Connect with us

Business

NARTO president blames petrol scarcity on Russia-Ukraine war

Published

on

Yusuf Lawal Othman, national president of the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), says the country is experiencing a scarcity of premium motor spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, due to a number of challenges.

Speaking with reporters in Abuja on Wednesday, Othman listed the Russia-Ukraine war, high cost of transporting the product, and the exchange rate as the reasons for the persistent nationwide petrol shortage.

The NARTO president said, aside from the aforementioned challenges, the country has enough supply to meet demand.

“Relating to the current supply and availability of petroleum products is not unconnected with the current Russia-Ukraine war,” he said.

“Two, is the high cost of transporting from the mother vessels to the daughter vessels to the tank farms.

“Three, the exchange rate. But I know we have adequate fuel.”

Othman said reports of sharp practices at filling stations owned by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Limited are false.

“Whatever is written is not true, it is false. As far as we are concerned the NNPCL retailers are the largest retail outlet in the country,” he said.

“As of today, they are the only marketing company that sells fuel at the same price everywhere in the country.

“The same price in Lagos, same price in Abuja. So you will see some envy by other marketers and from experience, personally my own company has been working with NNPC retail in the last 15 years. I know their pedigree and their capacity.”

He further admonished members of NARTO not to participate in oil bunkering and smuggling.

“Let me use this opportunity to call on our law-abiding and patriotic members who are into the transportation of petroleum products to please desist from illegal bunkering, smuggling, and diversion of petroleum products because these actions are detrimental to the economy of our great nation,” Othman said.

“This association will not support, defend, or sympathise with anyone caught committing these crimes.”

Business

Transcorp Power Plc Records 775% PBT Jump in Q1 2024 with Impressive Revenue Growth

Published

on

By

Transcorp Power Plc (Transcorp Power), one of the electricity generating subsidiaries of Nigeria’s leading, listed conglomerate, Transnational Corporation Plc (Transcorp Group), has demonstrated impressive financial performance in its released Q1 2024 unaudited financial statements, for the period ended March 31, 2024.

The Company recorded N67.86 billion in gross earnings, compared to N21.04 billion reported in Q1 2023, reflecting a significant increase of 223%.

The strong performance is further demonstration of the Company’s strategic focus and effective execution, as part of Transcorp Group’s implementation of its integrated power strategy.

Highlights of Transcorp Group Results

 Q1 2024 Revenue N67.86 billion, up 223%, compared to N21.04 billion in Q1 2023.

 Profit before Tax rose by 775%, amounting to N28.77 billion in Q1 2024, compared to N3.29 billion in the same period last year.

 Profit after Tax grew by 665% year-on-year to N20.1 billion in Q1 2024, compared to N2.6 billion in the same period last year.

 Total assets grew to N276.2 billion in Q1 2024, up from N223.3 billion in Q4 2023.

Commenting on the financial highlights, Evans Okpogoro, the Chief Financial Officer said, “The Q1 2024 results saw a gross margin of 51%, a cost to income ratio of 70% and net profit margin of 30% compared to Q1 2023 gross margin of 37%, cost to income ratio of 87% and net profit margin of 13%. This highlights the remarkable operational efficiency gains of the Company. Transcorp Power has continued to grow its revenue aggressively and consistently over the last five years. We expect that by year end 2024, we will see a similar growth trajectory recorded between FY 2022 and FY 2023.”

Transcorp Power MD/CEO, Peter Ikenga, commented on the results, “We are pleased to report further robust financial performance, despite sectoral challenges such as gas supply issues and macroeconomic challenges. Our ability to sustain growth amidst this environment shows the resilience of our business model and the efficient execution of our strategic initiatives.”

“We remain committed to leveraging our strengths to capitalise on emerging opportunities, drive sustainable growth and provide superior value to all our stakeholders. We will continue to prioritise ingenuity, operational excellence, corporate governance, and stakeholder engagement, to deliver superior value for our long-term growth”. He added.

Transcorp Power Plc is an electricity generating subsidiary of Transnational Corporation Plc (Transcorp Group), one of Africa’s leading, listed companies, with strategic investments in the power, hospitality, and energy sectors.

Transcorp Power is committed to creating value and driving economic growth, by improving lives through access to electricity and transforming Africa.

Continue Reading

Business

Elon Musk threatens to suspend X accounts doing engagement farming

Published

on

By

The owner of X, Elon Musk, has said he will suspend all accounts found to be doing engagement farming on the social media platform.

Several users on X are engaging in farming to boost their earnings from the content creator monetization program of the platform. This comes as the billionaire struggles to get rid of bots and fake accounts from X, formerly known as Twitter.

Engagement farming refers to when someone posts generic or obnoxious content to get likes or replies. The goal is to get people to interact with the tweet, which may lead to followers and more earnings.

  • “Any accounts doing engagement farming will be suspended and traced to source,” Musk posted on Friday.

Aside from boosting their chances of getting paid by the platform, individuals and organizations use engagement farming to to artificially inflate their online presence and influence.  This involved unethical practices and the use of fake accounts or tools to inflate metrics such as likes, retweets, and follower counts.

This activity disrupts the organic flow of information on X, and manipulated content lowers genuine voices. By blocking such accounts, X Crop aims to foster an original and organic online environment where content is rated based on its originality.

Continue Reading

Business

Transcorp Hotels sells Calabar subsidiary to Eco Travels

Published

on

By

Transcorp Hotels Plc says Eco Travels and Tours Limited, an indigenous hospitality company, has acquired its 100 percent stake in Transcorp Hotels Calabar Limited.

According to a statement on April 17 by Stanley Chikwendu, the company’s secretary, Eco Travels and Tours has a diverse portfolio including hotel management, wellness and fitness facilities, family-centric spaces, as well as interior and exterior design and decoration.

“Transcorp Hotels strategic focus is on Abuja and the significant continuing investment in the iconic Transcorp Hilton Hotel and in development opportunities in Lagos,” the company said.

In its published 2023 audited financial statements, Transcorp Hotels — a subsidiary of Transnational Corporation (Transcorp) Plc — recorded 36 percent revenue growth.

With the ongoing execution of its business strategies and optimisation of new business opportunities, Transcorp Hotels said it will continue to create more value for all its stakeholders.

Meanwhile, on January 15, Transnational Hotels joined the trillionaire club in the stock market after their valuation crossed N1 trillion.

As of Thursday, the company’s market capitalisation is valued at N1 trillion.

On March 4, Transnational Corporation announced the listing of its subsidiary, Transcorp Power Plc, on the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX).

Continue Reading

Bodex F. Hungbo, SPMIIM is a multiple award-winning Nigerian Digital Media Practitioner, Digital Strategist, PR consultant, Brand and Event Expert, Tv Presenter, Tier-A Blogger/Influencer, and a top cobbler in Nigeria.

She has widespread experiences across different professions and skills, which includes experiences in; Marketing, Media, Broadcasting, Brand and Event Management, Administration and Management with prior stints at MTN, NAPIMS-NNPC, GLOBAL FLEET OIL AND GAS, LTV, Silverbird and a host of others

Most Read...