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Saving Your Money in Different Currencies – What are the Plus Sides?

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Saving Your Money

Communication has been one of the most important activities either between individuals, groups of people or even between countries. It was very important for the currency the country was holding because it was the main tool for communication and the same currency holding could make the two countries united or separated.

We can see the same trend nowadays, however, in the 21st century, it is more likely for countries to have common interests, policies, etc while having the same currency. A perfect example, in this case, is the European Union and countries that are having a Euro as their currency, and as a result, their economic dependency is utterly high.

The same way as the English language became universal and it is the language that is most widely used even while you are travelling abroad, the USD has become a universal currency as well.

If English is used by people to communicate with each other, USD is used by political entities, government officials and is often considered to be the tool to conduct negotiations between countries.

Even though the USD is widely used and accepted in many countries, it is not the primary currency in the majority of countries, and because of that, the countries are using the exchange rates to calculate the difference between two currencies.

If we are in our country, we are using our national currency, however, if we are leaving the country, money exchange is one of the most important details to take into account. The USD and EUR exchange is the most popular pair in the world.

Pros and Cons

The existence of different currencies can be considered as positive as well as a negative prism. The USD is the most frequently used currency and many different activities, whether it is for trading, measurement, and most importantly this is the currency that is fixed to gold.

Another most widely spread currency is the Euro which is used in Europe by the member countries of the Single Currency Market, and the advantages that were imposed by the implementation of the single currency are fascinating. People living in Greece can go to Italy without thinking about the additional commissions for converting the currencies, let alone the trade procedures that are way easier.

The fact that those currencies are very popular does not mean that there are no other currencies that are more valuable. GBP and Swiss Pound are great examples in this case. The differences between currencies are very important to take into account, especially when those two countries are having strong economic relations.

The biggest profit and advantage that is taken from the exchange market and currency fluctuation are by the forex brokers and generally, the foreign exchange market.

The whole idea and the purpose of the industry is to trade with the differences between currencies or between possible changes that might happen between currencies. If someone is considering becoming involved in the market, there are several important factors to be considered.

First and foremost, it is important to find a brokerage company (trading without help is quite difficult) that is regulated on the market.

It also depends on where is your current living locations since the regulatory bodies are different from one country to another, for example, there is a lot of difference between CySEC and FCA, the first one being the regulatory body from Cyprus and offers the companies easier terms and conditions, while FCA is the regulatory body in the UK, having one of the most difficult processes to get the license.

Forex market usually observes the changes in the economy, whether it is inflation or recession, as well as the depreciation and appreciation. The system is quite simple and the trader earns profits if the prediction on a certain currency rate was true, however, the market is very vulnerable to many aspects happening not only in the economy but in political or social agenda. This is why sometimes the regulatory bodies are too restrictive when it comes to giving the license to the brokerage companies.

Savings and different currencies

All of us have to work really hard to make our economic conditions better than it is at that certain time. For that, we often save our money for the next few months, years, or even for the future generation.

The meaning of saving and its efficiency was quite vivid when the whole world faced the global COVID pandemic and the economic crisis that was caused by it. Some people were smart enough to take care of their funds for the dark days.

However, some people appeared to be smart, while others appeared to be smarter. Those who live outside of the US or the EU and receive the wages in their national currency often save their money in the USD or EUR.

During the pandemic, all the currencies were depreciated against the USD, which means that the USD got even stronger and those who had saved in their local currency lost more than those who made saving in the USD.

Very clear examples, in this case, are the Eastern or Central European countries, for example, Poland, which is still using the national currency Polish Zloty, and which was depreciated during the global pandemic. People, who had their savings in the local currency lost twice as much as they would have benefited in the case of investing in the USD.

The economic changes are happening all over the world very dynamically and global inflation is still going, especially after years of lockdowns and quarantine.

USD keeps strengthening its positions against all the other currencies and it is still under the question mark whether the other currencies can survive the dollarization or will they lose their value.

The above-mentioned examples have shown that the information is key to any kind of situation and having the proper knowledge about the general trends of the financial, what are the upcoming events that might affect the economic environment or many other details, can help us decide what our future economic steps should be.

It is true that predictions are not always accurate and we also might make the decision that will be not financially beneficial, however, we should not try out the amount that we are building the trust upon and relying ourselves on them. Having the proper saving management strategy and plan is the key to its success.

Dipo Olowookere is a journalist based in Nigeria that has passion for reporting business news stories. At his leisure time, he watches football and supports 3SC of Ibadan. Mr Olowookere can be reached via [email protected]

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Economy

Insurance Firms Must Submit 2025 Assessment Returns by May 31—NAICOM

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NAICOM Conplaint Management Portal

By Adedapo Adesanya

The National Insurance Commission has issued new guidelines for the collection, management, and administration of the Insurance Policyholders’ Protection Fund.

In a circular issued to all insurance institutions on Tuesday, the regulator also set May 31, 2026, as the deadline for insurers to submit their assessment returns for the 2025 financial year.

Recall that on August
 5, 2025, 
President Bola Tinubu signed
 into 
law
 the 
Nigerian 
Insurance 
Industry Reform 
Act (
NIIRA
2025).


This 
landmark legislation 
repeals 
the 
Insurance 
Act 
2003, 
and
 consolidates 
related 
provisions, 
ushering 
in 
a 
modern regulatory framework. It lays a strong foundation for sustainable growth and increased investment in the country’s insurance sector.

The commission said the guidelines were issued in exercise of its powers under the 2025 Act and other existing insurance laws and regulations to provide regulatory clarity, improve guidance, and ensure ease of compliance across the industry.

According to NAICOM, the guidelines establish a comprehensive structure for the operation of the IPPF, which serves as a statutory safety net to protect insurance policyholders in the event of distress or insolvency of a licensed insurer or reinsurer. The framework also provides direction on the reimbursement of loans by insurers and reinsurers.

NAICOM stated, “The guidelines ensure regulatory clarity, guidance and ease of compliance, as it provides a comprehensive regulatory framework for the collection, management, and administration of the Fund, which serves as a statutory safety net designed to protect insurance policyholders against distress and insolvency of a licensed insurer or reinsurer, including guidance for the reimbursement of loans by an insurer or reinsurer.

“Please be informed that the IPPF Assessment Returns in respect of the year 2025 shall be submitted to the Commission not later than 31st May 2026, while subsequent submissions shall be in line with Section 4.3 of the Guideline on Insurance Policyholders Protection Fund.”

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Economy

Dangote Refinery Sells Petrol at N1,200/L as Global Oil Prices Slump

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Dangote refinery import petrol

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Dangote Refinery on Wednesday returned the petrol price to N1,200 per litre, less than 24 hours after it increased it by 5 per cent.

The private refinery had raised the ex-depot price by N75 on Tuesday, citing pressure from volatile global oil markets, but quickly brought it back to N1,200 per litre from N1,275 per litre.

The swift downward review is directly linked to a sharp drop in international crude prices. Brent crude has plunged to $95.05 per barrel, after a 13 per cent decline, while the US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude closed at $97.18, recording nearly a 14 per cent drop.

This development comes after US President Donald Trump announced a conditional two-week ceasefire with Iran, which eased fears of immediate supply disruptions in the global oil market.

“This will be a double-sided CEASEFIRE!” Trump said on social media, marking a sharp reversal from his earlier warning that “a whole civilisation will die tonight” if Iran failed to comply with US demands.

Iran’s Foreign Minister, Mr Abbas Araqchi, confirmed that the country would halt attacks provided strikes against Iran cease and transit through the Strait of Hormuz is coordinated by Iranian forces.

Despite the breakthrough, tensions remain elevated across the region, with several Gulf states reporting missile launches, drone activity, or issuing civil defence warnings.

While oil prices have fallen back below $100, they remain significantly elevated after surging by a record amount in March. Market analysts noted that regardless of how successful the ceasefire is, geopolitical risk related to the Strait of Hormuz is likely to remain elevated for the foreseeable future under the control of Iran.

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Economy

Crude Deliveries Double to Dangote Refinery in Mix of Naira, Dollar Supply

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Dangote refinery petrol

By Adedapo Adesanya

Crude oil deliveries from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery doubled in March, boosting prospects for improved fuel availability.

This was revealed by the chief executive of Dangote Industries Limited, Mr Aliko Dangote, on Tuesday, when he received the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mrs Amina Mohammed, at the industrial complex in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos.

While speaking on feedstock supply, Mr Dangote commended the NNPC for increasing crude deliveries to the refinery in March, noting that volumes rose to 10 cargoes—six supplied in Naira and four in Dollars—to support domestic fuel availability, according to a statement by the Refinery.

“Last month, they gave us six cargoes for Naira and four cargoes for Dollars,” he said.

Despite the improvement, Mr Dangote noted that the supply remains below the 19 cargoes required for optimal operations, with the refinery continuing to bridge the gap through imports from the United States and other African producers.

He also expressed concern over the unwillingness of international oil companies operating in Nigeria to sell to the refinery, stating that their preference for selling crude to traders forces it to repurchase at higher costs, with broader implications for the economy.

Mr Dangote added that the refinery is seeking increased access to domestically priced crude under local currency arrangements as part of efforts to moderate fuel costs and enhance long-term energy and food security across the continent.

On her part, Mrs Mohammed underscored the strategic importance of Dangote Industries Limited -particularly Dangote Fertiliser Limited—in addressing Africa’s mounting food security challenges, while calling for stronger global partnerships to scale its impact.

Mrs Mohammed said the United Nations would prioritise amplifying scalable solutions capable of mitigating the continent’s food crisis, describing Dangote’s integrated industrial model as a critical pathway.

“I think the UN’s job here is to amplify and to put visibility on the possibilities of mitigating a food security crisis, and this is one of them,” she said. “I hope that when we go back, we can continue to engage partners and countries that should collaborate with Dangote Industries.”

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