Business
National Assembly queries Steel Development Ministry over N2bn project, audit delay
The joint National Assembly Committee on Steel Development has raised concerns over the Ministry of Steel Development’s handling of a N2 billion project earmarked for a youth boot camp for training on welding and foundry but captured differently in the 2024 budget.
During a 2024 budget performance appraisal and 2025 budget defense session with the Minister of Steel Development, Mr. Shuaibu Abubakar Audu, Co-chairman of the committee, Hon. Zainab Gimba, questioned why the project was listed in the budget as “technical support for SMEs for training around foundry production in three geopolitical zones” but advertised as a youth boot camp training programme.
Audu had earlier informed the legislators that the training is scheduled to hold at the Metallurgical Training Centre in Onitsha for 700 youths, though 225, 000 people applied for it.
Hon. Gimba expressed dissatisfaction over the misrepresentation and urged the minister to rectify the discrepancy, stating, “Please we are asking you to do that now. Let me just clarify. Minister, as a rider to what you are saying, let me tell you Honourable Minister, before we came into this meeting, I spoke with the Permanent Secretary, I told him that this thing is not correct permanent secretary, let’s correct it because no human being is perfect. We cannot all be perfect.
“Maybe in the procedure there are things that are not done. We are not here in the National Assembly to wait for you to do mistakes and then we say you have done wrong. But it is in the procedure. If I want, I can keep quiet. After doing the whole thing, executing it, I can say you are wrong and then you cannot reverse it.
“I told him that this is not correctly done. He told me, I’m quoting him verbatim, ‘Honourable Chair, allow us to do our job. This is the way we want to do it. You can oversight us later.’ But I feel that I cannot leave the wrong thing to be done. We can still correct it. That’s why we are insisting that, Honourable Minister, you correct that.”
She also noted that it was improper for the ministry to hold onto the funds which ought to be for agencies under the ministry to carry out their activities including training which is the responsibility of the Metallurgical Training Centre.
“The agencies need the resources for their operations. We expect immediate action to return the money,” Gimba stated.
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Steel Development, also cautioned that such inconsistencies could attract scrutiny from anti-graft agencies like the EFCC.
She said, “This is a public record. If anyone files a petition to EFCC, this could lead to accusations of misappropriation. You need to go back to the drawing board and correct this error before it spirals out of control.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan further advised the minister to address the improper advertisement and ensure that the project aligns with the budget to avoid legal repercussions.
The Committee also raised concerns over the Ministry of Steel Development’s delays in commencing the technical audit of the Ajaokuta Steel Company, which is crucial for rehabilitating the steel plant and the National Iron Ore Mining Company (NIOMCO) in Kogi State.
The minister had informed the lawmakers that the Federal Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the original builders, Messrs. Tyazhpromexport (TPE), and their consortium partners in September 2024, but the audit remains stalled.
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan asked the minister to explain why the audit had not commenced nearly four months after the MoU was signed.
“We are approaching the end of January, and nothing has started. When will the technical audit begin so that rehabilitation can follow?” Akpoti-Uduaghan asked.
Responding, the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Chris Osa-Isokpunwu, explained that the ministry was awaiting a “no objection” certificate from the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) before presenting the project to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for approval.
However, the committee retorted that the explanation was bot good enough. Sen. Akpoti-Uduaghan fired at the minister, “The Federal Executive Council meets weekly. Are you guaranteeing Nigerians that this will be approved at the next meeting?”
In response, Audu, while admitting that the ministry’s followup on the approval has been at a slow pace, stated, “The feedback is clear—the process of securing the ‘no objection’ from BPP is too slow. I will ensure that we accelerate efforts to get this done by the end of January.”
Despite the delays, the minister assured the committee that the audit would begin in February, pending swift approval processes.
“The technical audit is critical for restarting operations at Ajaokuta Steel and NIOMCO. I am committed to expediting this process,” Audu said.
The committee eemphasised he importance of timely action, urging the ministry to meet its commitments to Nigerians and uphold transparency in its operations.
On the 2025 budget, Audu said the ministry requested for N315billion for its capital projects, but was allocated a total sum of N24.029billion. Out of that sum, N13.751billion is for personnel/recurrent expenditure, N1.953billion for overhead and N8.32billion is for capital expenditure. He appealed to the committee to put in more funds for the Ministry in order to enable it undertake its planned activities for the year.
Business
LAFARGE AFRICA ACHIEVES RECORD SALES OF 697BN; OPERATING PROFIT At 192bN, UP BY 89%; PAT UP BY 96% TO CLOSE AT 100BN

( Net Sales: FY 2024 up 72% YoY benefiting from improved volume; Q4 2024 up 86% vs PY
( Operating Profit: FY 2024 up 89% YoY; Q4 2024 up 103% vs PY
( Operating Margin: FY 2024 28%, up from 25% PY; Q4 2024 31%, up from 28% PY
( Profit After Tax: FY 2024 up 96% YoY, driven by Topline growth; Q4 2024 up 263% vs PY
( Continued focus on Increased product range, Sustainability and Health & Safety
Lafarge Africa Plc, a leading innovative and sustainable building solutions company and manufacturers of a range of cement brands has released its audited financial statement, recording a revenue of N696.76Billion for the 2024 financial year. The growth in revenue represents an increase of 72% from N405.50 billion that was recorded in the corresponding period in 2023. A breakdown analysis of the audited result also revealed that operating profit for the company in the financial year ended 2024 grew from N102.02billion in the corresponding period in 2023 to N193.01billion, representing an 89% significant rise.
According to the result released by NGX, the earning per share for the company for the 2024 financial year rose by 96%, moving from 3.17 to 6.22. A statement signed by the Chief Executive Officer, Lafarge Africa, Lolu Alade-Akinyemi noted that despite inflationary pressure on purchasing power which has affected the business, the Nigerian Infrastructure and construction sector has witnessed tremendous growth.
Alade-Akinyemi described the company’s outstanding financial performance as a testament to its strong market positioning, strategic initiatives drive on Volume growth, decarbonizing its environment though emission reduction and converting waste into energy.
We also leveraged on innovation and operational efficiency to deliver strong products and solutions into the building market, drive cost improvement, creating a great environment for our people to thrive and delivering value to our stakeholders.
He explained that despite a challenging business environment, the company remained resilient,
leveraging innovation and green growth in line with its sustainability ambitions, while also delivering value to its stakeholders.
”Lafarge Africa Plc remains committed to strengthening its leadership position in offering environmental friendly building solutions, while driving long-term profitability,” he said.
“We maintain our positive outlook for 2025, with market recovery expected to continue at similar growth with 2024. We will continue to maximize volume opportunities across our markets and actively manage our costs. We remain committed to our sustainability ambitions and strategy of ‘Accelerating Green Growth’ through innovative building solutions and delivery of stakeholder value,” he said.
He expressed appreciation to its esteemed customers, employees and all other stakeholders for their commitment, despite the macroeconomic headwinds being experienced in the industry.
-END-
About Lafarge Africa Plc
Lafarge Africa Plc, a leading Sub-Saharan Africa building solutions company is a member of Holcim Limited, a world leader in building solutions accelerating our world’s green transformation. Listed on the Nigerian Exchange Group, Lafarge Africa is actively participating in the urbanization and economic growth of Nigeria, the largest economy in Africa.
Lafarge Africa has the widest footprint in Nigeria with cement operations in the South West (Ewekoro and Sagamu in Ogun State), North East (Ashaka, in Gombe State), South East (Mfamosing, Cross Rivers State) with Ready-Mix operations in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt. Lafarge Africa has a current installed cement production capacity of 10.5Mtpa.
Lafarge Africa leverages on its innovative expertise to provide value-added products and services solutions in the building and construction industry in Nigeria. Additional information is available on the web site at www.lafarge.com.ng
About Holcim
Holcim is a global leader in innovative and sustainable building solutions with net sales of CHF 27.0 billion in 2023. Our 63,448 employees are driven by our purpose to build progress for people and the planet across our regions to improve living standards for all. We partner with our customers to offer the broadest range of advanced solutions, from sustainable building materials ECOPact and ECOPlanet, to our circular technology ECOCycle®, all the way to Elevate’s advanced roofing and insulation systems.
Business
Maintain status quo on subscription prices – FCCPC tells MultiChoice

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, FCCPC, on Thursday directed MultiChoice Nigeria to maintain its current subscription prices pending the outcome of ongoing investigations.
It should be recalled that the Pay-TV operator had announced a 21 per cent increase in subscription fees for its DStv and GOtv packages, effective from 1st March 2025.
However, on Tuesday, FCCPC vowed to investigate the price hike, summoning the company’s leadership to explain the circumstances behind the proposed increase.
MultiChoice Nigeria subsequently requested an extension of the date for its appearance before the commission.
In response, FCCPC, in a statement issued on Thursday by its Director of Corporate Affairs, Ondaje Ijagwu, said that while the request had been granted, “the company is now required to attend the rescheduled investigative hearing on 6th March 2025, along with all relevant officers and a comprehensive response.”
“Pursuant to this, MultiChoice is expressly instructed to maintain the existing price structure as of 27th February 2025, pending the Commission’s review and final determination on the matter.
“Maintaining the status quo on pricing is essential to prevent any potential consumer harm during this period,” the statement added.
Business
Dangote slashes petrol price to N860 per litre in Lagos

Dangote Petroleum Refinery has announced a drop in the ex-depot (gantry) price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), often known as petrol, by N65.00, from N890 to N825 per litre, effective February 27th, 2025.
Under the new system, purchasers in Lagos will pay N860 per liter at MRS stations.
The price adjustment, according to Dangote was designed to provide essential relief to Nigerians in anticipation of the upcoming Ramadan season, while also supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic recovery policy by alleviating the financial burden on the Nigerian populace.
This marks the second price reduction of PMS in February 2025, following a previous decrease of N60.00 earlier in the month.
Additionally, in December 2024, during the yuletide period, the refinery reduced the price of PMS by N70.50, from N970 to N899.50 per litre, as part of its commitment to easing the cost of living and providing relief to Nigerians during the holiday season.
With the latest reduction, the management of the refinery said Nigerians will be able to purchase the Dangote petrol at the following prices in all our partners’ retail outlets.
“For MRS Holdings stations, it will sell for N860 per litre in Lagos, N870 per litre in the South-West, N880 per litre in the North, and N890 per litre in the South-South and South-East respectively.”
“The same product will also be available at the following prices in AP (Ardova Petroleum) and Heyden stations: N865 per litre in Lagos, N875 per litre in the South-West, N885 per litre in the North, and N895 per litre in the South-South and South-East.”
The company assured the public of a consistent supply of petroleum products, with sufficient reserves to meet domestic demand, as well as a surplus for export to enhance the country’s foreign exchange earnings.
It called on marketers to support this initiative, ensuring that Nigerians remain the primary beneficiaries of this effort.
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