Naira Rebounds Against Dollar, Bullish in Official, Parallel Markets

In a positive turn of events, the Naira gained value against the US Dollar in Nigeria's official market for the first time in two weeks, ending its declining trend. The domestic currency strengthened by 1.9% against the greenback, closing at N1,390.96/$1, reversing the previous day's N1,419.11/$1.

Naira Rebounds Against Dollar in Official Market, Gains Strength in Parallel Market

Lagos, Nigeria - The Nigerian Naira staged a remarkable recovery against the United States Dollar in the official market on Tuesday, April 30, breaking a two-week losing streak that had sent shivers down the spines of market observers.

At the spot market, the domestic currency surged by 1.9%, equivalent to N28.15, to close at N1,390.96/$1, a significant improvement over the previous day's N1,419.11/$1, as per data from the FMDQ Securities Exchange.

The resurgence of the Naira in the official market was attributed to a surge in foreign exchange (FX) supply, with forex turnover witnessing a dramatic increase of 52.4% or $77.53 million to $225.36 million from the $147.83 million recorded in the previous session.

In the parallel market, the Naira also made significant gains against the Dollar, appreciating by N20 to settle at N1,380/$1 compared to the previous day's closing rate of N1,400/$1.

However, the digital currency market was not as fortunate on Tuesday, with selling pressure during European trading hours leading to losses across the board. Bitcoin (BTC) took the brunt of the decline, falling by 5.1% to $59,964.35, as data revealed sluggish uptake for Hong Kong's newly launched exchange-traded funds (ETFs) tied to bitcoin and ether.

Other digital currencies also suffered setbacks, including Solana (SOL), which plummeted by 7.6% to $124.89, and Dogecoin (DOGE), which depreciated by 7.5% to $0.1314. Ethereum (ETH) also slipped by 5.6% to $2,986.31.

Binance Coin (BNB) weakened by 4.7% to $569.43, while Litecoin (LTC) dropped 4.2% to $79.41. Cardano (ADA) declined by 2.6% to close at $0.4415, and Ripple (XRP) fell by 2.2% to finish at $0.5031. Notably, the US Dollar Tether (USDT) and the US Dollar Coin (USDC) remained stable at $1.00 each.

Despite these setbacks in the digital currency market, the Naira's strengthening in both the official and parallel markets has provided a glimmer of hope for the Nigerian economy, which has faced significant headwinds in recent years. The government will be keen to ensure that these gains are sustained, as a stable Naira is crucial for economic growth and stability.