongly aligned with the national priorities for production. With a steady output of 56,000 BOPD, we are focused on achieving our medium-term target of surpassing 100,000 BOPD”, stated Adeyemi-Bero.

Bala Wunti, the Chief Upstream Investment Officer of NNPC Upstream Investment Management Services (NUIMS), represented by Olanrewaju Igandan, Head of Joint Venture Investment Management at NUIMS, applauded FIRST E&P and its partners for their remarkable achievements over the past decade. He highlighted that since achieving first oil in 2020, the partnership has produced over 50 million barrels of oil, significantly contributing to national revenue through royalties, taxes, and host community development initiatives.

While commending the JV, the Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri represented by Chief of Staff, Dr. Peter Akpe, called for greater collaboration between the Federal Government, oil companies, and state authorities to boost production.

Speaking during the Host Community Stakeholders Engagement meeting, Chairman, KEFFESO Host Communities Development Trust (KHCDT), Amadabo of Moko-ama, Sangana Kingdom, His Royal Highness Moses Theophilus, commended the management of the JV for their invaluable support to the host communities through various initiatives in the areas of education, health care, and human capital development.

Lokpobiri commended the JVs host communities for creating a peaceful and supportive environment that has enabled the company to operate smoothly without disruptions. He urged the communities to continue their collaboration with the company, emphasizing that their support is crucial for increasing production and achieving the ambitious targets set. Reassuring stakeholders, he reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to enhancing Nigeria’s investment climate and ensuring the nation remains globally competitive in the oil and gas sector.