US Dollar Drops to 10th Strongest Currency Worldwide, as Naira Emerges One of The Strongest in Africa
- The US dollar is ranked the 10th strongest currency in the world when compared to other currencies
- Some of the strongest currencies in the world are in the Middle East, with the Kuwaiti dinar ranked the strongest
- The development comes as the naira is experiencing a resurgence against the US dollar after weeks of volatility
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In a recently released report by Forbes, the US dollar has lost its place as the world's best and strongest currency, despite being pegged to most global currencies.
The US dollar is popularly seen as the most powerful currency in the world and the most-traded currency on the global market by margin.
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Middle Eastern countries have strongest currencies
However, the US greenback is not the strongest globally and remains the most traded by margin.
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The Middle East houses some of the world's best currencies based on their performance against the dollar.
According to Forbes, foreign currencies are traded in pairs, so the money is always priced relative to another currency, known as the exchange rate.
Most currencies are floating, like the Nigerian currency, meaning their value fluctuates depending on demand and supply.
Some currencies are pegged; that is, their value depends on the importance of another, primarily the US dollar, which is fixed on an agreed rate.
Exchange rates affect the cost of goods and services in a foreign currency. The development means that if the naira weakens against the US dollar, the prices of goods and services would cost more in naira terms.
Naira float leads to massive fall in value
On June 14, 2023, the Nigerian government announced the free float of the country's currency, the naira, leading to a massive fall in value.
Analysts say the naira has lost almost 80% of its value against the US dollar between June and August.
The country's financial regulator, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), collapsed all the multiple exchange rate markets into the Investors and Exports (I&E) window.
The policy aims to unify the nation's multiple exchange markets.
Experts say policy proving counterproductive
Economic analysts say the move has proved counterproductive as the parallel market drifted farther away from the official window, creating an imbalance in the markets.
Recently, the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) also said the move by the apex bank could be more productive as the gap between the parallel market and the official rate has grown by N200.
However, in a twist of events, the Nigerian currency began to make a surprise comeback against the dollar after CBN promised to intervene.
It gained about N95 in five days, leading to a massive loss to FX speculators.
Here are the top 10 strongest currencies
- Kuwaiti dinar - 1 KWD/$3.26
- Bahraini dinar - 1 BHD/$2.66
- Omani rial - 1 OMR/$2.60
- Jordanian dinar - 1 JOD/$1.41
- British pound - 1 GBP/$1.28
- Gibraltar pound - 1 GIP/$1
- Cayman Islands dollar - KYD/$1.20
- Swiss franc - 1 CHF/$1.15
- Euro - 1 EUR/$1.10
- US dollar -USD
Forbes report says the US dollar is the 10th strongest currency in the world, worth exactly one against itself. All other currency units across the globe are worth less than a dollar.
“It’s 10/$:” Ghana cedi beats Naira, 150 others to emerge as best-performing currency worldwide
Legit.ng reported that in the past six months, Ghana’s currency, the Cedi, has been the best-performing currency against the United States greenback, the dollar.
The West African country’s currency is strengthened by renewed investor optimism that the government will obtain approval from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a $3 billion loan.
According to Bloomberg, the Cedi has gained about 33% since November, trouncing about 150 other currencies globally.
Source: Legit.ng
