New Exchange Rate As Naira Crashes Again Against US Dollar

New Exchange Rate As Naira Crashes Again Against US Dollar

  • The value of the naira once again depreciated against the United States dollar in the forex markets
  • The new exchange rate shows that the naira in official and unofficial fore markets is now above N1,500
  • The depletion of Nigeria's foreign reserves has raised concerns about the future performance of the naira

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. (edited)

The Nigerian currency, the naira lost more value against the United States dollar in the official market and also unofficial markets.

Data from the Central Bank of Nigeria showed that the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market (NFEM) recorded a closing rate of N1,522.78 per dollar at the end of trading on Friday, March 7.

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

Friday's exchange rate is N10.23 or 0.75% 3 depreciation for the naira when compared to the previous day's closing rate of N1,512.55/$1 recorded in the previous day.

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The naira fell despite reported interventions by the CBN.

According to market traders, there was a double intervention by the apex bank on Friday to ease the pressure on the naira.

The recent decline in the naira's performance on the currency market has heightened concerns about its stability, particularly as the country's foreign exchange reserves continue to drop.

Naira against pound, euro

It was the same story for the naira against the pound sterling and also the euro.

The Nigerian currency crashed against the Pound Sterling by N47.74 to sell for N1,960.28/£1 versus Thursday’s rate of N1,912.28/£1.

Naira also tumbled against the euro, by N40.39 to quote at N1,648.94/€1, in contrast to the preceding session’s N1,608.55/€1.

Snapshot of naira rates in official market

Based on CBN published rates, here is a breakdown of the naira's performance against other foreign currencies in the NAFEM market on Friday.

  • CFA – N2.49
  • Yuan/renminbi – N209.63
  • Danish krona – N221.06
  • Euro – N1,648.94
  • Yen – N10.32
  • Riyal – N404.30
  • South African rand – N83.15
  • Swiss franc – N1,709.57
  • Pounds sterling – N1,960.28

Read also

Traders sell dollar at higher exchange rate as naira crashes in official, black markets

Naira to dollar black market

In the black market, traders told Legit.ng that the Nigerian currency also depreciated against the dollar on Friday.

Abudallahi a BDC trader said:

"We sold the dollar at N1,570/$1 on Friday and bought at N1,556. This is different from the N1,560 dollar sold on Thursday and the N1,570 it was bought."

Bad news for naira as FX reserves hit five-month low

Legit.ng previously reported that Nigeria’s foreign exchange reserves have hit a five-month low, depleted by $138 billion.

The current balance of the reserves stands at $39.440 billion, the same figure as the October 25, 2024 figure.

The development comes amid the rise in the naira’s value in the parallel segment of the FX market.

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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.