Business
PH Residents Lambast Senate Over Petrol Tax
Residents of Port Harcourt City and its environs have condemned the N5.00 tax per litre of imported fuel being advocated by the Senate.
Some of the residents who spoke to our correspondent said such idea was an expression of insensitivity to the current economic reality in Nigeria .
A petroleum Products dealer, Chief Johnson Udo, said “the N5.00 tax in its totality is wrong if you consider what the common man is facing in the country at the moment.
Adding N5.00 tax per litre of imported product would lead to increase in the product since the importers who are in business to make profit will equally increase the cost of a litre to cover up the tax”.
Another respondent, Mr Clement Emem, wondered why the senate should depend on petroleum to solve all Nigeria’s problems even at the present period when emphasis has been on diversification.
Emem, who noted that he was not against the idea of sourcing fund to fix the poor roads across the nation, rather suggested that one per cent tax should be levied on the income of every rich Nigerian, especially politicians.
“Let those senators and other rich Nigerians pay extra one per cent of their income to raise the fund to fix the roads because they are responsible for the economic challenges affecting the nation”, he said.
For Mr Bon Obilo, a public analysist, the senators’ idea does not amount to anything giving that the economy of the nation is too bad as a result of recession and any idea that will in any way add extra burden on the purse of the common man must be rejected..
“Adding N5.00 tax per litre of imported petroleum product will mean adding more to the cost of a litre sold and this will be unfair.
“The timing is wrong, the idea in itself does not portray the senators as those living in the present time with other Nigerians.
A teacher, Mrs Jane Okolo, expressed disappointment with the senators’ idea and called on Nigerians to stand against any such more that will increase economic hardship on Nigerians .
“The senators should rather find out how all the budgetary allocations for repair of roads was spent and deal with those who stole those fund meant for road maintenance instead of increasing pains on Nigerians.
“They are there in the upper chambers to find out how our money has been stolen to big politicians and their friends in business.
The other day the news was that several hundreds of billions of naira were fraudulently stolen in Niger Delta Ministry and the money was meant for roads and other development projects.
Senators should think of how to recover those monies from those holding them. Good number of them in the senate are therefore two or three terms, they should know their jobs better and leave Nigerians alone,” she said.
A transporter, Usoro Mike, said the senate should look beyond oil and gas in sourcing for fund to fix the roads but to rather investigate where the budget for road rehabilitations has been going.
“Each year, huge budget is allocated for road maintenance but yet in every part of the country, especially in south south and south east geo-political zones, the situation of roads is worse.
Who and who have been stealing this fund. There was a period a former contractor and big politician was said to have stolen hundreds of billions of naira meant for road projects.
Let the senators find out what happened to those allocations and retrieve them from those holding them and leave oil alone. It is their job to help the executive arm recover our stolen wealth and use it to fix the roads”, Mike said.
Chris Oluoh
Kolomoni Microfinance Bank has awarded grants to five female entrepreneurs to boost their businesses as part of its commitment to promoting women in business.
The initiative, organized to mark International Women’s Day, was themed “Accelerate Her Growth.”
According to the bank, the decision to support women was inspired by World Bank data, which shows that 41 percent of Nigeria’s micro-businesses are owned by women.
Delivering the keynote address, business strategist, Ebun Akinwale, emphasized that entrepreneurship requires resilience, creativity, and passion.
She illustrated this by recounting her own business challenges and highlighting the critical role passion plays in overcoming obstacles.
The event underscored Kolomoni’s mission to empower women and support small businesses in Nigeria.
Other speakers at the occasion were Odunayo Oyebolu, a seasoned entrepreneur; Victori Ajiboye, a marketing strategist with global experience; and Simi Ojumu, a finance expert.
The beneficiaries said the financial support was a validation of their hard work and a boost of confidence towards scaling through in their businesses.
The winners were selected after sharing their entrepreneurial journeys and presenting business proposals for financial assistance from the bank.
The 8th edition of the Nigeria Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Summit and Awards (Nigeria SMEAwards) is set to take place in Lagos for the first time in its history, marking a significant milestone for this prestigious event.
Endorsed by the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), the annual awards celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit driving Nigeria’s economy.
The visionary convener of NigeriaSMEAwards 2025, Adedayo Olalekan, said, “Governors from Zamfara, Sokoto, Ebonyi, Borno, Enugu, Ekiti, Benue, and Kaduna States have all implemented transformative initiatives that have greatly benefitted local enterprises.
“Their contributions will serve as a beacon of inspiration for the nation.”
Speaking at a recent press conference in Lagos, Olalekan emphasised that the event would introduce a fresh and unique approach, moving away from tradition.
“Despite economic challenges, Nigerians continue to show an unwavering commitment to progress”, he said.
He noted that the awards will not only honor outstanding individuals, but also recognise the critical role state governments play in nurturing vibrant SMEs.
“State governments have been instrumental in fostering a supportive environment for SMEs, which in turn benefits both the awardees and the larger economy.
“With major banks like Providus, Access, and First Banks competing for top honors, the 8th NigeriaSMEAwards promises to be a night of celebration, recognising exceptional contributions to Nigeria’s SME landscape”, Olalekan added.
Amid global challenges such as inflation, geopolitical instability, and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Nigerians continue to show remarkable resilience.
Their efforts, according to reports, have contributed to job creation, economic growth, and overall prosperity, with SMEs at the forefront of this success.
This year’s awards will recognise governors who have made significant strides in advancing the SME sector within their states.
Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) consultants in Rivers State have called on entrepreneurs to be focused and avoid distractions.
The experts, who were speaking on the recent developments about the change of leadership in the state, said entrepreneurs need to put more efforts in their businesses in order to break even in the present situation in Rivers State.
Speaking in a chat with The Tide, an international SMEs consultant, Amb. Larry Goodwill Ajiola, said the political moves is capable of distracting SMEs who are not grounded in their businesses, adding that “the serious minded business men and women would utilise the opportunity to increase their revenues”.
Amb Ajiola, who is the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Rumuomasi Co-operative and Credit Society Limited, Port Harcourt, said, “Rugged entrepreneurs look out for business opportunities in situations around them, whether good or bad”.
He reiterated that the loan facility given to 3,000 SMEs in the state revived and expanded businesses, adding that the empowered businesses should continue to push, no matter the situation.
“credit is a powerful tool for achieving financial security.
“We can only keep imagin the economic value that the over 3,000 MSMEs would add to the positive economic dynamics of Rivers State and the Local Government Areas in terms of Gross Domestic Prooduct (GDP), increased tax returns, employment creation, income distribution, and production of goods and services”, he said.
Another SMEs Expert, a business consultant and SMEs trainer, Mr. Chisom Sam-Orji, in his advice, noted that every SME in the state should realize that change is the only constant thing.
He said SMEs should also know that “tough times never last, but tough people do”, adding the need for every entrepreneur to stay focused on creating value and remain resilient.
“This is not the time to be distracted by every noise around your space, but to maximize every time you have to focus on the essentials and keep creating value.
“For some people, it may just be the time to diversify, create new products and services to serve a new or existing market. But this must be based on the facts available to you via research and market surveys”, he said.
The SMEs expert also said the present time in the life of an entrepreneur is a time to cut off unnecessary excesses that surround one’s business.
“Those extra costs that may hamper your growth in this season and beyond, and focus on just essentials.
“SMEs should find certain leverages that are available to aid their business growth. This could be in form of grants, knowledge, and other leverage tools.
“Collaboration is one big way to grow in this season. Finding ways to collaborate with like minds instead of competing could enable a product or service gain advantage in the market and beyond.
“They should also find ways to sustain and grow their customer relationship as this is key to sustaining business flow. They must seek new and efficient ways to serve their customers and gain their loyalty”, he stated.
He further called on every entrepreneur to keep building capacity and never take their eyes off their visions, adding the need to muster every courage it takes to keep building and moving forward.
Lilian Peters