By OBIOMA TORI THE naira recorded a slight depreciation in the official foreign exchange market on Monday, closing at ₦1,353.5 per dollar, according to data published by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). The local currency weakened from ₦1,348/$ recorded last Friday, reflecting mild pressure in the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market (NFEM). The movement comes […]
Innovation Meets Accountability AS Artificial Intelligence continues to reshape financial systems globally, the Chairman of Nigerian Exchange Group, Dr Umaru Kwairanga, has warned that Nigeria must prioritise governance or risk losing investor confidence. Delivering the opening address at the InnovateAI Conference Lagos 2026, Kwairanga argued that capital markets reward predictability and penalise uncertainty. “Capital flows […]
Foreign Capital Returns to Nigeria NIGERIA’S foreign exchange market opened 2026 on firmer ground, buoyed by a sharp resurgence in offshore portfolio investment that has strengthened liquidity and steadied the naira. Latest data from FMDQ Securities Exchange show total FX supply rose 7 percent month-on-month to $3.0 billion, marking a second consecutive month of recovery. […]
Two Decades of Access, Little Diversification FOR more than 20 years, Nigeria has been handed preferential access to some of the world’s largest markets. From the United States’ African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), successive governments have promoted trade agreements as the pathway out of crude oil […]
By OBI DAVIES NIGERIA’S capital market is set for major restructuring following the Securities and Exchange Commission’s decision to significantly raise minimum capital requirements for regulated entities. The new framework, released on 16 January 2026 under the Investments and Securities Act 2025, replaces capital thresholds that have been in place for a decade. The SEC […]
DEAP Capital Targets Africa’s Critical Minerals Financing Gap DEAP Capital Management & Trust Plc has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to roll out a minerals and metals financing initiative across Africa, aimed at improving access to capital for operators in the continent’s fast-growing critical minerals sector. In a statement to the […]
By FIDELUS ZWANSON THE Chairman of the Alliance for Economic Research and Ethics (AERE), Dele Kelvin Oye, has warned that certain provisions of the Nigeria Tax Act 2025 could undermine the objectives of the reform if not reviewed to reflect economic realities. Oye identified the cap on rent relief—limited to ₦500,000 annually—and restrictions on foreign […]
By FIDELUS ZWANSON THE Nigerian stock market opened the year on a strong bullish note on Friday, delivering a ₦561 billion gain as sustained investor demand for high-profile equities drove market indices upward on the first trading day of 2026. The rally pushed the market capitalisation from ₦99.376 trillion to ₦99.937 trillion, representing a 0.57% […]
By OBI DAVIES NIGERIA is stepping into 2026 with improving macroeconomic signals that contrast sharply with the turbulence of the previous two years. Analysts at Coronation Group say the economy is showing cautious resilience, driven by sustained policy reforms, rising foreign exchange (FX) liquidity, and stronger capital flows — but warn that the gains remain […]
By FIDELUS ZWANSON The Refining Factor: From Inflow Dependency to FX Savings NIGERIA’S path to the projected $51.04 billion reserves in 2026 introduces a strategic shift: reserve growth by lowering FX demand, rather than relying solely on inflows. The CBN ties this to domestic refining expansion, especially the Dangote Refinery, expected to scale to 700,000 […]