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Dangote Pushes Ahead with Plans for Nigeria’s Deepest Seaport Near Refinery and Fertilizer Plants in Ogun

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Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, is moving full steam ahead with plans to construct a massive deep-seaport in Olokola, Ogun State, in a bold step aimed at transforming Nigeria’s industrial logistics, easing pressure on Lagos ports, and unlocking new export gateways for West Africa.

In a recent interview in Lagos, Dangote confirmed that his group submitted all required documentation in late June 2025 to begin work on what he called “the biggest, deepest port in Nigeria.” The proposed Atlantic-facing port will be strategically located just over 100 kilometers from his sprawling refinery and fertilizer complexes on the outskirts of Lagos.

The billionaire’s plan marks a significant move in Nigeria’s long-delayed efforts to fix its overstretched and often dysfunctional port infrastructure—particularly in Lagos, where Apapa and Tin Can Island Ports have for years groaned under the weight of rising traffic, poor road access, and operational inefficiencies.

“It’s not that we want to do everything by ourselves,” Dangote said. “But I believe this kind of investment will inspire other entrepreneurs to get involved too.”

A Private Sector Response to a Lingering National Challenge

For years, Nigerian stakeholders and logistics experts have called for decongestion of Lagos ports, urging the government to revive and upgrade the Eastern ports—located in places like Calabar, Warri, and Port Harcourt—to ease pressure on the southwest corridor. However, persistent bureaucratic bottlenecks, security challenges in the Niger Delta, and a lack of political will have drowned those calls.

With the Olokola seaport now taking shape, many see it as a realistic and immediate alternative—not just to reduce Lagos port congestion but also to provide a modern, integrated platform for export and import activities in Nigeria’s busiest industrial axis.

Powering an Industrial Empire—And Nigeria’s Exports

The new port is central to Dangote’s long-term strategy to vertically integrate logistics and exports across his multi-billion-dollar conglomerate. At present, the group uses a private jetty near its Lagos refinery to ship urea and receive heavy industrial equipment. But this solution is already reaching its capacity limits.

The Olokola seaport will serve as a hub for fertilizer, urea, petroleum products, and eventually liquefied natural gas (LNG), all key elements of Dangote Group’s rapidly expanding industrial output.

According to Devakumar Edwin, vice president of the Dangote Group, the company plans to build gas pipelines from the Niger Delta to the Olokola facility, unlocking new value from Nigeria’s massive but underutilized natural gas reserves. The same gas will feed into the company’s ammonia production for fertilizer exports.

This would require the construction of new gas pipelines connecting the Niger Delta—home to some of the world’s largest gas reserves—to the proposed Olokola port.

“We want to do a major project to bring in more gas than what NLNG is doing today,” Dangote said, referencing Nigeria LNG Ltd., the country’s leading LNG exporter co-owned by the Nigerian government, Shell, Eni, and TotalEnergies.

The pipeline project will feed LNG and ammonia production, further scaling Dangote’s already-massive fertilizer output. His fertilizer plant uses natural gas as feedstock to produce hydrogen for ammonia, a critical component of urea production.

Dangote has already said his ambition is to surpass Qatar and become the world’s largest exporter of urea within four years—a goal that hinges heavily on reliable, high-capacity maritime infrastructure.

The Olokola project also positions Dangote as a direct competitor to the Lekki Deep Sea Port, a Chinese-financed facility that became operational in 2023 and is already handling container traffic and bulk shipments.

But unlike Lekki, which is managed through a public-private partnership, Dangote’s port will be a privately controlled, fully integrated logistics hub feeding directly into the group’s production and distribution networks.

This model, experts say, gives Dangote flexibility and speed in managing operations, avoiding the delays and rent-seeking behavior that have plagued Nigerian port management for decades.

A Broader Vision for Africa

Dangote’s port plans come amid broader aspirations to turn Nigeria—and by extension, Africa—into a competitive manufacturing and export powerhouse. Earlier this year, the billionaire declared that Africa could become a “heaven” within five years if the right infrastructure and investment decisions were made.

His group is already on track to generate $30 billion in total annual revenue by 2026, and Dangote has voiced confidence that Nigeria can leapfrog into top-tier global industrial markets, provided it builds the infrastructure to support its ambitions.

With Nigeria’s trade volumes set to expand, and with global concerns over new U.S. trade tariffs under President Donald Trump adding uncertainty to international commerce, the need for domestic port capacity and independence has once again come into focus.

Nigerian Debt Recovery Startup Bfree Secures $3 Million Funding to Boost Loan Recovery Across Africa

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Bfree, a Nigerian debt recovery startup that uses AI to help consumers manage their debts and lenders collect their loans, has secured $3 million in funding to boost distressed loan portfolio recovery across Africa.

The funding was led by Verdant Capital, through its Verdant Capital Hybrid Fund, marking a significant step towards tackling troubled loans in Africa.

The investment will enable Bfree to purchase and manage distressed loan portfolios from inclusive financial institutions, helping unlock capital and liquidity within the financial services sector. In addition to the funding, Bfree will also benefit from the technical assistance facility of the Hybrid Fund, supporting capacity development and operational efficiency.

Founded in 2020, Bfree has established itself as a leading ethical and digital credit collection company in Africa. The company is committed to transparency, ensuring that clients are regularly updated on the progress of their accounts to support the improvement of credit scores.

In the intricate realm of loan collection, quality monitoring plays a pivotal role in ensuring ethical practices, maintaining compliance, and optimizing recovery rates. It helps to ensure that loan collectors are ethical and comply with regulations.

The collections team must follow ethical and legal standards when recovering outstanding loans from customers. They must not use abusive or harassing tactics or disclose the customer’s loan details to third parties. Failure to comply with ethical and legal standards can result in legal action or a poor business reputation.

Also, quality monitoring helps improve collection rates. By monitoring collectors’ calls, businesses can identify trends in customer behavior, provide tailored negotiation tactics, and provide training and coaching to enhance their skills. In turn, this leads to higher recovery rates and better customer experience.

Bfree is driven by data, leveraging machine learning to analyze, score, and predict consumer behavior. This data-driven approach enables the company to continuously innovate and optimize its collection strategies, staying ahead of traditional methods.

Unlike many others in the industry, Bfree does not adopt a one-size-fits-all model for credit management. Instead, it provides tailored solutions and customized messaging that address the specific needs of individual customers.

Confident in the effectiveness of its approach, Bfree typically operates on a 100% commission-based structure, which eliminates overhead risks for its clients. This performance-based model reflects the company’s strong belief in its ability to deliver superior results in ethical debt recovery. In just five years, the company has reached over 6.6 million borrowers with a collective portfolio exceeding $740 million across its operational markets. The startup is trusted by noted clients, which include Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank), Stanbic Bank, Fair Money, Quick Check, Access Bank, Kuda, and Branch.

Bfree’s mission is to transform the credit management landscape by developing solutions that provide borrowers with a clear path to long-term financial stability. This is achieved through a strategic combination of self-service tools, automated messaging, contact Centre support, and machine learning applications.

The company envisions becoming the credit management software provider of choice for both lenders and borrowers in emerging markets. Bfree aims to lead the industry through a strong commitment to ethical standards and continuous innovation, positioning itself at the forefront of responsible and effective credit management solutions.

Top Crypto to Buy Now: Little Pepe (LILPEPE) Pulls Ahead of Ripple (XRP), Solana (SOL), and Cardano (ADA) as Q3 Kicks Off

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While many still talk about familiar names like Ripple (XRP), Solana (SOL), and Cardano (ADA), the spotlight has now been stolen by a new contender: Little Pepe (LILPEPE). Initially starting as a promising meme coin during the presale, it has now become one of the most discussed tokens of the quarter. Little Pepe is quickly gaining recognition as one of the best cryptocurrencies to invest in at the moment. With a blend of viral branding, real blockchain innovation, and an aggressive roadmap, LILPEPE isn’t just keeping pace with the heavyweights—it’s pulling ahead. Here’s why investors are rapidly pivoting from XRP, SOL, and ADA toward this fast-rising meme powerhouse.

The Meme Coin With Real Tech: What Sets LILPEPE Apart

The meme coin sector has historically been dominated by humor, hype, and social virality. But Little Pepe brings something the meme coin space has never seen before: real infrastructure.  This blockchain, uniquely designed for meme ecosystems, features sniper bot resistance, ultra-low gas fees, and lightning-fast transaction speeds. It’s built to address the specific challenges that meme coin traders face, such as front-running bots and volatile fee structures during periods of high demand. Even more revolutionary is the upcoming Meme Launchpad, which will enable the direct launch of new meme tokens within the LILPEPE ecosystem. This transforms LILPEPE into a central hub for meme coin creation and trading, providing it with utility far beyond what typical meme tokens can offer.

Presale Strength and Q3 Momentum

At the time of writing, LILPEPE is in stage 5 of its presale, priced at just $0.0014. It has already raised over $4.6 million and sold more than 3.8 billion tokens, indicating strong demand even before its official exchange debut. The timing couldn’t be better. Meme coins are heating up again, and investors are searching for the “next PEPE” or “next DOGE.” With confirmed listings on two top centralized exchanges and a growing army of social media supporters, LILPEPE is perfectly positioned to capitalize on Q3 momentum. Given its low price entry and high community energy, many are projecting a parabolic surge when LILPEPE hits exchanges, potentially moving 30x to 50x in just weeks. From there, its Layer-2 chain and launchpad features could sustain long-term growth well beyond the meme coin season.

Why XRP, SOL, and ADA Are Falling Behind

While XRP, Solana, and Cardano are leading players in the crypto space, their expected returns for Q3 appear quite low in comparison. Currently, Ripple (XRP) is priced at approximately $2.31. Adoption continues to lag despite several regulatory hurdles being cleared, and XRP price movements remain dormant. Sluggish adoption, coupled with XRP’s considerable market capitalization, means that substantial new investment will be needed for even modest returns. Solana (SOL) remains a strong platform, but after its recent surge to $150, its upside is increasingly limited. SOL would need to break above $250 to deliver even a 2x from here, and its past outages still haunt investor confidence. Cardano (ADA), while still a top project academically, has seen slower dApp development and user onboarding compared to competitors. ADA is hovering under $0.6, and while $1 remains possible by year’s end, its growth has been more evolutionary than explosive. By contrast, LILPEPE offers entry at the ground floor, with all the hallmarks of a future 100x token. Investors aren’t just buying a meme—they’re buying into a movement that could reshape how meme coins are launched, traded, and supported.

Community, Marketing, and the $777,000 Giveaway

Part of what makes LILPEPE stand out is its massive viral reach and community-driven marketing. The project is running a $777,000 giveaway, where 10 lucky winners will each receive $77,000 worth of LILPEPE tokens. This type of marketing isn’t just about buzz—it’s about building a strong foundation of loyal holders who will ride the token through launch, listings, and beyond. And in the world of meme coins, community is everything.

Final Thoughts: The Clear Leader for Q3 2025

With major catalysts ahead, viral marketing, actual blockchain utility, and an extremely low entry point, Little Pepe (LILPEPE) has officially pulled ahead of XRP, SOL, and ADA as the top crypto to buy now. While the blue chips may still have their place in a long-term portfolio, they simply can’t match the upside LILPEPE offers at this stage. For investors hunting for explosive growth as Q3 unfolds, the message is clear: Don’t just follow the giants—follow the momentum. And right now, it’s all pointing to LILPEPE.

 

For more information about Little Pepe (LILPEPE) visit the links below:

Website: https://littlepepe.com

Whitepaper: https://littlepepe.com/whitepaper.pdf

Telegram: https://t.me/littlepepetoken

Twitter/X: https://x.com/littlepepetoken

SEC Rallies Stakeholders to Unlock New Capital Market Opportunities Under ISA 2025

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The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has urged businesses, investors, and market stakeholders across Nigeria to seize the expansive opportunities introduced by the newly enacted Investments and Securities Act, 2025 (ISA 2025) — a landmark reform designed to modernize Nigeria’s capital market and catalyze long-term economic growth.

Speaking during a stakeholder forum held Thursday in Lagos, SEC Director-General Dr. Emomotimi Agama, represented by Mr. Habib Abubakar, Head of Market Development Department, emphasized that ISA 2025 marks a turning point for the Nigerian capital market. The forum, jointly organized by the SEC and the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), was themed “Unlocking Capital Market Opportunities for Business Growth and Development.”

Agama described the new law as the most comprehensive overhaul of Nigeria’s capital market framework since the 2007 version of the Act, adding that its implementation could usher in a new era of inclusive growth, product innovation, investor protection, and technology-driven transformation.

“The Investments and Securities Act 2025 is more than legislation. It is a strategic tool to reposition Nigeria’s capital market for global competitiveness and economic resilience,” Agama said.

Capital Market Reboot: Key Pillars of ISA 2025

Agama identified three central pillars that would help stakeholders unlock the full value of the new legislation:

1. Accessibility and Inclusivity

For the first time, Nigeria’s capital market has been structured to accommodate small and medium enterprises (SMEs) more deliberately. ISA 2025 introduces simplified registration and listing frameworks to lower the entry barrier for startups and growth-stage businesses in need of long-term, affordable capital.

This is significant in a country where over 90% of businesses operate in the informal sector, largely cut off from formal financing. Agama said the Act’s design ensures that these businesses can now list, raise funds, and scale operations without being bogged down by complex regulatory processes.

2. Digital Assets and Technology

ISA 2025 officially recognizes digital assets as valid investment vehicles, offering legal clarity to a sector long operating in a gray area. This recognition positions the Nigerian capital market at the forefront of fintech-driven financial inclusion, opening the door for platforms offering tokenized securities, digital crowdfunding, and blockchain-enabled exchanges.

“With digital assets now part of the recognized investment landscape, Nigeria can attract younger investors, tech-savvy entrepreneurs, and a wave of innovation-driven financing structures,” Agama noted.

The law encourages regulators and capital market operators to adopt digital tools to streamline compliance, improve transparency, and enhance investor access.

3. Innovation and Product Diversification

The Act broadens the range of instruments available in the market, creating legal and regulatory space for green bonds, sustainability-linked debt, private equity and venture capital funds, commodities derivatives, and Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). With climate change concerns and ESG investing gaining momentum globally, the SEC sees this as a way for Nigeria to plug into the $30 trillion global sustainable finance market.

The law also makes room for Sharia-compliant instruments and alternative finance models that can appeal to Nigeria’s large Muslim population, offering untapped financing routes for infrastructure and industrial projects.

Building Confidence, Attracting Capital

Agama emphasized that investor confidence remains the bedrock of capital market development. Accordingly, ISA 2025 incorporates stronger provisions for investor protection, disclosure requirements, and corporate governance.

The law strengthens the SEC’s enforcement powers, enhances dispute resolution mechanisms, and mandates transparency in the operations of capital market operators. These provisions, according to Agama, are designed to deepen market participation, especially from retail investors who have historically been cautious due to governance failures and weak recourse systems.

The push to maximize ISA 2025 comes at a time when Nigeria is grappling with sluggish economic growth, rising public debt, a declining naira, and foreign investor apathy. Capital market operators have long argued that Nigeria’s overdependence on commercial bank lending and deficit-driven government spending has stifled the private sector.

ISA 2025 offers a credible pathway to raise non-debt capital for critical sectors including agriculture, infrastructure, housing, healthcare, and manufacturing, by removing structural bottlenecks. It also seeks to position the capital market as the main engine for financing inclusive, private-sector-led development.

Agama said the SEC will intensify its public engagement drive, including media campaigns, townhalls, and investor roadshows, to create awareness and ensure adoption of the new framework.

The SEC chief noted that achieving the Act’s objectives will require more than regulatory effort—it demands collective ownership from all stakeholders: businesses, market operators, institutional investors, fintech innovators, and the media.

“We are calling on stakeholders across sectors to familiarize themselves with the Act’s provisions and align their operations to its opportunities,” Agama stated. “Let’s not wait to be told what’s possible. Let’s lead the charge.”

The SEC is expected to release a suite of new implementation guidelines, compliance frameworks, and sector-specific rulebooks in the coming months to operationalize key provisions of ISA 2025. Market watchers say these will be crucial in determining whether the Act’s promises translate into tangible outcomes.

For many, ISA 2025 is not just a reform — it’s a test case for whether Nigeria can finally unleash the full power of its capital market to drive sustainable economic transformation.

Nigerians Consumed Record 1.04m Terabytes in May even as Active Internet Subscriptions Fell

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Nigerian telecom subscribers hit a historic peak in data usage in May 2025, consuming a record 1.04 million terabytes, the highest monthly figure ever recorded since the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) began publishing such statistics in January 2023.

The surge comes even as active internet subscriptions fell, reflecting how rising costs and economic pressures are reshaping digital behavior across the country.

The May consumption figure surpasses the previous record of 1 million terabytes set in January 2025, and also represents a sharp rise from April’s 983,283 terabytes. The data underscores the increasing reliance on internet-based services by Nigerians, despite economic hurdles, including a 50% hike in data tariffs recently implemented by all telecom operators.

Internet Subscriptions Slide Despite Data Surge

While data consumption continues to rise, the number of active internet subscriptions is shrinking, suggesting users are either reducing the number of devices connected or dropping multiple SIMs to manage costs.

According to the NCC’s latest industry data, total internet subscriptions—including mobile, fixed, wired, ISP, and VoIP—fell to 141.5 million in May, down from 141.9 million in April. Mobile network operators (MNOs), who dominate the internet access market, were the biggest contributors to the decline.

The four major MNOs—MTN, Airtel, Globacom, and 9mobile—saw their combined internet subscriptions fall from 141.4 million to 141 million. The drop is particularly notable as it comes at a time when digital dependency is deepening across all sectors, from education to finance and streaming.

Active Mobile Subscriptions Also Dip

The broader mobile subscriber base also saw a contraction, dropping to 172.4 million in May from 172.6 million a month earlier. The loss was driven primarily by MTN and 9mobile, which shed 258,313 and 291,214 subscribers, respectively.

MTN, which remains the largest operator in Nigeria, saw its active user base fall to 90.2 million, while 9mobile declined to 2.6 million, despite a recent strategic partnership to tap into MTN’s infrastructure.

In contrast, Airtel gained 342,597 subscribers, expanding its base to 58.9 million, while Globacom’s numbers remained flat at 20.6 million.

Despite its monthly loss, MTN continues to dominate the Nigerian telecom landscape, holding 52.33% of the mobile market, followed by Airtel with 34.17%, Globacom at 11.96%, and 9mobile trailing with a mere 1.55% share.

The slight drop in subscriptions also affected Nigeria’s teledensity, which measures the number of telephone connections for every 100 inhabitants. It dropped to 79.65% in May from 79.78% in April, based on a national population estimate of 216 million.

What the Numbers Mean

The paradox of surging data usage amid shrinking subscriptions paints a nuanced picture. On one hand, the trend suggests that data is becoming a lifeline, powering work, entertainment, and daily activities. On the other hand, it reflects growing economic strain, as many Nigerians are opting out of multiple SIM usage or letting data plans expire due to affordability concerns following the 50% price increase.

While telcos are seeing revenue boosts from higher per-user data consumption, the subscription losses indicate a tightening grip on household budgets in the face of inflation, subsidy removals, and a weakening naira. For operators like MTN and Airtel, maintaining user numbers while boosting average revenue per user (ARPU) will be a delicate balancing act in the months ahead.

Industry analysts expect that unless pricing models are adjusted or broadband access becomes more decentralized and affordable, the country could see a continued divergence between data volume growth and subscriber base contraction.

In the short term, however, Nigeria’s appetite for data shows no sign of slowing—even if fewer people are footing the bill.