T-Pain home and away
Trump’s tariff has finally touched Nigeria
Happy Friday, Big Brains. It’s TGIF again! I hope you have fun this weekend.
- Margaret
Word count: ~ 1, 000
Reading time ~ 5 mins
Let’s get into today’s edition:
Trump’s tariff has finally touched Nigeria
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan knows how to play the game
The Big Deal
Trump’s tariff has finally touched Nigeria
One thing about breakfast? It will touch everybody. Now, it has reached the giant of Africa and it hit us hard.
Donald Trump has been shouting about tariffs since he got back into office, but his latest move will shake up trade for at least 180 countries, including yours truly.
His new “Reciprocal Tariff” policy is a payback system: if a country slaps high tariffs on U.S. goods, the U.S. will return the the favour.
Under this policy, countries without formal trade agreements with the U.S. now face a 10% tariff on exports to the American market. But for Nigeria,, where the government currently charges a 27% tariff on U.S. goods, the U.S. is reciprocating with a 14% tariff on Nigerian exports. Other African nations like South Africa and Kenya have also been caught in this mess.
Why is this a big deal?
For Nigeria, this is just as bad as it sounds. The U.S. is one of Nigeria’s biggest trading partners, buying everything from crude oil to agricultural products and textiles. Nigeria makes as much as $4.86 billion from trade with the U.S. But with these new tariffs, our exports will become more expensive for American buyers, making them less competitive. This could mean fewer exports, reduced revenue, and potential job losses for businesses that rely on U.S. trade.
This also raises questions about the future of Nigeria’s special trade benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which currently allows Nigeria to export certain products duty-free. If Trump’s policy overrides these benefits, Nigerian businesses will struggle even more in the international market .
If you read yesterday’s edition, you already know that the federal government has set an extremely ambitious goal of increasing national revenue by 123.19%. Nigeria is drowning in debt and desperately needs more money. If Trump’s tariffs mess with our U.S. trade revenue, that’s extra money we cannot afford to lose in a year like 2025.
When President Tinubu finishes eating croissants in Paris, we hope he returns with a solid trade strategy. Otherwise, we might need to start crowdfunding for the economy.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan knows how to play the game
When Nigerians asked Charity Omole, the woman championing Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan's recall, why she took up the role, she simply said, “The game is the game.” Well, we finally have a winner, and it’s not Charity Omole.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has finally rejected the petition to recall the Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, saying it doesn’t meet constitutional requirements.
According to INEC, a recall must follow the guidelines set in Section 69(a) of Nigeria’s Constitution Apparently, Charity and her squad must have skipped a few pages.
To successfully recall a senator, more than half of the registered voters in that constituency must sign the petition. For Kogi Central, that meant securing at least 237,278 signatures out of 474,554 registered voters. However, the recall campaigners only managed to gather 208,132 signatures, falling short of the required number.
With INEC’s ruling, we expect this drama to finally die down. At least now, we know who the real winner of the game is.
Your next big read
→“This Is a Wrong Number”: A Young Nigerian’s Frustrating Attempt At Calling A Lawmaker: One sweaty Friday afternoon in Lagos, 22-year-old Adunni punched in a number she had never dialled and stewed in rage, waiting for a voice to come alive on the other end. She had a lot to let off her chest, but her call went unanswered three times.
→I Look Like Ayra Starr—But People Keep Calling Me a Catfish:It was Favour Iyiowo’s mother who first told her she looked like Ayra Starr. She had been watching an advert the Afrobeats musician did for a hair brand when she saw someone she could’ve sworn was her daughter.
The Big Picks
I Will Soon Present Sexual Assault Evidence Against Akpabio: Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central Senatorial District says she will soon present evidence of sexual harassment against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
FG Orders ‘Immediate Reopening’ Of Independence Bridge In Lagos After Hours-Long Gridlock: The Federal Ministry of Works has ordered the immediate reopening of the Independence Bridge in Lagos after millions of Lagosians were locked in hours-long gridlock on Wednesday.
Take a quiz before you leave
Pick a 90s Themed Fashion Item and We’ll Guess How Rich You Are: Share your results and tag us on social media.
T PAIN. YOU ARE A PAIN INDEED 😭