Emmanuel Ochayi
The exchange rate between the Nigerian naira and the US dollar plummeted to N999 per $1 during trading on October 19th, 2023.
The alarming data, sourced from intraday trading on the FMDQ, which is the official platform for forex trading via NAFEM, has sent shockwaves through the financial world.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelIn response to the crisis, financial experts and analysts have expressed concerns that this rate might dip even lower by the close of the trading day. This economic turmoil has left many questioning the stability of the Nigerian currency.
Simultaneously, early afternoon trading on the black market, popularly known as the P2P market, where forex is unofficially traded using cryptocurrencies, indicates an exchange rate of N1,152 per $1. This revelation underscores the relentless decline of the naira and the widening disparity between official and black market rates.
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This latest development follows a disheartening trend. Just a few days ago, the naira had weakened to an initial unprecedented level of N848.12 per $1 in the official market. This depreciation is attributed to the Central Bank of Nigeria’s transition to a more flexible exchange rate, which has intensified pressure on the naira.
While the current 15.3% exchange rate disparity between the official and black market rates represents an improvement compared to the previous range of 38% to 18.8%, the higher official market rate, especially in the Investor & Exporter window, is imposing a considerable burden on businesses and the Nigerian economy as a whole.
In response to the crisis, government officials and financial institutions are under immense pressure to take decisive action to stabilize the naira and restore confidence in the Nigerian economy.
Emmanuel Ochayi is a journalist. He is a graduate of the University of Lagos, School of first choice and the nations pride. Emmanuel is keen on exploring writing angles in different areas, including Business, climate change, politics, Education, and others.
