Naira posts weekly loss as dollar liquidity slows despite rising reserves

The naira recorded losses across foreign exchange (FX) market segments during the week as dollar liquidity weakened despite a continued rise in Nigeria’s external reserves.

Data published by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) showed that the naira depreciated by N5.08 week-on-week at the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market (NFEM), closing at N1,363.83 per dollar on Thursday, the last trading day before the June 12 public holiday. This represented a 0.4 percent decline from N1,358.75 quoted on Thursday of the previous week.

On a day-on-day basis, the local currency weakened by N1.78 from N1,362.05 recorded on Wednesday. Over the four trading days of the week, the naira lost 99 kobo from N1,362.84 quoted on Monday.

Trading activity at the interbank FX market also slowed. The number of deals declined by 30.58 percent week-on-week to 84 transactions on Thursday from 121 deals recorded a week earlier. Compared with Wednesday’s 109 deals, activity fell by 22.94 percent.

Turnover at the interbank segment dropped sharply to $70.42 million on Thursday from $128.17 million on the corresponding day of the previous week, representing a 45.06 percent decline.

At the NFEM window, transaction volumes remained relatively stable. The number of deals stood at 332 on Wednesday, compared with 314 deals recorded during the corresponding period of the previous week. However, activity eased slightly on a day-on-day basis from 336 deals recorded on Tuesday.

Total turnover at the NFEM window settled at $607.89 million on June 10, 2026, representing a 29.12 percent decline from $857.67 million recorded on June 9. Nevertheless, turnover remained 18 percent higher than the $514.98 million recorded on June 3, indicating sustained market participation despite the recent slowdown.

In the parallel market, the naira also weakened, depreciating by N9 to close at N1,409 per dollar on Thursday from N1,400 previously. The spread between the official and parallel market rates widened to N46 per dollar from N38 on Wednesday.

Related News

The naira’s weakness came despite continued growth in Nigeria’s external reserves, which provide the CBN with a buffer to support the currency and meet external obligations.

Data from the apex bank showed that gross external reserves rose to $50.42 billion as of June 10, 2026, representing a 32.51 percent increase from $38.05 billion recorded on the same date in 2025.

The reserve build-up reflects stronger foreign exchange inflows, improved investor confidence and the impact of ongoing economic reforms.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently noted that Nigeria’s reform programme has significantly strengthened the country’s external position.

According to the Fund, gross international reserves increased to $46 billion in 2025 from $40 billion at the end of 2024, supported by a strong current account surplus, foreign portfolio inflows into CBN Open Market Operations (OMO) bills and proceeds from a Eurobond issuance.

Net international reserves improved even more sharply, rising to $35 billion at the end of 2025 from $23 billion a year earlier.

Nigeria’s reserve position has continued to strengthen in 2026, recently surpassing the $50 billion mark for the first time in 17 years, underscoring stronger foreign exchange inflows and growing confidence in the country’s economic reform agenda.

Hope Moses-Ashike

Hope Moses-Ashike is an Associate Editor, Banking and Finance, with more than a decade of experience reporting on Nigeria’s financial system and broader economy. She closely tracks market movements, monetary policy decisions, company disclosures, regulatory actions, economic indicators, and global developments, and interprets what they mean for businesses, investors, policymakers, and households. Her reporting helps readers understand complex issues such as inflation trends, foreign exchange market dynamics, interest rate decisions, bank performance, and investment risks. She also covers major international events and periodically travels to Washington, D.C., to report on the World Bank/IMF Spring and Annual Meetings. Her dedication to financial journalism has earned her multiple recognitions and invitations to high-level professional development programmes. She is an alumna of the International Visitors Leadership Programme (IVLP) in the United States and holds an Advanced Financial Journalism Certificate from the Press Association Training in London, UK. Her other notable achievements include completing the Lagos Business School CMC Programme, the Bloomberg Media Africa Initiative Programme, and a Master Class in Journalism at Rhodes University in South Africa.