Economy
Banks to Begin Dollar Loans as Naira Soars
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
There are strong indications that Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) in the country will soon begin to raise Dollar-denominated loans, particularly Eurobonds, as the Naira keeps on increasing in value.
Punch gathered that banks were currently positively arranged to raise Dollar loans taking after the making of the Investor and Exporters FX window by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the subsequent appreciation of the Naira.
Another reason the banks are thinking about Eurobonds, according to top banking sources, is on the grounds that some of them are taking a look at re-negotiating their dollar loans, which will soon begin falling due.
The top bank official stated, “Many banks must choose between limited options than to raise dollar loans or Eurobonds incompletely to re-negotiate their Eurobonds falling due, or to exploit the gratefulness in the naira value to raise dollar funding.”
While Guaranty Trust Bank Plc’s $400m Eurobond is expected in November, Fidelity Bank Plc’s $300m is expected next May. Access Bank Plc has $350m of bonds due in July.
GTBank has said it has no arrangements to issue new Eurobonds, yet Fidelity Bank and Access Bank presently can’t seem to choose.
Monetary and financial expert concur that the banks will begin to raise dollar-denominated loans.
All things being equal, more banks will issue Eurobonds in light of the fact that they require dollars to offer advances in the United States cash or to repay debt, an investigator at Vetiva Capital Management Limited, Mr Lekan Olabode, told Bloomberg, including that more banks would issue Eurobonds, in light of the fact that they required dollars to offer loans and to repay debt.
As of now, Ecobank Transnational Incorporated has said it is wanting to raise $400m five-year convertible security this month to renegotiate debt and provide short-term bridge funding to non-performing loans at its Nigerian unit.
Experts trust more banks will raise dollar credits this year and next year.
Officially, United Bank for Africa Plc has brought $500 million up in its first Eurobond deal.
It issued the bond on June 1. This took a comparable issue seven days prior by Zenith Bank Plc in an arrangement that was four times oversubscribed.
It is hard on putting a figure to what the normal dollar loans will be yet analyst trust that as the I and E FX window keeps on enhancing, more banks will exploit to raise additional dollar loans.
The CBN on Thursday said its currency window for investors had dealt with $2.2bn of exchange a month and a half.
It likewise said it represented just about 30 percent of the $2.2bn exchanges, adding this was intended to keep the window working.
The CBN had around 6 weeks back made the Investors and Exporters FX Window to attract foreign investors and at the same time maintain a strong currency to ward off inflation.
Experts have praised the activity as a stage in the correct direction.
In any case, some few experts, including a former Governor of the CBN, Prof Charles Soludo, said despite the fact that the activity, among others taken by the controller lately, had propelled the forex showcase by 10 stages, there was a need to find a way to get the economy to where it should be.
Source: Punch
By Adedapo Adesanya
President Bola Tinubu has called on the World Bank to support Nigeria’s ongoing economic reforms, with a focus on agriculture, youth employment, and private sector growth.
The president sought this assistance when he received a delegation from the World Bank led by Anna Bjerde, Managing Director of Operations, at the State House, Abuja on Tuesday, noting that the bank’s support will boost his administration’s strategy to strengthen the economy and expand opportunities for Nigerians.
“Since we went into this tunnel of reform, we have our hands on the power and we’re never going to look back. Initially, it was painful and difficult, but those who win are not the ones who give up in difficult times,” Mr Tinubu said.
The president highlighted the importance of mechanization and modernization of agriculture to increase productivity and create opportunities for Nigeria’s large young population.
“We have mechanization centers to help farmers with improved seedings and fertilizers to enhance their programs. The goal is to move farmers from small-scale holders to large cooperatives that can create opportunities for Nigerians,” he explained.
Mr Tinubu also pointed to the petrochemical sector and other domestic industries as areas where the government is working to improve outputs and strengthen local markets. He stressed that reforms are continuous and must be grounded in transparency, accountability, and stability.
“The first reaction to reforms was high inflation, but it has come down dramatically, and the Naira is now stable. We want to help investors operate with ease, reduce bureaucracy, and develop the skills of our people,” he said.
On her part, Ms Anna Bjerde commended the administration for its consistent and steady approach to reforms over the past two years. She highlighted that Nigeria has become a global example of reform implementation, giving confidence to investors and policymakers worldwide.
“The results achieved in the last two years are commendable. Your steady communication of the importance of reforms has given confidence and clarity, and there is no turning back,” Ms Bjerde said.
She emphasized the importance of job creation, particularly for Nigeria’s youth, noting that Africa’s young population is growing rapidly and that SMEs are central to employment generation.
“Agriculture is a huge part of the economy and a major employer. Innovations in mechanization, cooperatives, value-chain development, and infrastructure can be scaled to create more opportunities,” Ms Bjerde said.
She also highlighted the World Bank’s financial support for Nigeria, including public sector financing of $17 billion, private sector support of $5 billion through the International Finance Corporation (IFC), and investment guarantees exceeding $500 million. These instruments are aligned with Nigeria’s reforms, including trade, digital initiatives, and inflation management, to stimulate private sector growth and human development.
“We want to work with Nigeria to accelerate growth, improve access to finance for SMEs, and support early childhood development as part of a comprehensive human development strategy,” she added.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange appreciated by 0.96 per cent on Tuesday, February 3, boosting the Unlisted Security Index (NSI) by 34.54 points to 3,641.30 points from the 3,606.76 points it ended a day earlier.
Equally, the market capitalisation of the trading platform was up during the session by N20.67 billion to end N2.178 trillion from the N2.158 trillion it ended on Monday.
The expansion witnessed by the OTC securities exchange yesterday was buoyed by the gains printed by four stocks on the bourse, with Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc up by N4.00 to sell at N44.00 per unit versus the previous day’s N40.00 per unit.
Further, Air Liquide Plc increased by N1.86 to end at N20.49 per share compared with Monday’s closing price of N18.63 per share, Afriland Properties Plc appreciated by 35 Kobo to N14.00 per unit from N3.65 per unit, and UBN Property Plc added 1 Kobo to settle at N2.20 per share, in contrast to the preceding day’s N2.21 per share.
On the flip side, there were two price losers led by FrieslandCampinaWamco Nigeria Plc, which shed 4 Kobo to close at N63.50 per unit compared with the previous day’s N63.54 per unit, and Geo-Fluids Plc lost 3 Kobo to finish at N6.81 per share compared with the N6.84 per share it traded in the preceding session.
Data showed that the volume of securities bought and sold by investors grew by 82.5 per cent to 7.0 million units from 3.9 million units, and the value of securities jumped by 5.2 per cent to N37.9 million from N36.0 million, while the number of deals decreased by 15 per cent to 34 deals from 40 deals.
CSCS Plc remained the most active stock by value (year-to-date) with 15.9 million units sold for N649.0 million, the second spot was taken by FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc with 1.7 million units worth N110.9 million, while the third position was occupied by Geo-Fluids Plc with the sale of 11.1 million units for N73.1 million.
The most traded stock by volume (year-to-date) was still CSCS Plc with 15.9 million units exchanged for N649.0 million, followed by Mass Telecom Innovation Plc with 12.7 million units sold for N5.1 million, and Geo-Fluids Plc with 11.1 million units traded for N73.1 million.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Naira firmed up against the US Dollar in the various segments of the foreign exchange (FX) market on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, on the back of improved forex liquidity.
In the black market window, the local currency improved its value against the Dollar during the session by N10 to sell for N1,455/$1 compared with the previous day’s rate of N1,465/$1, and at the GTBank FX counter, it gained N33 gain to close at N1,386/$1 versus Monday’s closing value of N1,419/$1.
In the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEM), the domestic currency appreciated against the greenback by N17.45 to trade at N1,372.91/$1, in contrast to the preceding session’s N1,390.36/$1.
In the same vein, the Nigerian currency chalked up N21.92 against the Pound Sterling yesterday in the official market to quote at N1,877.59/£1 compared with the N1,899.51/£1 it was exchanged a day earlier, and gained N24.76 against the Euro to settle at N1,619.76/€1 versus N1,644.52/€1.
The appreciation seen indicates that available supply is mopping up demand even without any intervention from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in recent weeks, showing that market-driven currency framework is driving a stronger Naira.
Enhanced price discovery following plans by the apex bank to undertake a comprehensive revamp of the FX manual is acting as a pillar of support.
At a recent forum, the Deputy Governor, Economic Policy, CBN, Mr Muhammad Sani Abdullahi, disclosed that the bank was revamping the manual, a key regulatory document used by banks for export proceeds and other foreign trade-related transactions.
According to him, the document was already undergoing significant reforms aimed at aligning market operations with current economic realities.
Mr Abdullahi explained that the revised manual would introduce clearer rules, stronger oversight and improved processes to support transparency and efficiency in the FX market.
He said the reforms are expected to close loopholes, reduce uncertainty for market participants, and support a more orderly functioning of the foreign exchange system.
Also, Nigeria’s external reserves, which provide the CBN with the capacity to support the Naira, have continued to rise, reaching $46.59 billion as of 2 February 2026, according to CBN data.
In the cryptocurrency market, most prices still remained down as sentiment among short-term traders remaining cautious after thin liquidity and heavy liquidations pushed prices sharply lower.
Global crypto investment products saw $1.7 billion in outflows last week, marking the second consecutive week of heavy redemptions, with Solana (SOL) down by 5.2 per cent to $98.41.
Further, Bitcoin (BTC) depreciated by 2.4 per cent to $76,638.44, Binance Coin (BNB) slumped by 2.0 per cent to $761.78, Ethereum (ETH) dropped by 1.9 per cent to $2,277.16, Ripple (XRP) declined by 0.6 per cent to $1.60, and the US Dollar Tether (USDT) lost 0.1 per cent to sell at $0.9985.
However, Dogecoin (DOGE) improved by 1.7 per cent to $0.1084, Cardano (ADA) expanded by 1.2 per cent to $0.2868, and Litecoin (LTC) increased by 0.9 per cent to $60.63, while the US Dollar Coin (USDC) remained unchanged at $1.00 apiece.
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