Nigeria’s one-year treasury bill was oversubscribed by 300% during the recent Primary Market Auction conducted by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on Wednesday.
The auction, aimed at rolling over maturing Nigerian Treasury Bills worth N1 trillion, saw unprecedented demand for the one-year T-bill.
Investors offered a total of N1.87 trillion for the N600 billion on offer, indicating a significant appetite for government securities. Out of the total subscriptions, N908.75 billion was allotted, with stop rates set at 19%.
The auction covered maturities across three different tenors: 91-day, 182-day, and 364-day bills, with varying amounts on offer.
While the 91-day bill received N39.90 billion in offers, all were sold, and the 182-day bill garnered N76.83 billion subscriptions, out of which N51.35 billion was allotted.
Managing Director of Arthur Steven Asset Management, Tunde Amolegbe, attributed the remarkable performance of the one-year bills to investor confidence in the current government and its reform initiatives.
He highlighted investors’ preference for higher rates due to signals from the CBN indicating tightening monetary policies amid accelerating inflation.
Experts view the oversubscription as a testament to investors’ trust in the government’s reforms and management of the country’s debt obligations.
The auction reflects a move by the CBN to address liquidity in the financial system while managing Nigeria’s debt obligations effectively.
The significant oversubscription signals robust investor confidence and highlights the attractiveness of Nigerian government securities despite prevailing economic challenges.
