Nigerian Currency Redesign Controversy: Naira Slips by Almost 20%, Experts See Exchange Rate Reaching 1,000:1 USD Before Year End

1 year ago

The Nigerian currency appeared to accelerate its diminution versus the U.S. dollar aft it slipped to a caller debased of 900 naira for each dollar. The currency has continued to depreciate adjacent aft the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s raid connected suspected amerciable overseas speech dealers.

Continuing U.S. Dollar Shortages

Following the Oct. 27 announcement by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) that intends to enactment into circulation recently designed naira banknotes, the section currency’s parallel marketplace speech complaint versus the dollar has slipped by astir 20%. From an speech complaint of astir N760:$1 astatine the clip of the announcement, the naira had, by Nov. 2, dropped to a caller all-time debased of 900:1.

As noted by respective section media reports, the CBN’s determination to merchandise the caller banknotes arsenic good arsenic to demonetize the existent 100, 200, 500, and 1,000-naira banknotes aft Jan. 31, 2023, has sparked a unreserved to bargain the greenback. According to 1 report, the shortage of the U.S. dollar connected some the authoritative marketplace arsenic good the parallel marketplace has accrued unit connected the naira.

Despite receiving the backing of President Muhammadu Buhari, the CBN’s currency redesign plans person seemingly failed to halt the naira’s slide.

One Nigerian economical expert, Andrews Elueni, the managing manager astatine Flawless Capital Limited, was precocious quoted suggesting that the naira’s speech volition gaffe past the N1,000:$1 people earlier the extremity of 2022.

“It volition get to N1,000 earlier the extremity of the year, the crushed being that determination is simply a batch of fraud and corruption successful the system,” Elueni reportedly said.

Official and Parallel Market Gap Widens to 450

Despite the naira’s accelerated descent versus the dollar connected the parallel market, Nigerian monetary authorities proceed to support the naira pegged astatine conscionable nether 450 per dollar.

Meanwhile, pursuing the CBN announcement, Nigeria’s anti-graft body, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) warned the nationalist it would pounce connected suspected amerciable currency dealers. Since then, section media reports suggest the EFCC has raided bureaux de alteration operators who basal accused of fueling amerciable overseas speech activities.

According to 1 report, erstwhile the EFCC pounced, the naira’s parallel marketplace speech complaint stood astatine 840:1. However, much than 24 hours later, the spread betwixt the currency’s parallel and authoritative marketplace speech rates had widened to a caller precocious of N450.

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Terence Zimwara

Terence Zimwara is simply a Zimbabwe award-winning journalist, writer and writer. He has written extensively astir the economical troubles of immoderate African countries arsenic good arsenic however integer currencies tin supply Africans with an flight route.

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