The Naira has rebounded and gained value against the US dollar in the official foreign exchange market, just 24 hours after experiencing a depreciation.
According to the Central Bank of Nigeria’s exchange rate data for Tuesday, the Naira strengthened to N1,525 per dollar, up from N1,538.50 per dollar traded on Monday. This represents a gain of N13.5 against the dollar, following the previous day’s rate of N1,538.50.
In contrast, the parallel (black) market showed no similar improvement, with the Naira closing at N1,665 per dollar on Tuesday, up from N1,630 per dollar on Monday. This indicates a continued weakness in the unofficial market, where the Naira has struggled to match the official rate.
The Naira’s depreciation on Monday marked its first decline in the official FX market since the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) launched the Electronic Foreign Exchange Matching System (EFEMS) to ensure more transparent foreign exchange transactions. The decline raised concerns, but the recent recovery has sparked renewed hope.
Economists are optimistic that if the Naira can maintain its recent gains against the dollar in the official market, it could have a positive impact on the cost of imported goods, potentially easing inflationary pressures. However, concerns remain about the continued disparity between the official and parallel market rates, which could affect broader economic stability.