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Naira Gains N1 at Official Window as TerraUSD Continues Gradual Recovery

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TerraUSD

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Naira strengthened against the US Dollar by N1 or 0.24 per cent at the Investors and Exporters (I&E) window of the foreign exchange (FX) market on Wednesday, May 25.

According to data from the FMDQ Securities Exchange, the exchange rate of the Naira to the Dollar was N418.00/$1 as against the N418.00/$1 it was sold in the previous session.

This happened despite a spike in the demand for forex at the official exchange window by 24.4 per cent or $21.27 million to $108.33 million from the previous day’s turnover of $87.06 million.

Also, the value of the local currency to the greenback appreciated yesterday at the peer-to-peer (P2P) market segment by N1 or 0.16 per cent to N616/$1 from the preceding session’s N617/$1.

In the same vein, the Nigerian currency put up a better performance against the Pound Sterling at the interbank segment, where the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) sells the greenback to commercial banks. The domestic currency gained 75 kobo during the session to quote at N519.02/£1 compared with Tuesday’s closing rate of N519.77/£1 and against the Euro, it appreciated by N2.70 gain to N442.95/€1 from N445.65/€1.

Meanwhile, the crypto market was in bearish territory yesterday on the back of the continued worry about the global market, with Solana (SOL) going down by 3.9 per cent to trade at $47.84, followed by Litecoin (LTC) which lost 3.6 per cent to close at $68.17.

Binance Coin (BNB) recorded a 3.4 per cent depreciation to trade at $332.93, Ethereum (ETH) declined by 3.2 per cent to quote at $1,942.54, Cardano (ADA) depreciated by 2.5 per cent to finish at $0.5134, Dogecoin (DOGE) went down 1.4 per cent to sell at $0.0827, Bitcoin (BTC) lost 1.1 per cent to trade at $29,775.96, Ripple (XRP) depreciated by 0.9 per cent to sell at $0.4075, while the US Dollar Tether (USDT) retreated by 0.01 per cent to $0.999.

However, TerraUSD (UST), which has seen turmoil in the last three weeks, continued its recovery ahead of a planned relaunch soon and yesterday, it chalked up 47.6 per cent to settle at $0.1027.

Adedapo Adesanya is a journalist, polymath, and connoisseur of everything art. When he is not writing, he has his nose buried in one of the many books or articles he has bookmarked or simply listening to good music with a bottle of beer or wine. He supports the greatest club in the world, Manchester United F.C.

Economy

Naira Now Stable, More Competitive—Cardoso

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Domiciliary Accounts to Naira

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Yemi Cardoso, says the Naira is stable and more competitive in the foreign exchange market, indicating stability for the Nigerian economy.

He made the disclosure at the end of the 300th Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting in Abuja on Tuesday, May 20, where key interest rates were held steady for yet another period.

“Given the relative stability in the foreign exchange market, members urge the bank to sustain the implementation of the ongoing reforms to further boost the economy,” Mr Cardoso said.

Business Post reports that the Naira had closed at N1,598 per Dollar at the official FX market on Monday.

He said the MPC also lauded new policies introduced by the federal government to boost local production, reduce foreign exchange demand pressure, and lessen the pass-through of higher rates to domestic prices.

The CBN Governor also said the MPC believes that the Nigerian economy is now stable, urging private individuals interested in investing in the economy to take the initiative.

The apex bank retained the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) at 27.50 per cent, same as the asymmetric corridor around the MPR at +500/-100 basis points, and helf the Cash Reserve Ratio of Deposit Money Banks at 50.00 per cent and Merchant Banks at 16 per cent, and retain the Liquidity Ratio at 30.00 per cent.

While relating the decision of the MPC on Tuesday, Mr Cardoso referenced the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) inflation rate for April, pegged at 23.71 per cent.

According to NBS, the annual inflation rate fell to 23.71 per cent in April 2025, from 24.23 per cent in the prior month. Food inflation, the largest component of the inflation basket, remained elevated but moderated to 21.26 per cent from 21.79 per cent in March, mainly on account of prices of some items such as maize, wheat, yam and wheat.

“The inflation numbers speak for themselves. The overall trajectory is in the right direction. There is no one solution to solve the economic challenges. What will solve the problem is a multiplicity of overall efforts.

“The journey will begin to yield greater results as time goes on, given the relative stability in the foreign exchange market,” he said.

The CBN Governor added that the Naira is more competitive and “this should encourage more exports if we continue in the trajectory. I am very optimistic.”

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Economy

CBN Retains Interest Rate Benchmark at 27.50%

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interest rate hike

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has left the interest rates unchanged as it awaits more data to determine the inflation outlook.

According to an announcement by the Governor of the apex bank, Mr Yemi Cardoso, at the end of the 300th MPC meeting on Tuesday, the committee retained the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) at 27.50 per cent, the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) at 50 per cent, and the Liquidity Ratio (LR) at 30 per cent.

This was widely expected as inflation cooled to 23.71 per cent in April 2025, according to the latest report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

Although at 23.71 per cent, the inflation levels remain elevated and strains on the Naira have only recently abated after an initial selloff in April caused by a slump in the price of oil, the country’s main export.

Business Post reports that the World Bank had recently projected that Nigeria’s inflation may moderate to 22.1 per cent this year, higher than the 15 per cent targeted by the Bola Tinubu-led administration.

There are also indications that if inflation slows down in the next two months, Nigeria might start cutting rates in the next half of 2025.

Nigeria may see “some room for the CBN to cut rates” in the second half of the year as disinflation is expected, Mr Gbolahan Taiwo, an analyst at JPMorgan Chase & Co. said in a client note.

The MPC meeting is the first rate-setting meeting since the US imposed a 10 per cent universal tariff and slapped China, Africa’s largest trading partner — with a 145 per cent levy before reducing it to 30 per cent for 90 days.

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Economy

$1trn Economy: Edun Advocates Improved Capital Market Governance, New Products

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Wale Edun Monetary Policies

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Minister of Finance, Mr Wale Edun, has emphasised the crucial role of the capital market in achieving the nation’s ambitious goal of becoming a one-trillion Dollar economy.

Speaking at the Capital Market Committee (CMC) meeting, the Minister highlighted the market’s transformation since 2015, noting that with improvements in governance structures, new products and platforms, a stronger regulatory environment, and growing investor participation, the capital market is capable of delivering Nigeria’s proposed $1 trillion economy.

Mr Edun, who was represented by the Minister of State for Finance, Mrs Doris Uzoka-Anite, said the implementation of the Capital Market Master Plan (2015-2025) had been instrumental in increasing the market’s contribution to the national economy, developing a sophisticated market structure, and improving competitiveness.

He said the revised plan prioritises digitalisation, innovation, sustainability, inclusion, and capital formation, aligning with the broader economic reform agenda, adding that the passage of the new act modernises the legal and regulatory framework, streamlines enforcement mechanisms, and provides clarity on emerging areas such as digital assets and crowdfunding.

On the challenges and opportunities inherent in the Act, the minister said it would help deepen market participation, and to ensure regulatory coordination remains tight.

The Minister noted that the government is committed to creating an enabling environment for private sector innovation to flourish within a fair and transparent environment, saying the market is expected to contribute to the economy, serving not only for capital raising but also as a vehicle for wealth creation, economic inclusion, and long-term national resilience.

The finance minister explained that with SEC undertaking regulatory reforms, including joining the GBMC Network of IOSCO in promoting and implementing ISSB Standards, among others, the domestic economy recorded the fastest GDP growth in about a decade in 2024, driven by a strong fourth quarter and improved fiscal position.

On his part, the Director-General of SEC, Mr Emomotimi Agama, emphasised the Commission’s commitment to regulatory reforms and capital market growth.

According to him, the enactment of the Investment and Securities Act (ISA) 2025 marks the beginning of a transformative new era for the capital market.

Mr Agama highlighted the commission’s efforts to deepen engagement with stakeholders, ensure widespread dissemination and understanding of the new law, and drive innovation and compliance.

He also emphasised the importance of restoring investor confidence, bringing timely relief to aggrieved investors, and creating a platform for broad-based participation of Nigerians in wealth creation, noting that the Commission has constituted an implementation team to thoroughly engage with every provision of the ISA 2025 and set up a dedicated sensitisation team to deepen public understanding of the new law.

He said a podcast series had also been launched to simplify the ISA 2025 and make it accessible to all Nigerians.

Mr Agama highlighted the Nigerian capital market’s impressive performance in 2024, with the NGX All-Share Index increasing by 37.65 per cent and market capitalisation growing by 53.39 per cent, noting the commission’s efforts to enhance regulatory efficiency, promote market integrity, and protect investors.

He emphasised the importance of financial inclusion and investor education, citing the commission’s initiatives to empower women, youth, and grassroots communities.

He also highlighted the commission’s commitment to technology-driven solutions, including the launch of an e-survey to assess emerging technology adoption in the Nigerian capital market.

Mr Agama emphasised the commission’s commitment to fostering growth, transparency, and sustainability in the capital market, and looked forward to fruitful deliberations at the meeting.

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