The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency has attributed the delay in the payment of outstanding retirees’ entitlements to longstanding bureaucratic, policy, and pension-related challenges inherited from previous administrations.

The aviation agency insisted that the current management under its Managing Director, Farouk Umar, has taken concrete steps to resolve the issue. The agency said this while responding to allegations of laxity by the management of the organisation on workers-related issues.

NAMA spoke through a statement signed by the spokesperson for the agency, Abdullahi Musa, on Friday.

In his response to the allegations raised during a recent television interview by some aggrieved retirees, the agency said while it recognises the right of former employees to seek redress on welfare concerns, it was necessary to place the facts in proper perspective.

Musa maintained that the problem of unpaid retirees’ benefits did not originate under the present leadership. He said, “The issue of outstanding retirees’ benefits is a longstanding institutional challenge inherited from previous administrations due largely to policy implementation gaps, pension-related complications, and bureaucratic bottlenecks associated with public sector financial obligations.”

The agency stressed that, contrary to claims of neglect, the administration of Farouk had demonstrated commitment towards addressing the backlog.

The statement read partly, “Significantly, it was under Engr. Farouk’s administration, which renewed administrative attention, institutional commitment, and official approvals, secured towards addressing the outstanding obligations.

“Following engagements with relevant stakeholders and retirees’ representatives, the Managing Director immediately directed the appropriate departments to commence the necessary processes required for settlement.”

NAMA, however, explained that the disbursement process is governed by strict public service regulations that cannot be circumvented.

“Responsible governance within the public sector requires strict compliance with statutory procedures involving documentation, budgetary appropriations, administrative vetting, and government approvals before final disbursement can be effected.

“Any attempt to deliberately ignore these procedural realities and portray them as neglect is both unfair and misleading,” the agency stated.

Beyond the retirees’ issue, the agency stated that several welfare reforms have been implemented under the current administration, noting that workers have witnessed significant improvements in their conditions of service.

He said, “Under Farouk’s leadership, NAMA successfully implemented the Staff Conditions of Service in full, an achievement that eluded several previous administrations despite years of agitation by workers.”

The agency further disclosed that a new salary structure was recently approved and implemented, leading to improved remuneration for employees.

“This landmark salary enhancement demonstrates the administration’s unwavering commitment to improving the living conditions of employees and repositioning NAMA as a more motivated, efficient, and professionally competitive institution within the aviation industry,” the statement noted.

The Dangote Petroleum Refinery is planning to expand its crude processing flexibility to as many as 130 different crude grades.

The refinery, which recently reached its full capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, is also preparing for a major capacity expansion that will double output and significantly widen its crude sourcing options beyond Nigeria’s domestic supply base.

The Chief Executive Officer of the refinery, David Bird, disclosed this in an interview with S&P Global Energy, describing the facility as a fully merchant-style refinery built to compete with global trading hubs rather than a conventional single-feed crude processing plant.

“This is not a traditional refinery in an oil-producing country that just sits at the end of a crude pipeline and processes one crude. This is a fully merchant refining model that you could see in Europe or Asia,” Bird was quoted as saying in the interview, obtained by our correspondent on Friday.

Bird told S&P Global that the refinery currently processes around 40 crude grades but is strategically positioned to expand that number significantly as it scales operations, with a long-term target of about 130 crude types comparable to some of the world’s most complex refining hubs, such as Singapore’s Pulau Bukom refinery.

According to him, the expansion will allow the refinery to move deeper into crude blending operations and take advantage of a wider range of global supply sources, including Middle Eastern, US, and heavier crude grades.

“We will be in the crude blending game. So you can easily imagine at 1.4 million bpd, we could process 30 per cent Middle Eastern grades on each train,” he said.

Bird also highlighted the refinery’s cost structure, noting that operating expenses are expected to decline further as scale efficiencies kick in following the expansion.

According to the report, industry projections tied to the $10bn expansion programme indicate that operating costs could fall below $2 per barrel, strengthening the refinery’s position as one of the world’s lowest-cost large-scale refineries.

The planned expansion, it was said, will raise capacity to about 1.4 million b/d, equivalent to nearly 90 per cent of Nigeria’s current crude oil output, forcing the facility to rely more heavily on imported crude streams, including US WTI Midland, alongside domestic supply.

Bird said the refinery’s flexibility is central to its long-term competitiveness in an increasingly volatile global energy market.

The Dangote refinery, located in the Lekki Free Zone in Lagos, is also integrating petrochemical units and logistics infrastructure as part of a wider industrial expansion aimed at turning the complex into a global energy hub comparable to major refining centres in Asia and the Middle East.

As part of its expansion strategy, the company is also developing regional infrastructure, including tank farms and potential pipeline linkages across Africa, to improve fuel distribution and export efficiency.

The refinery’s management has maintained that its long-term goal is to position Nigeria as a net exporter of refined petroleum products while competing directly with established global refining and trading hubs.

After the Middle East war began, Dangote shifted to what was termed “max jet mode”, and in April, it became the world’s single largest exporter of aviation fuel, according to S&P Global Commodities at Sea data.

The refinery is also producing 200 per cent of its petrol potential by importing blending components like GTL naphtha and Bonny condensate, Bird said.

As such, it can “comfortably” make 75 million litres per day (about 650,000 b/d) and could do 100 million l/d with better storage infrastructure, he added.

Africa’s economic growth has been predicted to slow slightly to 4.2 per cent in 2026 before returning to 4.4 per cent in 2027, matching the level recorded in 2025, says African Development Bank (AfDB) .

The is according to the Banks forecasts which appeared in the 2026 edition of the African Economic Outlook report presented during its annual meetings in Brazzaville.

According to the AfDB, the expected slowdown in 2026 mainly reflects the impact of the conflict in the Middle East on the global economy.

“The impact of this shock on growth and macroeconomic stability will depend on the duration of the supply chain disruptions and their effects on global energy and fertilizer prices,” the report said.

East Africa is expected to remain the continent’s fastest-growing region, despite a slowdown from 6.6% in 2025 to 5.9% in 2026. The AfDB links the weaker pace to logistics disruptions and higher energy costs.

West Africa should maintain relatively stable growth around 4.7%, supported by agriculture, infrastructure investment and continued expansion in the mining and oil sectors. In North Africa, growth is expected to slow to 4% in 2026 as higher energy costs and weaker tourist arrivals from Gulf countries affect economic activity.

Central Africa’s economy should grow by 3.8% in 2026, mainly supported by sustained commodity prices, especially oil. Southern Africa is expected to remain the continent’s weakest-performing region, with growth limited to 2.1% because of supply chain disruptions and the broader economic effects of the Middle East conflict.

The AfDB expects average inflation across Africa to reach 10.4% in 2026, driven mainly by higher global oil and gas prices. Even so, that level would remain below the 13.7% recorded in 2025.

The continent’s average fiscal deficit should narrow slightly to 4.8% of GDP in 2026. The report also points to temporary stabilization in external balances, but warns that rising energy and fertilizer prices could widen current account deficits again. The institution also highlighted risks linked to lower development aid and possible pressure on migrant remittances.

The AfDB said African economies continue to face a difficult international environment marked by rising trade tensions, climate shocks, lower foreign investment, geopolitical fragmentation and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The institution also cited the uncertain consequences of the conflict in the Middle East, which continue to affect global markets and supply chains. To help economies absorb external shocks, the AfDB called on governments to strengthen coordination between monetary and fiscal policy, improve social support measures and avoid broad fuel subsidies.

“African central banks need to implement prudent monetary and exchange rate policies tailored to anchor long-term inflation expectations,” the institution said.

The bank added that central banks and finance ministries should act quickly to limit second-round effects linked to rising food and energy prices. The AfDB also urged countries to accelerate investment in renewable energy, regional infrastructure and industrial transformation in order to reduce dependence on imports. The institution called for deeper implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), broader tax bases and stronger African financial systems.

The Bank stressed the need for greater economic sovereignty through stronger domestic resource mobilization, the development of African financial institutions and deeper regional integration. The AfDB’s forecasts broadly match projections published earlier this year by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), which expects Africa’s economy to grow by 4% in 2026 and 4.1% in 2027, compared with 3.9% in 2025.

According to UNCTAD, the improvement should come from stronger macroeconomic stability, higher investment levels and firmer domestic demand.