Net foreign exchange flows rose by 55% to $25.4bn in HI- CBN
Forex dollars
Net foreign exchange flows rose by 55% to $25.4bn in HI- CBN
Nike Popoola
Nigeria’s net foreign exchange flows rose by 55% to $25.4bn between January and June, marking a 55% year-over-year increase.
This was disclosed in a statement by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on Wednesday, titled, ‘CBN reaffirms commitment to provide liquidity support to FX markets.”
According to the statement, “The CBN’s policy objectives are yielding tangible results and bolstering market confidence. Net foreign exchange flows rose to $25.4 billion between January and June, marking a 55% year-over-year increase.
“This growth has been driven by a rise in capital importation, which reached $6bn in June 2024, and record inflows from diaspora remittances through formal channels.”
In the latest testament to the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) ongoing commitment to support the proper functioning of the foreign exchange market by enhancing liquidity when necessary, the apex bank disclosed that it offered $876m to fulfil bids submitted by customers at an auction concluded on Wednesday, August 7, 2024.
In line with its pledge to provide transparent access to foreign exchange for all legitimate customers, the CBN’s leadership has introduced an additional mechanism through the Retail Dutch Auction System (RDAS) to directly facilitate FX sales to end users.
The statement said, “This approach aims to foster a more transparent market, reducing information asymmetry and supporting price discovery.
“It complements the two-way quote system deployed over the past few months to enhance liquidity in the interbank market, through which over $305m of foreign exchange has been sold to authorised dealers in the last three weeks.”
It noted that the foreign exchange market is also showing signs of improvement and increased depth, with more robust and diversified sources of liquidity contributing to the sustained convergence of exchange rates across all segments of the market.
It added, “The official market recorded a turnover of $43bn in customer transactions by the end of July 2024, with CBN-supplied liquidity representing less than 5% of total market activities.
“The CBN remains steadfast in its commitment to fostering a transparent, market-driven foreign exchange market, and it will continue to strengthen the market’s capacity to meet the needs of all legitimate participants.”
