CBN Releases New Exchange Rates for Dollar, Pound, Euro As Naira Depreciates

CBN Releases New Exchange Rates for Dollar, Pound, Euro As Naira Depreciates

  • The naira has depreciated in value against the United States dollar in the foreign exchange markets.
  • New official data shows that the Nigerian currency dropped marginally by 0.12%, while in the black market, naira fell by just N5
  • The administration of President Tinubu expects the naira to close 2025 at a new exchange rate of N1,500

Legit.ng journalist Dave Ibemere has over a decade of business journalism experience with in-depth knowledge of the Nigerian economy, stocks, and general market trends.

The value of Nigerian currency marginally declined against the US Dollar in the official and unofficial foreign exchange markets.

Data from the FMDQ securities showed that the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEM) naira closed at N1,541.68/$1 on Friday, December 20.

Naira to dollar exchange rate
Nigerian currency falls against US dollar Photo credit: Bloomberg/contributor
Source: Getty Images

Friday's exchange rate represents a 0.02% or 30 Kobo drop in contrast to Thursday’s closing price of N1,541.38/$1.

The naira's decline follows the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) granting Bureaux de Change (BDC) operators access to the official market for 50 days to ease some pressure.

Read also

Naira’s value rises against US dollar in official market, nears Tinubu's target for 2025

Legit.ng reported that on Friday, the apex announced that BDC operators would have access to FX at the official market from December 19, 2024, to January 30, 2025.

There is a weekly cap of $25,000, with transactions requiring upfront funding at prevailing rates must follow a maximum of 1 per cent spread.

Naira against pound, euro

There is good news for the naira against the British pound sterling and the euro in the official market.

The CBN data showed that the naira appreciated yesterday by N6.46 to trade at N1,929.77/£1 compared with the previous day’s N1,936.23/£1.

While against the euro, the Nigerian currency depreciated by N60.21 to quote at N1,597.64/€1 versus N1,537.43/€1.

Meanwhile, in the parallel market, traders told Legit.ng that the naira depreciated against the dollar.

Abdulahhi a BDC trader told Legit.ng:

"I sold the dollar at N1,655/$1 on Friday to my customers, a N5 increase from yesterday's rate of N1,650.

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Fuel price expected to change as petrol landing cost drops again

The market is a bit calm for us, but we are managing to source and sell."

CBN naira against other foreign currencies exchange rates

  • US Dollar: N1536.93
  • Pounds Sterling: N1929.77
  • Euro: N1597.64
  • Swiss Franc: N1718.20
  • Yen: N9.82
  • CFA: N2.44
  • Riyal: N408.97
  • Danish Krona: N214.14
  • Yuan/Renminbi: N210.60
  • South African Rand: N83.58

Report predicts new exchange rates for naira

Ealier, Legit.ng reported that the new report from Meristem Security Limited has predicted that the naira will close the year at N1,690.32 per dollar in the official window

In the report, Meristem expressed worry that the forex demand during Christmas would increase.

A similar prediction by BMI analysis said the naira is expected to depreciate to N1,993 per dollar by 2028.

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Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Dave Ibemere avatar

Dave Ibemere (Senior Business Editor) Dave Ibemere is a senior business editor at Legit.ng. He is a financial journalist with over a decade of experience in print and online media. He also holds a Master's degree from the University of Lagos. He is a member of the African Academy for Open-Source Investigation (AAOSI), the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations and other media think tank groups. He previously worked with The Guardian, BusinessDay, and headed the business desk at Ripples Nigeria. Email: dave.ibemere@corp.legit.ng.