How the naira depreciated by 2.6% in March, despite CBN's intervention

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  • The naira depreciated by 2.4% and 2.6% respectively successful March astatine the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market (NFEM) and the achromatic marketplace successful March
  • Reports accidental the depreciation came contempt the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) intervening with $688.8 cardinal to easiness pressure
  • Also, Nigeria’s forex reserves mislaid astir $110 cardinal to $38.31 billion, a study by AIICO Capital said

Legit.ng’s Pascal Oparada has reported connected tech, energy, stocks, concern and the economy for implicit a decade.

The Nigerian currency, the naira, shed 2.4% and 2.6% of its worth successful March astatine the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market (NFEM) and the achromatic marketplace comparative to the erstwhile month.

A marketplace study from Afrinvest shows that the section currency depreciated to N1,536.82 per dollar and N1,530 astatine NFEM and the parallel marketplace windows, respectively.

The naira closes March connected  a antagonistic  noteDespite CBN's intervention, the naira mislaid 2.6% worth successful March. Credit: NurPhoto/Contributor
Source: Getty Images

The naira depreciated contempt CBN’s interventions

Also, AIICO Capital disclosed successful its monthly macroeconomic marketplace study for March that the naira was nether unit contempt the Central Bank of Nigeria's (CBN) $688.8 cardinal successful interventions.

The reports said this happened contempt the interventions by the apex bank, which had important dollar income amounting to $688.8 million. 

However, the naira weakened by 2.97% monthly, closing astatine N1,536 per dollar from N1,492.49 astatine the opening of March.

According to the report, request remained dependable successful the reappraisal period, particularly for overseas portfolio investors and section firms.

AIICO disclosed that the parallel marketplace followed the trend, with the naira depreciating by N43.50 to N1,536 per dollar successful that conception of the FX market.

The naira closed negatively successful March

Despite liquidity improvements, request continued to outweigh supply.

In the last week of March, the naira remained nether unit contempt CBN dollar sales.

Every quarter, the naira fell by 7 ground points astatine NFEM.

Meanwhile, outer reserves depreciated by $110 cardinal to $38.31 billion, the AIICO study said.

Regarding the outlook, AIICO Capital disclosed that the apex bank’s sustaining liquidity stabilised the section currency.

CBN sells $197.71 cardinal to currency dealers

The CBN disclosed that the naira was impacted by the planetary macroeconomic shifts caused by the caller tariffs imposed by the US President, Donald Trump.

Legit.ng reported that the CBN’s Director of the Financial Markets Department, Omolara Duke, disclosed that the apex slope said the caller movements successful the FX markets betwixt April 3 and 4, 2025, necessitated the injection of $197.71 cardinal by CBN via income to authorised dealers.

The US currency sold betwixt N1,519 and N1,595.20 connected Friday, April 4, 2025.

The fiscal assemblage regulator said it continues to show planetary and home trends and remains optimistic astir the resilience of the Nigerian FX framework, which was designed to set to germinate to fundamentals.

Last week, the naira recorded accrued volatility successful the interbank market, staying comparatively unchangeable astatine N1,525 to N1,535 per dollar amid CBN’s enactment and mean offshore inflows.

Meanwhile, by midweek, determination was a displacement arsenic offshore request rose, caused by weakened lipid prices owed to OPEC’s proviso summation and planetary risk-off sentiment caused by Trump’s tariff announcements.

The improvement led to an aggravated FX request unit and constricted supply, pushing the naira to N1,570 per dollar.

The naira depreciated by 1.97% weekly, closing astatine N1,567.02, with FX reserves declining by $149 cardinal to $38.15 billion.

Naira: JP Morgan predicts a affirmative outlook successful 2025

Meanwhile, JP Morgan, the US concern banking giant, has predicted that the naira volition stabilise astatine N1,450 per dollar successful 2025.

The institution disclosed this successful its enactment to investors connected Wednesday, April 2, 2025, stating that the Nigerian marketplace provided capable complaint extortion to easiness imaginable FX losses.

According to the bank, it expects Nigeria's T-Bills to proceed to execute good owed to imminent catalysts arsenic the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) published nett FX reserves, portion President Bola Tinubu changed the committee and absorption of the NNPC.

JP Morgan hails enactment alteration successful NNPC

It rated the nett FX reserve merchandise arsenic a short-term catalyst and NNPC enactment alteration arsenic a medium-term catalyst.

JP Morgan sees the 2 decisions arsenic a assurance booster for Nigeria, which has battled FX and macroeconomic challenges.

The naira trades debased  successful  the FX marketsThe naira depreciates amid declining overseas speech reserves. Credit: Novatis
Source: Getty Images

After the decisions, the forex marketplace experienced immoderate stability, though the naira depreciated slightly.

Naira gains against USD

Legit.ng antecedently reported that the naira climbed to its highest against the dollar successful 2 weeks aft the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) reported a nett forex reserve summation of $23.11 billion, the highest successful 3 years. \

The naira rallied astatine a one-week precocious of N1,531.25 per dollar connected Monday, March 31, 2025, representing a 0.4% oregon N5.57 summation from N1,536 connected Friday, March 28, 2025.

Then the naira climbed again connected Wednesday, April 2, 2025, closing astatine N1,534 from N1,357.

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Source: Legit.ng

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