Economy
Naira Improves to N1,347/$1 at NAFEX on FX Liquidity, Inflation Data Boost
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Naira improved its value against the US Dollar by N7.64 or 0.56 per cent in the the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEX) on Monday, February 16 to N1,347.78/$1, in contrast to the preceding session’s N1,355.42/$1.
In the same vein, the local currency appreciated against the Pound Sterling in the official market yesterday by N5.41 to sell for N1,839.18/£1 versus last Friday’s closing price of N1,844.59/£1, and gained N9.78 on the Euro to close at N1,598.06/€1 compared with the N1,607.93/€1 it was traded in the previous trading day.
However, at the GTBank forex counter, the Naira lost N2 against the greenback to quote at N1,367/$1 versus the preceding session’s closing value of N1,365/$1, and at the parallel market, it remained unchanged at N1,420/$1.
The currency’s gain was supported by improved FX supply levels after last week’s elevated demand pressures. Licensed Bureaux De Change (BDC) operators fully entered into the official segment taking away some of the delayed demand.
Their presence is expected to boost liquidity and flow while other supply sources including exporters , non-bank corporate, and other market participants pause stoked pressures on the exchange rate.
Latest update revealed that Nigeria’s gross external reserves stayed stronger, adding $135.76 million day-on-day, bringing the total reserves to $47.81 billion.
Further support also came as the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said Nigeria’s headline inflation rate decelerated to 15.10 per cent in January, down from the 15.15 per cent recorded in December 2025. The January 2026 print showed a decrease of 0.05 per cent compared to the December 2025 Headline inflation rate while on an annualised basis, it was 12.51 per cent lower than the rate recorded in January 2025 (27.61 per cent).
This development strengthens the case for a rate cut when the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meets next week.
In the cryptocurrency market, the tokens tracked ended in green as traders remained cautious despite US interest rate data raising odds of rate cuts by the Federal Reserve in June after a report that showed inflation rose less than expected in January.
The backdrop of the weak US consumer price index data released last week that kept hopes of the US central bank rate cuts alive.
The CPI growth slowed to 2.4 per cent year-on-year in January from 2.7 per cent in December, the official data showed, reinforcing expectations for at least two 25 basis point rate cuts.
Cardano (ADA) added 2.8 per cent to trade at $0.2861, Litecoin (LTC) improved by 2.2 per cent to $55.09, Solana (SOL) appreciated by 1.9 per cent to $86.42, Binance Coin (BNB) jumped 1.8 per cent to $623.25, Ripple (XRP) grew by 1.5 per cent to $1.47, and Ethereum (ETH) soared by 0.9 per cent to $1,977.54.
On the flip side, Dogecoin (DOGE) depleted by 1.9 per cent to $0.0999, and Bitcoin went down by 0.2 per cent to $68,300.03, while the US Dollar Tether (USDT) and the US Dollar Coin (USDC) closed flat at $1.00 each.
By Dipo Olowookere
Subscription for the July 2026 edition of the FGN savings bond is closing today, Friday, July 10.
The exercise started on Monday, July 6, with two tenures of two years and three years on offer to retail investors.
The retail bonds are sold by the federal government through the Debt Management Office (DMO) to raise funds for the country’s budget deficits.
The savings bond offers investors steady tax-free income. It is risk-free, backed by the Nigerian government, and listed on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited, allowing for secondary market trading and easy exit before maturity.
For the two-year FGN savings bond maturing on July 15, 2028, the debt office is offering it at a 14.716 per cent per annum interest rate, while the three-year FGN savings bond due July 15, 2029, is at 15.716 per cent per annum, with the interest on the investment being paid by the government every quarter.
Intending investors can purchase the debt instrument at a unit price of N1,000, subject to a minimum subscription of N5,000 and in multiples of N1,000 thereafter, subject to a maximum subscription of N50.0 million.
By Dipo Olowookere
The upward trend on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited continued on Thursday despite profit-taking in energy stocks by investors.
The local exchange further appreciated by 0.62 per cent yesterday, as market participants mopped up equities in the other key sectors, especially in the financial services.
The banking space rose by 1.33 per cent, the consumer goods counter expanded by 1.21 per cent, and the insurance index grew by 0.26 per cent, while the industrial goods segment closed flat, with the energy sector down by 0.19 per cent.
At the close of business, the All-Share Index (ASI) gained 1,498.75 points to finish at 243,958.73 points compared with the previous day’s 242,459.98 points, and the market capitalisation advanced by N962 billion to N156.548 trillion from N155.586 trillion.
The market breadth index remained positive, though the bears are giving the bulls a close marking. Customs Street ended the session with 28 price gainers and 26 price losers, representing strong investor sentiment.
International Breweries improved by 10.00 per cent to N12.10, First Holdco appreciated by 9.96 per cent to N69.55, Abbey Bank grew by 9.88 per cent to N8.90, Trans-Nationwide Express rose by 9.76 per cent to N3.26, and Honeywell Flour increased by 9.68 per cent to N17.00.
Conversely, Thomas Wyatt declined by 10.00 per cent to N2.70, Geregu Power shrank by 10.00 per cent to N825.70, McNichols moderated by 9.76 per cent to N5.55, UPDC slipped by 9.20 per cent to N3.95, and Neimeth contracted by 8.16 per cent to N9.00.
A total of 1.7 billion stocks valued at N112.0 billion were traded in 44,780 deals yesterday, in contrast to the 518.4 million stocks worth N22.8 billion traded in 48,495 deals on Wednesday, indicating a slip in the number of deals by 7.66 per cent, and a surge in the trading volume and value by 227.93 per cent and 391.23 per cent, respectively.
First Holdco was the busiest equity for the day, with a turnover of 1.3 billion units worth N85.6 billion. Zenith Bank exchanged 43.8 million units for N4.7 billion, Access Holdings transacted 41.0 million units valued at N1.0 billion, FCMB traded 17.7 million units worth N188.3 million, and Fidelity Bank sold 16.0 million units valued at N315.2 million.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Crude oil slid about 2 per cent on Thursday amid worries that rising inflation and other economic concerns could weigh on global oil demand despite fresh Middle East tensions.
Brent futures fell by $1.72 or 2.2 per cent to settle at $76.30 a barrel, while the US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude went down by $1.44 or 2.0 per cent to $72.08 per barrel.
Iranian armed forces launched attacks on US military infrastructure in Gulf states on Thursday following America’s strikes on its southern coastal and eastern provinces, further straining a three-week-old ceasefire agreement.
This adds to continued supply constraints as the US-Iran conflict has delayed the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, where about 20 per cent of global oil supplies passed through the strait before the war.
On Thursday, only one tanker reportedly moved along the waterway, and it was a sanctioned Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) that passed along the Iran-controlled route along with an Iranian container ship.
According to Bloomberg, around 14 commodity-carrying vessels had traversed the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday. In the past three weeks, following the ceasefire deal, the strait saw an average of 34 tanker crossings per day, peaking at 59 on June 24, data from Kpler showed.
Axios reported that the US Administration believes it has more room for escalation as millions of barrels of oil have managed to exit the Strait of Hormuz in recent weeks, easing concerns about oil price spikes.
Qatar, which has often mediated between the US and its adversaries, including Iran, condemned attacks on commercial shipping and called for a return to diplomacy. The foreign ministers of Turkey and Oman also stressed the need to avoid further military escalation in calls with their Iranian counterpart, Mr Abbas Araqchi.
Minutes of the US Federal Reserve’s June 16 to 17 meeting showed policymakers’ concerns about inflation mounted last month. When the US central bank boosts interest rates to keep inflation in check, it can reduce economic growth and cut oil demand.
In China, the world’s second-biggest economy behind the US, producer price inflation surged in June to its highest level in four years, piling pressure on manufacturers’ profit margins as weak domestic demand limited pricing power.
