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Nigerian Central Bank Governor Denies Using Forex Reserves to Defend Local Currency
20.4.2024
The Nigerian central bank governor has refuted claims that the bank is using the country’s foreign exchange reserves to shore up the naira. The governor attributes the decline in reserves to debt repayments and other payments, which are made because they help to maintain Nigeria’s...
Volatile Nigerian Currency Rallies 12%, Becomes Best-Performing Currency in April
15.4.2024
After months of sustained decline, the Nigerian currency has rallied since March and is currently ranked as the best-performing fiat currency in April. Andrew Matheny, an economist at Goldman Sachs, said the naira’s momentum can only be maintained if policymakers do not deviate from their...
Nigerian Central Bank Prohibits Use of Foreign Exchange as Collateral for Local Currency Loans
10.4.2024
The Central Bank of Nigeria has barred the use of foreign exchange as collateral for local currency loans. In its April 8 letter addressed to banks, the CBN warned of severe consequences for banks that fail to comply with the latest directive. Halting the Slide of the Naira Hamstrung by ongoing...
Nigerian Currency Depreciation: Central Bank Head Reaffirms Commitment to Reviving Confidence in the Economy
8.2.2024
The Nigerian central bank remains committed to building confidence in the economy but that hinges on the implementation of “bold reforms” and residents’ help in easing pressure on the naira. However, critics have faulted the central bank’s policies including the devaluation...
Nigeria Forex Crisis: Central Bank Removes Cap on Exchange Rate for International Money Transfer Operators
4.2.2024
The Central Bank of Nigeria announced on Jan. 31 that it had removed caps on naira payout rates that international money transfer operators are allowed to quote. The central bank said the policy change is an effort aimed at further liberalizing the foreign exchange market. The naira’s Feb.1...
Report: Turkey Exits From Foreign Exchange Protected Deposit Program
3.1.2024
On Jan. 1 Turkey ended its two-year-old foreign exchange (FX)—protected deposit program in what is seen as another step towards a return to orthodoxy. Treasury and Finance Minister, Mehmet Simsek also signaled the start of what he called a “permanent improvement in the current account.”...
India’s De-Dollarization Push Flounders as Oil Suppliers Cite Rupee Repatriation Concerns
28.12.2023
The Indian Oil Ministry recently acknowledged that the country’s push to pay for oil with rupees has failed because suppliers are not sure if they will be able to repatriate their funds. The decision is intended to help diminish India’s reliance on the U.S. dollar when settling...
Report: Nigerian Currency Plunges to New Low Versus the US Dollar
22.12.2023
The official exchange rate of the Nigerian currency versus the U.S. dollar recently plunged to a record low of 1,248 naira for every greenback. The governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria has told the country’s legislators that he sees the foreign exchange market stabilizing in 2024. Official...
Lesotho’s Entire Payment System Reportedly Goes Offline After Cyberattack
16.12.2023
The Central Bank of Lesotho recently confirmed that its payment system was attacked by unknown cybercriminals. The bank also acknowledged that the resulting downtime is making it “impossible for all local banks to honor inter-bank transactions in the country.” No Financial Loss Suffered...
Nigeria Plans to Include Fintechs in Broadened Official Currency Market
26.10.2023
A Nigerian official recently said the foreign exchange-starved country plans to include “legitimate” market participants like bureaux de change and financial technology companies in the official forex currency market. Finance Minister Wale Edun also said the country will receive...
Nigerian Central Bank Lifts Forex Restrictions on 43 Items — Market Forces to Determine Exchange Rate
15.10.2023
The Nigerian central bank said on Oct. 12 that it had lifted foreign exchange restrictions imposed on the importation of 43 items. The central bank said the restrictions initially imposed in 2015 may have contributed to the weakening of the naira on the parallel foreign exchange market. Unifying...
Nigerian Currency Plunges to New Low, Central Bank Says the Naira Is Undervalued
11.8.2023
The Nigerian currency continued its slide versus the greenback when it fell to a new all-time low of NGN950 per dollar. Folashodun Shonubi, the acting governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, insists that the naira is currently undervalued. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said...
Egypt Struggles With Skyrocketing Inflation and Depreciating Currency, While Bitcoin Nears Record High in the Country
11.7.2023
According to the Egyptian Statistics Bureau, Egypt’s annual inflation rate hit 36.8% in June, a staggering 33.7% increase from May’s inflation rate, breaking records. Egypt, the world’s 14th most populous country, grapples with soaring prices for goods and services across...
Nigeria Currency Presently Undervalued Says Bank of America Analysts
4.7.2023
According to Bank of America analysts, the Nigerian currency is currently undervalued and will likely end the year trading at around NGN680 per dollar. The analysts assert that higher oil revenues and a liberalized import regime will likely see Nigeria record current account surpluses in the medium...
Nigerian Currency Falls by More Than 30% After Central Bank Announced New Forex Market Rules
18.6.2023
The Nigerian currency’s official exchange rate versus the greenback recently plunged to NGN634 per dollar from just under NGN470 per dollar. The central bank’s decision to allow the naira to “float” came a few weeks after Nigerian president Bola Ahmed Tinubu pledged to end...
Nigerian Central Bank Blasts Naira Devaluation Report — Publication Stands by Its Story
2.6.2023
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said on June 1 that the report claiming it had devalued the local currency to N631 per dollar “is replete with outright falsehoods and destabilising innuendos.” The Nigerian publication Daily Trust has said it stands by its story and called on...
Nigerian Forex Inflows: ‘Ambiguous Foreign Exchange Regime’ Blamed After Inflows Dropped to $5.32 Billion in 2022
12.4.2023
Between 2019 and 2022, the value of foreign capital that flowed into Nigeria dropped from $23.9 billion to $5.32 billion. The drop has been attributed to low investor confidence, the high cost of doing business, as well as the country’s high inflation rate. Nigeria will “struggle...
Gold Coins Help Zimbabwe Achieve ‘Price and Exchange Rate Stability’ — Central Bank
10.2.2023
The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe recently revealed that some 25,188 of its value-preserving gold coins were sold between July 2022 and Jan. 13. According to the central bank governor, John Mangudya, the gold coins “have proved to be an effective open market instrument for mopping up excess...
Following APT’s 400% Rise Since Late December, Aptos Drops 20% From All-Time High
1.2.2023
On Jan. 26, 2023, the cryptocurrency asset aptos (APT) reached an all-time high and then lost 20% of its value over the next five days. In the past 24 hours, it also shed 8.3% against the U.S. dollar. Despite the decline from its all-time high, APT is still up 349% compared to last month’s...
Nearly $1 Billion Poured Into Egypt’s Forex Market — Local Currency Now World’s Worst Performing Currency in 2023
18.1.2023
The Egyptian central bank recently claimed that its decision to devalue the local currency has been vindicated by foreign investors’ return to the country’s foreign market where they reportedly poured in $925 million in just three days. The surge in the sales of Egyptian treasury bills...