Business
Benin feels pinch as Nigeria ends fuel subsidy
Sitting on top of a yellow jerry can of fuel, Jeannine waits for customers on a sidewalk in Benin’s economic capital Cotonou, but business is slow. The motorbikes and cars she normally supplies are no longer stopping to stock up on her cheap gasoline, which is smuggled in from neighbouring Nigeria.
Since Nigeria’s new president Bola Ahmed Tinubu abruptly ended his country’s long-standing subsidy on petrol two weeks ago, prices of black market fuel over the border in Benin have also doubled.”Since this morning, barely five people have stopped,”
said Jeanine. “Everyone prefers to go tothe petrol station now.”Two weeks ago, a litre of “Kpayo,” the smuggled gasoline sold on the side of Beninese roads, doubled from 350 to 700 CFA francs (0.5 to 1 euro). That is now higher than the petrol in service stations at the market price of around 650 CFA a litre.In Nigeria, fuel prices have also tripled since Tinubu ended the subsidies, with food, transport and power prices feeling the knock-on effect.Ending the subsidy was the first measure taken by Tinubu, who sees the subsidies as unsustainable financial waste costing the state billions of dollars a year, and allowing massive smuggling of subsidised gasoline to neighbouring countries.
“Why should we (…) feed the smugglers and be the Santa Claus of neighbouring countries,” Tinubu said last week, justifying the decision, which has been unpopular in Nigeria.
For decades, Nigeria’s low-cost gasoline has been transported illegally by road to its neighbours, primarily Benin, where it is resold on the black market by a multitude of informal sellers.
“You know, this fuel helps feed thousands of people in Benin,” said Jeannine, a 48-year-old widow with five children, who says she does not have savings “to start a new business.”
The scale of the trafficking is such that the price of taxi fares has almost doubled in Cotonou. In Cameroon, another neighbour of Nigeria, several motorcycle taxi unions have gone on strike in protest.
‘Pray to God’
Victorien Assogba Kossi, wearing a yellow shirt like all the zemidjans (motorbike taxis) of Cotonou, wonders “what is wrong with Nigeria…?”
“Is it because the border is closed?” asks the driver who has never heard of Nigerian subsidies.
“We’re going to pray to God that it goes down,” said the 46-year-old man, who says he was forced to cut corn rations for his children when business slowed.
A few kilometres away, Nicolas Evedjere is happy enough. The gas station manager has never sold as much as in recent days.
“We had to close this morning, because we had nothing left to sell, our clients have multiplied by ten,” he said smiling while adding he is sad “to see brothers suffer.”
Suppliers had not anticipated such an explosion in demand, he said.
In front of gas stations that still have fuel to sell, long queues are now visible at peak times.
This is good news for the Beninese State, which hopes to increase its tax revenue, as informal sellers do not pay tax.
“In recent years, the Beninese government has encouraged the development of service stations in the country to reduce the importance of contraband gasoline on the market,” Beninese government spokesman Wilfried Houngbedji told AFP.
“If we hadn’t done this, we would currently be facing serious shortages,” he said.
Border Closure
The subsidy episode has once again illustrated Benin’s steep dependence on its Nigerian neighbour, a West African giant with 215 million inhabitants, the continent’s largest economy and one of Africa’s top oil producers.
Nigeria’s border with Benin was closed off overnight in 2019 by former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, a shutdown which lasted 18 months and asphyxiated the Beninese economy.
Whether coincidence or not, Beninese President Patrice Talon recently dismissed his foreign affairs minister, replacing him with Shegun Bakari, a Beninese entrepreneur who is of the same Yoruba ethnicity as Tinubu, and who observers say is “close” to his inner circle.
At the Benin border post of Seme-Krake, on the Atlantic coast, the usual hustle of currency traders, sellers, transporters and small traders involved in gasoline trafficking may have slowed, but another activity persists.
Rice imports are officially banned in Nigeria, which is trying to encourage local production.
But on the Nigerian side, past the customs checkpoints, a multitude of cars, their trunks filled with bags of rice arriving from the port of Cotonou in Benin, are unloaded in plain sight and passed into new vehicles for transport into Nigeria
Global Appliances Nigeria Limited, manufacturers of Binatone products has, announced an exciting Black Friday deals.
The company’s Managing Director, Mr Prasun Banerjee, said the offer cut across Its Full Range of Smart Home Appliances.
“Binatone, one of Africa’s most trusted appliance brands for over 52 years, is delighted to announce its Black Friday Mega Sales offering amazing discounts across all key supermarkets and leading electronic stores nationwide” Mr Banerjee said in a statement.
The promotion will be from November 6th to december 6th, 2026.
During this period, Mr Banerjee said customers will have a full month to enjoy unbeatable prices on a wide range of Binatone products.
“From energy solutions to kitchen essentials, Binatone will bring exceptional value and innovation to every Nigerian home this festive season,” he added.
According to him, this year’s Black Friday promotions will feature exciting offers across multiple categories stressing that Shoppers can enjoy great discounts on stand fans equipped with mosquito-repellent and air-freshness features, including the newly introduced AD 1601 AC/DC Fan, which can be linked to a solar panel for clean, free air.
“The rechargeable fan range, available in three models with replaceable lithium-ion batteries, recharges in just four hours and provides up to ten hours of cooling—enough to last the whole night,” Mr Banerjee added.
For kitchen lovers, he said the KC6000 Yam Pounder/Fufu Maker promises quick, hygienic, and effortless meal preparation while the air-fryer series, available in three models, requires just a teaspoon of oil to make crispy, tasty, and healthy fries.
“Binatone’s cool-touch kettles, models CEJ 1799 and CEJ 1700T, come with elegant digital displays and are designed for safety and convenience, he added.
To protect valuable home appliances, he disclosed that Binatone’s power range offers stabilizers in 2 KVA and 5 KVA capacities and surge-voltage protectors in 13 A30 A ratings—ideal for air conditioners.
“The company’s newly launched Power Stations, available in 1.8 KVA and 2.4 KVA variants, provide portable, plug-and-play power with solar-charging capability, ensuring reliable backup power for homes, small offices, and outdoor use”
He disclosed that customers will also find irresistible discounts on Binatone’s dry and steam irons, garment steamers, and microwave ovens thar are perfect for everyday household needs.
“The breakfast-essentials range features pop-up toasters, sandwich makers, and juicers designed to make mornings easier,” he stated. He announced that the high-powered blender collection includes durable, unbreakable jugs capable of smoothly blending hard nuts and beans.
“Additionally, Binatone has introduced the Tefal Cookware Range, offering premium non-stick pots and pans for healthy cooking, along with Freeplay solar-powered lanterns and torches, ensuring every home remains bright and energy-efficient
“Binatone’s Black Friday celebration is our way of thanking loyal customers for their trust over the years,” Mr Banerjee added.
“We are bringing quality, affordability, and innovation together, thus making this season the perfect time to upgrade your home.
”All Binatone products comes with a two-year warranty, giving customers additional peace of mind and assurance of lasting quality.
“Don’t miss these amazing Black Friday offers, available for a limited time at all major supermarkets, electronic stores, and online platforms across,” he stated.
Wema Bank, Nigeria’s oldest indigenous bank and pioneer of Africa’s first fully digital bank, has unveiled the Top 21 finalists for Hackaholics 7.0, who will compete at the grand finale scheduled for Friday, November 6, 2026, in Lagos. Themed Festival of the Future, the grand finale will bring together innovators, technology leaders, startup founders, investors and key players in Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem for an immersive celebration of ideas, technology and the possibilities shaping the future.
The Top 21 finalists are: Dynalimb, Harthiq, Acceede, Vhorde, URI, Trarrk, SocialSign, RaverPay, All-Arbitrates, CitizensGage, Craft-Planet, FOID, PayByPalm, Niteonn, Nexa-AI, Neural-Forge, MamaAlert, JolliFlow, Becca, CropiQ and Middleman.
Hackaholics is Wema Bank’s youth and start-up-focused initiative, designed to provide young innovators with a platform to transform creative, technology-driven ideas into practical solutions to real-world challenges and gain a competitive edge in the global technology and digital space. Since its launch in 2019, the initiative has recorded over 21,000 applicants, engaged more than 50,000 participants, supported over 10,000 startups across three countries and developed more than 100 solutions from scratch.
The 7th edition, which commenced on July 1, 2026, attracted 5,329 participants and generated 1,632 innovative ideas and solutions across seven pitch-centre locations: Uyo, Kano, YabaTech, Benin, Ibadan, Enugu and Lagos. Following the nationwide tour, 59 participants emerged from the various centres, with the Top 21 selected through a rigorous, multi-stage evaluation process.
The Hackaholics 7.0 grand finale week will feature a three-day programme of strategic engagement and innovation-focused activities. On Wednesday, November 4, the finalists will participate in the Pre-Pitch, where they will present refined versions of their solutions. This will be followed by the Ecosystem Tour on Thursday, November 5, powered by Wema Bank, offering participants the opportunity to visit leading institutions within the technology and innovation ecosystem, interact with industry professionals and gain practical insights ahead of the final competition. The programme will culminate in the grand finale on Friday, November 6, where outstanding innovators will be recognised and celebrated.
Through Hackaholics, Wema Bank continues to demonstrate its commitment to advancing Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem by identifying emerging talent, creating opportunities for young innovators and supporting the development of solutions to real-world challenges. The initiative reinforces the Bank’s role in empowering the next generation of innovators and building an ecosystem where ideas can thrive and possibilities become reality.
Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II, has implied that the Federal government may not be able to achieve it’s economic reform dream if it maintains it’s present expenditure rate, declaring that Nigeria could not pursue fiscal consolidation while continuing to spend without restraint.
Speaking virtually to the audience at the Oxford Global Think Tank Leadership Conference, organised by the Oxford Global Think Tank, on Tuesday, the monarch said reform must go beyond removing fuel subsidies and liberalising the exchange rate, describing it as a comprehensive package that needed to address many other areas.
He said government needed to make clear spending priorities, choosing between roads, electricity, agriculture, and technology based on available resources.
The Emir also raised concerns about the size of government expenditure, saying Nigeria could not pursue fiscal consolidation while continuing to spend without restraint.
He said the World Bank had pointed out that in the first half of this year Nigeria’s debt service consumed 124 per cent of federal government revenue.
Sanusi warned that the country needed to urgently address the sustainability of its debt and pursue structural reforms that had not yet been made.
The former CBN boss said every $10 billion spent on roads was $10 billion taken away from electricity and agriculture, stressing the need for deliberate choices.
Sanusi acknowledged that Tinubu’s economic reforms had produced measurable progress, citing improvements in GDP growth, inflation, and foreign reserves.
He said GDP growth has risen from an average of 0.9 per cent under the previous administration to 4.5 per cent, describing the change as progress that deserved recognition.
“I think moving from an average growth rate of 0.9 per cent to 4.5 per cent is progress. Moving from inflation of over 30 per cent to 14.5 per cent is progress.”
“Moving from the point where in 2023 the central bank’s reserves were maybe negative to where we are now having reserves of $55 billion is progress.”
He, however, stressed that issues such as poverty, hunger, maternal mortality, malnutrition, education and healthcare remained serious concerns that the reforms has not yet addressed.
Sanusi said the government should have designed social safety net policies to soften the impact of reforms on vulnerable Nigerians from the beginning.
The former CBN boss also advised the government to tolerate constructive criticism,warning the Federal Government against treating every comment about it’s workings as an attack on President Bola Tinubu.
“It’s not every time people talk about poverty or talk about difficulty that they’re just enemies of the government or making an attack on the president. That is not how to respond to economic distress,” he said.
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