The Naira depreciated at the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEM) and the parallel market on Monday, signifying more worries for the local currency.

At the official market – NAFEM – the local currency sold for the US Dollar at N1,603.16/$1 as it recorded a 0.15 percent or N2.38 drop versus N1,600.78/$1 it was valued at the previous session on Friday.

This occurred as supply rose at the opening session as turnover published on the FMDQ Group website stood at $359.22 million indicating that the session’s turnover went higher by 2.4 percent or $8.50 million compared to $350.72 million that was published the day before.

At the unofficial market, the domestic currency closed at N1,698.97 to the US Dollar, a drop of N8.15 compared to N1,690.82/$1 it closed during the Friday trading session.

The weakening of the Naira is happening as the nation’s external reserves continue to swell due to lower US Dollar volume sales to boost liquidity in the official FX market.

Latest data showed the balance in Nigeria’s foreign reserves inched to about $39 billion as CBN data revealed that Nigeria now has $38.992 billion as gross balance in the nation’s external reserves.

The CBN has not made do with its promise to prop up the market as it appears to have halted its weekly FX sales

In a different trend, the domestic currency witnessed a flat outcome against the British currency and the Euro in the week’s opening session.

On the Pound Sterling, the local currency closed at N2,153.90/£1 and N1,800.79/€1 on the Euro.

In the parallel market, the local currency depreciated in its value against the British Pound Sterling by N11.69 to sell at N2,213.25/£1 compared with the preceding session’s N2,201.56/£1 and followed the same pattern against the Euro as it lost N10 to quote at N1,845.29/€1 versus the previous day’s rate of N1,835.29/€1.

The local currency also depreciated further by N8.64 to close at N1,225.82 per Canadian Dollar, compared to Friday’s N1,217.18 per CAD.

The Naira fell to N1,659 per Dollar on Wednesday in the official foreign exchange market, the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEX).

The local currency fell by 72 Kobo or 0.04 percent to close at N1,659.69/$1 compared with Tuesday’s closing rate of N1,658.97/$1.

The market continued to weigh the recent inflation rise after the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Tuesday said Nigeria’s inflation rose to 32.70 percent in the month of September, the first time after moderating in July and August.

Analysts from the World Bank ranked Nigerian Naira as among the worst-performing currencies in sub-Sahara Africa in 2024, noting that the local currency has lost about 43 percent.

The World Bank, in its latest edition of Africa’s Pulse report, disclosed that the Naira is at the same level with the Ethiopian Birr, and South Sudanese Pound in terms of decline in the region.

The report disclosed that the continued increase in the demand for Dollars and limited Dollar inflow is responsible for Naira depreciation in the last months.

The daily supply of FX as measured by secondary data from FMDQ Securities Exchange Limited indicated that turnover slumped by $40.85 million or 18.7 percent to $177.01 million from $217.86 million.

The Naira weakened its value against the Pound Sterling in the official market by N64.28 to sell at N2,153.90/£1 compared with the preceding session’s N2,089.62/£1.

It followed the same route against the Euro as it depreciated N51.67 to quote the midweek session at N1,800.79/€1 versus the preceding rate of N1,749.12/€1.

In the Parallel market, the Naira weakened on the American currency as it closed at N1,693.32 to the US Dollar, a drop of N29.61 compared to N1,663.71/$1 it closed during the Wednesday trading session.

The Naira also dropped in its value against the British Pound Sterling in the official market by N38.17 to sell at N2,159.12/£1 compared with the preceding session’s N2,120.95/£1 and followed the same pattern against the Euro as it depreciated N31.51 to quote at N1,847.94/€1 versus the previous day’s rate of N1,816.43/€1.

The local currency also depreciated N7.07 to close at N1,204.66 per Canadian Dollar, compared to Tuesday’s N1,197.59 per CAD.

The World Bank has ranked Nigerian Naira as among the worst-performing currencies in sub-Sahara Africa in 2024.

The World Bank, in its latest edition of Africa’s Pulse report, disclosed that the Naira is at the same level with the Ethiopian Birr, and South Sudanese Pound in terms of decline in the region.

The report disclosed that the continued increase in the demand for dollars and limited dollar inflow is responsible for Naira depreciation in the last months.

According to the report, as of August, the Naira lost about 43 percent.

It added that by August 2024, the Ethiopian birr, Nigerian naira, and South Sudanese pound were among the worst performers in the region.

According to the report, the Nigerian naira continued losing value, with a year-to-date depreciation of about 43 percent as of end-August.

It stated that the increase in demand for US dollars in the parallel market, driven by financial institutions, money managers, and non-financial end-users, combined with limited dollar inflows and slow foreign exchange disbursements to currency exchange bureaus by the central bank explain the weakening of the naira.

The Naira plummeted to a new record low, closing at N1,700 per dollar in the parallel market on October 14, 2024, according to data from Bureau de Change (BDC) operators.

This represents a 0.29% drop from its previous rate of N1,695/$1 recorded on October 11, despite a surge in crude oil prices, which have surpassed $80 per barrel.