Economy
Naira Hits New Low of N461.67/$1 at Official Market
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Naira was under pressure at the Investors and Exporters (I&E) segment of the foreign exchange market on Thursday, December 29, hitting a new low against the United States Dollar at the close of business.
Data showed that the Nigerian Naira depreciated against the Dollar at the official market yesterday by 0.07 per cent or 34 Kobo to quote at N461.67/$1 compared with the previous day’s value of N461.33/$1.
This happened amid a drop in forex turnover for the trading session. The value of FX trades during the session was $142.19 million, 27.5 per cent or $53.87 million lower than the $196.06 million reported a day earlier.
However, in the peer-to-peer (P2P) window of the market, the value of the Nigerian currency appreciated against the American currency by N13 to close at N765/$1, in contrast to the previous day’s N778/$1.
In the black market, the local currency maintained stability against the United States currency on Thursday, closing flat at N742/$1.
In the interbank window, the Naira gained N1.60 against the Pound Sterling to sell at N539.64/£1 compared with Wednesday’s rate of N541.24/£1, but against the Euro, it lost 13 Kobo to settle at N477.27/€1 versus the midweek session’s N477.16/€1.
In a related development, the cryptocurrency market continued to hold bearish sentiments as Solana (SOL) continued its worsening outcome as it fell by 13.4 per cent yesterday to sell at $8.54.
The token’s loss comes as more crypto projects bail on the Solana ecosystem. Earlier this week, two of the Solana blockchain’s top NFT collections, DeGods, and Y00ts, were planning to migrate to other systems.
Ripple (XRP) recorded a 5.3 per cent slump to trade at $0.3403, Cardano (ADA) fell by 3.2 per cent to close at $0.2433, Litecoin (LTC) slipped by 1.5 per cent to trade at $66.31, Dogecoin (DOGE) went down by 1.2 per cent to quote at $0.07037, and Bitcoin (BTC) slumped by 0.1 per cent to sell at $16,593.99.
But Binance Coin (BNB) recorded a 0.7 per cent appreciation to trade at $245.44, while Ethereum (ETH) grew by 0.1 per cent to sell at $1,196.13, with Binance USD (BUSD) and the US Dollar Tether (USDT) closing flat at $1.00, each.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The pre-registration training and examination for capital market operators (CMOs) for the second quarter of 2026 has been postponed.
Business Post gathered that the new date for the exercise is now Monday, June 15, 2026.
This information was disclosed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) through a circular on Monday, June 8, 2026.
The Nigerian capital market regulator stated that this postponement has also resulted in the extension of the deadline for registration to Friday, June 12, 2026.
In the notice today, the SEC expressed its regret for the inconvenience this action may cause operators, who had prepared for the initial date of the training and examination.
“Further to the recent circular on Q2 2026 Pre-registration Training and Examination, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) hereby informs all eligible applicants for the Q2 2026 Pre-registration Training and Examination that the commencement date has been postponed to Monday, June 15, 2026.
“Registration on the designated portal has also been extended to Friday, June 12, 2026. All other conditions contained in the circular remain unchanged.
“The commission regrets any inconvenience this postponement may cause and appreciates the understanding of all applicants,” the disclosure noted.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
One of the leading healthcare firms in Nigeria, Fidson Healthcare Plc, has listed additional shares on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited.
The new stocks absorbed into the stock market were 600 million units, raising the total issued and fully paid-up shares of Fidson to 3,000,000,000 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each from 2,400,000,000 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each.
The fresh equities came from the company’s rights issue of 600,000,000 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each at N35.00 per share.
They were issued to existing investors on the basis of one new ordinary share for every existing four ordinary shares held as of the close of business on Wednesday, November 12, 2025.
Confirming the development, the regulator in a notice said, “Trading licence holders are hereby notified that an additional 600,000,000 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each of Fidson Healthcare Plc were on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, listed on the daily official list of Nigerian Exchange Limited.
“The additional shares arose from the company’s rights issue of 600,000,000 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each at N35.00 per share on the basis of one new ordinary share for every existing four ordinary shares held as at the close of business on Wednesday, November 12, 2025.
“With the listing of the additional 600,000,000 ordinary shares, the total issued and fully paid-up shares of Fidson Healthcare Plc have now increased from 2,400,000,000 to 3,000,000,000 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each.”
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
This news will surely excite local contractors with verified claims of N100 million or less, as the federal government has approved their payments.
This approval for the disbursement was given by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Taiwo Oyedele.
This followed a verification and reconciliation exercise designed to ensure only validated claims qualify for payment.
The beneficiaries cover contractors across multiple ministries, departments and agencies. The release of the funds is expected to enable contractors to return to project sites, pay workers, settle suppliers and meet outstanding financial commitments.
In an announcement on Monday, the Federal Ministry of Finance also said this latest batch of payments would ease liquidity pressure on small businesses and accelerate economic activity nationwide.
It was noted that the payments for verified claims of N100 million below were strategically done to spread economic impact broadly rather than concentrate disbursements among a handful of large firms.
The payments form part of a broader push to clear inherited contractor obligations, with over N700 billion verified in recent months.
“For many beneficiaries, the release of funds represents more than a financial transaction. It provides the certainty needed to sustain operations, preserve jobs, complete ongoing projects, and contribute to economic recovery and growth,” the ministry said in a statement.
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