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Donald Trump’s Tariff Puts $10bn US-Nigeria Trade At Risk

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The newly introduced 14% tariff on Nigerian exports by US President Donald Trump poses a major threat to the $10 billion annual trade between Nigeria and the United States, with potential disruptions in oil and agricultural exports, experts and trade associations warned on Thursday.

According to The Punch, economic analysts said that the policy could increase consumer prices, weaken living standards, slow down manufacturing, and reduce demand for Nigerian oil in the US—one of its key export destinations.

The Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce (NACC) expressed concerns over the policy, highlighting that since the inception of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) in 2000, Nigeria had exported approximately $277 billion worth of goods to the US, with crude oil accounting for the bulk of this trade.

Nigeria’s exports to the US currently range between $10 billion and $12 billion annually, though figures have fluctuated in recent years.

Trump, in a widely criticized move, announced that countries exporting to the US could now face tariffs as high as 50%. Speaking at a ‘Make America Wealthy Again’ event, he described the new 10% minimum tariffs as part of a broader strategy to rebalance global trade and counter perceived unfair practices.

According to the Trump administration, Nigeria imposes a 27% tariff on US exports, a disparity seen as harmful to American businesses.

Our correspondent gathered that the reciprocal tariff rate was determined by the US trade deficit with each country, divided by total imports from that country, and then halved.

Trump framed the policy as a move to protect American industries and enforce what he termed “fair” trade rules.

“This is one of the most important days in American history,” Trump said. “We will supercharge our domestic industrial base, pry open foreign markets, and break down trade barriers.”

In response, Sheriff Balogun, President of NACC, warned that the policy could impact $277 billion worth of trade, with crude oil exports particularly vulnerable.

Economic analysts argue that the move threatens Nigeria’s crude oil exports, which form the backbone of its economy. A decline in oil sales could further weaken the naira, raise inflation, and increase costs for imported goods like wheat and vehicles.

According to Afreximbank research, the 14% tariff is expected to reduce oil demand and forex earnings, while increased tariffs on goods such as wheat and vehicles could drive up local prices.

Nigeria’s primary exports to the US include crude petroleum, petroleum gas, nitrogenous fertilizers, cocoa, rubber, and refined lead, while key imports from the US include cars, refined petroleum, and wheat.

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reports that Nigeria’s trade with the US reached N31.1 trillion over the past ten years (2015–2024), with exports totaling N16.4 trillion and imports at N14.71 trillion, reflecting a trade surplus of N1.64 trillion.

The tariffs come as the US begins importing jet fuel from Nigeria’s Dangote Refinery, with six vessels carrying 1.7 million barrels arriving this month.

However, Johnson Chukwu, CEO of Cowry Asset Management Limited, noted that crude oil exports might not be directly impacted, as Trump has exempted energy products, including crude oil, copper, and gold, from tariffs.

Chukwu warned that the broader US trade war could reduce global production, indirectly lowering crude oil demand and prices, which could affect Nigeria’s projected revenue.

Muda Yusuf, CEO of the Centre for Promotion of Private Enterprises, emphasized that the AGOA trade window has essentially been closed by Trump’s administration, with potential inflationary pressures in the US affecting import costs for Nigeria.

Despite the concerns, Yusuf suggested that the shift in global trade could open up new bilateral trade opportunities for Nigeria. However, if US inflation worsens, the Federal Reserve may implement tighter monetary policies, leading to higher interest rates and capital outflows from emerging markets, which could further weaken the naira.

Sola Obadimu, Director General of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines, and Agriculture (NACCIMA), advised the Nigerian government to focus on domestic economic growth rather than overreacting to US policies.

He noted that Trump’s ‘America First’ agenda aims to revive domestic industries and create jobs by discouraging imports.

“Trump’s goal has always been to make America great again by reviving factories and jobs. Many US factories have shut down due to outsourcing, and this policy is meant to reverse that trend,” Obadimu said.

He urged Nigeria to prioritize industrialization and job creation, stressing that the country relies too heavily on crude oil and raw agricultural exports rather than adding value to its products.

“We cannot industrialize on generators. We should aim for 150,000 megawatts of electricity, add value to our products, and employ more people,” he added.

Trump’s new tariffs take effect immediately, with a baseline 10% tariff on all US imports and higher rates for over 50 countries, including China (34%), India (26%), South Korea (25%), the UK (10%), Brazil (10%), and Vietnam (46%).

For African nations, Algeria faces a 30% tariff, Lesotho 50%, Mauritius 40%, Kenya 10%, Namibia 21%, Ethiopia and Ghana 10%, and South Africa 30%.

Trump announced that the 10% baseline tariffs would begin on April 5, while higher rates on select countries would take effect from April 9.

This shift in US trade policy has rattled global markets and fueled fears of a trade war, with experts predicting economic disruptions worldwide.

BIG STORY

Police To Resume Nationwide Tinted Glass Permit Enforcement January 2, 2026

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The Nigeria Police Force has announced that it will resume the nationwide enforcement of the tinted glass permit policy from January 2, 2026, citing growing security concerns linked to the misuse of unauthorized tinted vehicle glass.

The announcement was contained in a statement issued on Monday by the Force Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent of Police Benjamin Hundeyin.

The police said the decision followed a review of emerging security threats and the need to enhance public safety, pending the final determination of a related matter currently before the court.

The Force clarified that there was no court order restraining it from enforcing the law regulating the use of tinted glass on vehicles.

It explained that enforcement was earlier suspended in the interest of transparency and public convenience, to allow motorists sufficient time to regularize their documentation and complete the permit application process without pressure.

According to the statement, recent security trends have revealed a rise in criminal activities carried out with the aid of vehicles fitted with unauthorized tinted glass.

Such vehicles, the police noted, have been used by criminals to conceal their identities while committing offences including armed robbery, kidnapping and other violent crimes.

In view of these developments, the police said the resumption of enforcement had become necessary and urgent as a proactive step to safeguard lives and property across the country.

“Recent trends, however, reveal a disturbing rise in criminal activities perpetrated with the aid of vehicles fitted with unauthorized tinted glass.

“Some individuals and organized criminal groups have exploited this gap to conceal their identities and facilitate crimes ranging from armed robbery to kidnapping and other violent crimes.

“In view of this, the Nigeria Police Force has found it both necessary and urgent to resume full enforcement as a proactive measure to safeguard our communities. Consequently, enforcement of Tinted Glass Permit will resume on 2nd January, 2026,” the statement read.

 

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Buhari Believed Aso Rock Gossip I Planned Killing Him, Began Locking His Room —— Aisha

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Former First Lady, Aisha Buhari, has narrated how her husband, the late President Muhammadu Buhari “began locking his room” following gossip in Aso Rock that she (Aisha) planned to kill him.

The ex-First Lady also said the health crisis that forced Buhari, to take 154 days of medical leave in 2017 began with a broken feeding routine and mismanaged nutrition.

She argued that Buhari’s illness was not a mysterious ailment or poisoning.

Her account of the health crisis appeared in a new 600-page biography, ’From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari’, authored by Dr. Charles Omole, launched at the State House on Monday.

It read, “According to Aisha Buhari, her husband’s 2017 health crisis did not originate as a mysterious ailment or a covert plot. It started, she says, with the loss of a routine; ‘my nutrition,’ she describes it, a pattern of meals and supplements she had long overseen in Kaduna before they moved into Aso Villa.”

The former First Lady convened a meeting with close staff, including the physician, Suhayb Rafindadi; the CSO, Bashir Abubakar; the housekeeper, and the SSS DG to explain the plan.

She said, “Daily, cups and bowls with tailored vitamin powders and oils, a touch of protein here, a change to cereals there.”

“When the Presidency’s machinery took over our private lives, she explained the plan: daily, at specific hours, cups and bowls with tailored vitamin powders and oil, a touch of protein here, a change to cereals there. Elderly bodies require gentle, consistent support,” Omole narrated.

However, the routine frayed.

“Then came the gossip and the fearmongering. They said I wanted to kill him,” the book quotes her as saying.

“My husband believed them for a week or so,” she said, revealing that the President began locking his room, changed small habits, and crucially, “meals were delayed or missed; the supplements were stopped.”

“For a year, he did not have lunch. They mismanaged his meals,” she added.

The deterioration culminated in Buhari’s two extended medical trips to the United Kingdom, totalling 154 days in 2017, during which he ceded authority to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

Upon return, he admitted to being “never so ill” and having received blood transfusions.

Buhari’s absences “sparked rumours, speculation, and even conspiracy theories,” Omole wrote.

Mrs Buhari debunked stories of plots to poison her husband.

Her contention, Omole noted, is that “loss of a routine, ‘my nutrition,’ was the genesis of the crisis.”

In London, doctors prescribed an even stronger regimen of supplements, he explained.

Initially, Buhari “was frightened and not taking them as prescribed. So she took charge of his welfare, slipping hospital-issued supplements into his juice and oats,” it read.

The former First Lady described the turnaround as swift, noting, “After just three days, he threw away the stick he was walking with. After a week, he was receiving relatives.”

“‘That,’ she says, ‘was the genesis, and also the reversal of his sickness,’” the book stated.

According to Omole, critics said Buhari’s reliance on UK hospitals exposed the failure of Nigeria’s health system.

A “more compassionate perspective,” he wrote, recognises that a man in his 70s may require specialised care “not readily available in Nigeria” after “decades of underinvestment.”

He also noted Buhari’s habit of handing power to his deputy during absences, which, he said, ensured “institutional propriety, even during personal health crises.”

The book also revealed a climate of mistrust around the Presidency.

Mrs Buhari alleged surveillance, the bugging of the President’s office with listening devices and playback of private conversations, saying, fear and conscience “contributed to taking his life.”

She refuted the long-held rumour that Buhari had a body double, popularly known as “Jibril of Sudan,” as absurd, arguing that poor strategic communication in government allowed simple, banal developments to metastasise into conspiracies.

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BIG STORY

Dangote Releases Details of ‘$5m Spent By NMDPRA CEO’ On His Children’s Secondary School Education In Switzerland [PHOTO]

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Aliko Dangote, chairman of the Dangote Group, says Farouk Ahmed, chief executive officer (CEO) of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), spent about $5 million on the secondary school education of his children in Switzerland.

In a paid newspaper advert on Tuesday, the billionaire said Ahmed paid the said amount for four of his children, covering a period of six years.

On Monday, Dangote had alleged that Ahmed Farouk “paid $5 million” to a Swiss secondary school for his children’s education, describing the act as “economic sabotage and corruption”.

Releasing details of his allegations, in the newspaper advert, Dangote listed the four children as Faisal Farouk, Farouk Jr., Ashraf Farouk, and Farhana Farouk.

According to the billionaire entrepreneur, the secondary schools the children attended for a duration of six years were Montreux School, Aiglon College, Institut Le Rosey, and La Garenne International School.

Dangoted also presented estimated annual tuition, living expenses, air travel, and upkeep, which were multiplied across four children and several years of study.

He said the annual cost of tuition, airfare, and upkeep per child was $200,000, which totals $800,000 per year for his four children.

The businessman further explained that the total living expenses and air tickets per child over six years was $1.2 million, amounting to $4.8 million for all four children.

Overall, Dangote estimated that the combined cost of tuition and upkeep for all the children reached $5 million.

He also listed the tertiary education expenses for Ahmed’s children, noting that tuition, upkeep, airfare, and other costs average approximately $125,000 per year over a four-year period.

According to the billionaire, this adds up to $500,000 for four years per child, totaling $2 million for all of them.

“Faisal just finished the 2025 Harvard MBA at $150,000 and $60,000 for upkeep, tickets and other incidentals. Total =$210,000 spent in 2025 for Faisal’s MBA,” he added.

Dangote said Nigerians deserve to know the source of the money “paid by a public officer while many parents in his home state of Sokoto cannot afford to pay N10,000 school fees for their children and wards”.

 

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