Nigeria is set to begin exporting a new light, sweet crude grade known as Cawthorne in March as part of efforts to boost oil production and consolidate the recent recovery in output, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has disclosed.

The development, which was confirmed by a spokesperson of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited to Reuters on Tuesday, is expected to strengthen the country’s position within the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries as it seeks a higher production target amid improving output levels.

According to the report, the launch of the new grade is part of Nigeria’s broader push to lift production, which has been constrained for years by crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism, and security challenges in the Niger Delta. A source familiar with the development said the first export cargo is expected in the third week of March.

Cawthorne crude, which has an API gravity of 36.4, is similar in quality to Nigeria’s flagship Bonny Light, a grade widely valued by refiners for its high yields of gasoline and diesel. The report disclosed that NNPC issued a tender last week for the new grade for loading between March 24 and 25.

Analysts at energy intelligence firm Kpler noted that the crude is expected to be exported through the Floating Storage and Offloading vessel Cawthorne, which has a storage capacity of about 2.2 million barrels.

The facility is designed to enhance crude transportation and production from Oil Mining Lease 18 and surrounding assets in the eastern Niger Delta.

The introduction of the grade could increase Nigeria’s crude and condensate supply from about 1.65 million barrels per day to roughly 1.7 million barrels per day for the rest of the year, depending on operational stability and market demand.

Nigeria’s crude production quota under the OPEC+ framework currently stands at 1.5 million barrels per day. Data from the cartel showed that the country produced about 1.48 million barrels per day in January.

The country has, in recent months, ramped up security efforts across oil infrastructure and pipelines, leading to improved output and reduced losses from theft. Cawthorne is the third new crude grade introduced by Nigeria in recent years as the government and industry players work to diversify export streams and attract more buyers.

Other new grades launched include Obodo in 2025 and Utapate in 2024. Experts say the introduction of additional crude streams helps Nigeria target different market segments, improve pricing flexibility, and strengthen resilience in global oil trade.

Nigeria, Africa’s largest oil producer, is intensifying reforms in the oil and gas sector under President Bola Tinubu, with a focus on improving production, increasing investment, and boosting government revenue.

The country’s oil output had declined in recent years due to operational disruptions and divestments by international oil companies. However, recent improvements in pipeline security and upstream activity are gradually restoring production levels.

A sustained growth in output and the introduction of new crude grades could enhance Nigeria’s earnings at a time when global oil prices remain volatile but supportive of energy-exporting economies.

The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has concluded an offtake agreement with 12 major petroleum marketing companies to distribute between 60 million and 65 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) daily across the country, in a move expected to stabilise supply and deepen Nigeria’s fuel self-sufficiency.

President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, disclosed this in Lagos, noting that the structured framework would guarantee nationwide availability of petrol while exporting surplus volumes.

According to a statement issued, Dangote said, “We have agreed an offtake framework to supply up to 65 million litres daily for the domestic market. Any surplus, estimated at between 15 and 20 million litres, will be exported.”

Dangote stated that the initiative marks a major shift in the country’s downstream petroleum sector, as Nigeria’s daily consumption currently ranges between 50 million and 60 million litres.

This means the refinery is expected to supply about 1.8 billion to over 2 billion litres of petrol monthly, depending on daily output and the number of days in the month.

The latest offtake and distribution arrangement follows an earlier agreement reached in October 2025 between the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and downstream operators aimed at stabilising fuel supply and curbing volatility in pump prices.

At the time, independent petroleum marketers disclosed that the refinery had set a target to release up to 600 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit monthly to the domestic market as part of efforts to address supply disruptions and rising costs across the country.

Under the arrangement endorsed by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, selected marketers will handle nationwide distribution to prevent supply disruptions and eliminate speculative practices.

The marketers include MRS Oil Nigeria Plc, Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited Retail, 11 Plc, TotalEnergies Marketing Nigeria, Rainoil Limited, Northwest Petroleum & Gas Company Limited, Ardova Plc, Bovas & Company Limited, AA Rano Nigeria Limited, AYM Shafa Limited, Conoil Plc, and Masters Energy.

The statement noted that the structured offtake model is designed to ensure efficient logistics, reduce hoarding, and support price stability. It added that the refinery would export between 15 million and 20 million litres daily once domestic supply obligations were met.

“This would conserve foreign exchange, improve the country’s trade balance and strengthen external reserves, as Nigeria will no longer rely heavily on imported fuel,” the statement explained.

For decades, Africa’s largest oil producer depended on imported refined products, exposing the economy to exchange rate volatility, global supply disruptions and recurring shortages.

The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Bayo Bashir Ojulari, recently described the refinery as a transformative national asset capable of redefining the country’s energy security architecture.

He said, “This plant was designed for 650,000 barrels per day. None of us thought it would even touch 550,000. What we saw live today was 661,000. These are live parameters, not reports or photographs.”

Ojulari added that the refinery represents a new era of industrial capability and technological advancement for Nigeria.

Nigeria has intensified reforms in the oil and gas sector following the deregulation of the downstream market and removal of fuel subsidy under President Bola Tinubu.

The Dangote refinery, Africa’s largest, is expected to play a central role in ending decades of petrol importation, stabilising prices, and positioning Nigeria as a net exporter of refined petroleum products across West and Central Africa.

The success of the structured offtake model could usher in a more stable fuel supply chain and reduce the risk of shortages that have plagued the country for years.

The Monetary Policy Committee of the Central Bank of Nigeria has reduced the benchmark interest rate to 26.5 per cent, a move members of the Organised Private Sector described as minimal but a positive signal for businesses and the broader economy.

At the end of its 304th meeting in Abuja, the MPC cut the Monetary Policy Rate by 50 basis points from 27 per cent to 26.5 per cent. All 11 members of the committee were in attendance.

The CBN Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, announced the decision on Tuesday. “The committee decided to reduce the monetary policy rate by 50 basis points to 26.5 per cent,” Cardoso said.

He added that the MPC also resolved to “retain the Standing Facilities Corridor around the MPR at +50/-450 basis points” and to “retain the Cash Reserve Requirement for Deposit Money Banks at 45.00 per cent, Merchant Banks at 16.00 per cent, and 75.00 per cent for non-TSA public sector deposits.

The latest move marks the second rate cut under the current leadership of the apex bank, following a similar 50-basis-point reduction in September 2025 and a hold at the November 2025 meeting.

Cardoso said the decision was based on “a balanced evaluation of risks to the outlook,” which indicates that “the ongoing disinflation trajectory would continue, largely supported by the lagged transmission of previous monetary tightening, sustained exchange rate stability, and enhanced food supply.”

He disclosed that headline inflation eased to 15.10 per cent in January 2026 from 15.15 per cent in December 2025, marking the eleventh consecutive month of year-on-year decline. According to him, “Food inflation declined markedly to 8.89 per cent from 10.84 per cent,” while “core inflation declined to 17.72 per cent from 18.63 per cent.”

On a month-on-month basis, headline inflation fell to -2.88 per cent in January from 0.54 per cent in December, signalling what the committee described as “a continued softening of price pressures.”

The governor referenced the newly issued Presidential Executive Order 09, which redirects oil and gas revenues into the Federation Account. The committee “welcomed” the order and “acknowledged the potential impact of this Order in improving fiscal revenue and accretion to reserves.”

He reaffirmed the MPC’s commitment to “an evidence-based policy framework, firmly anchored on the Bank’s core mandate of ensuring price stability, while safeguarding the soundness and resilience of the financial system.” The next MPC meeting is scheduled for May 19 and 20, 2026.

Reacting to the decision, members of the Organised Private Sector described the 50-basis-point reduction as cautious but a welcome development. In separate interviews with The PUNCH, private sector leaders said the cut, though modest, signalled a gradual shift toward supporting growth.

Director-General of the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association, Adewale Oyerinde, said the marginal cut indicated that monetary authorities were responding to sustained pressures facing businesses.

“The marginal reduction in the benchmark interest rate represents a cautious but noteworthy signal that monetary authorities are beginning to respond to the sustained pressures facing businesses and the productive sector,” Oyerinde said.

He added, “While the 50 basis point reduction may not immediately translate into significantly lower lending rates, it reflects a gradual shift toward supporting economic growth without undermining price stability.”

Oyerinde stressed that the overall policy stance remained tight due to the retention of the Cash Reserve Ratio at 45 per cent for commercial banks and other liquidity controls. “With a substantial portion of bank deposits still sterilised, the capacity of financial institutions to expand credit to the real sector may remain constrained in the near term,” he remarked.

He noted that inflation, particularly in food, energy, and transportation, continued to pressure employers and households. “For the modest easing in policy rate to have a meaningful impact, it must be complemented by coordinated fiscal and structural reforms that address supply-side constraints, improve infrastructure, and enhance productivity,” Oyerinde said.

National Vice President of the National Association of Small-Scale Industrialists, Segun Kuti-George, described the move as a conscious adjustment to preserve recent monetary gains.

“What this interest rate cut means to me is a conscious adjustment to prevent botching the country’s monetary achievements,” Kuti-George said. “With these reasonable adjustments, there will hopefully be relative stability.”

He added that there had been some improvement in inflation trends, stating, “Prices of consumable goods, particularly foods, have generally stayed below what it used to be in the corresponding time of last year. We hope that the trend will be maintained.”

On his part, Director of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise, Dr Muda Yusuf, described the rate cut as growth-supportive but warned that weak policy transmission and fiscal vulnerabilities could blunt its impact.

“This policy direction is appropriate and growth-supportive. It reflects improving macroeconomic fundamentals and reinforces confidence in the economy’s stabilisation trajectory,” Yusuf said.

He cautioned that lending rates might remain elevated due to structural constraints, stressing, “Unless these structural rigidities are addressed, the benefits of monetary easing may not fully translate into lower borrowing costs for manufacturers, SMEs, agriculture, and other productive sectors.”

Yusuf added that fiscal consolidation remained the missing anchor. “Without fiscal consolidation, monetary easing could be undermined by continued fiscal pressures and crowding-out effects in the financial system,” he stated.

The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry welcomed the rate cut as “cautious” and a signal of Nigeria’s shift to stabilisation and investment-led growth.

Director-General of the LCCI, Dr Chinyere Almona, said, “This move signals a significant shift from aggressive monetary tightening toward a stabilisation phase anchored on disinflation, exchange rate convergence, and improving supply-side conditions. It is a cautious, positive step in the right direction.”

The LCCI observed that, whereas the CBN’s decision to retain other monetary parameters suggests that liquidity conditions remain restrictive, the rate cut sends a critical confidence signal to the Organised Private Sector and establishes a pathway toward a gradual reduction in the cost of capital.

But Almona stressed that businesses still require tangible relief in financing costs to restore production, expand capacity, and preserve jobs.