This picture taken on January 29, 2016 in Lagos shows 1000 naira banknotes, Nigeria’s currency. Nigeria’s central bank governor, Godwin Emefiele, on January 26 dismissed calls to devalue the naira in his monetary policy committee statement. Instead he chose to continue propping up the currency at 197-199 naira to the dollar and maintain foreign-exchange restrictions. As a result, the naira on the black market is hovering around a record low of 305, fuelling complaints from domestic and foreign businesses who can’t access dollars required for imports. / AFP / PIUS UTOMI EKPEI (Photo credit should read PIUS UTOMI EKPEI/AFP/Getty Images)

CBN Injects $11.24bn To Economy In Seven Months

Date from the Central Bank of Nigeria has shown that the apex bank injected $11.24 billion into the economy to stabilise the value of the naira from January 2022 to July.

This was contained in the banking regulator’s monthly economic reports on foreign exchange market developments. In the first five months of the year, CBN used $7.6 billion to stabilise the naira.

It stated, “Total foreign exchange sales to authorised dealers by the Bank were $1.75bn in July, a decrease of 15.4 per cent relative to $2.07bn in June. A breakdown shows that foreign exchange sales at the interbank/invisible window and matured swaps decreased by 22.0 per cent and 59.1 per cent, respectively, to $0.13bn and $0.27bn, below their respective levels in the preceding month.

“In contrast, FX sales at Investors and Exporters, Secondary Market Intervention Sales and Small and Medium Enterprises windows rose by 5.8 per cent, 0.6 per cent and 65.7 per cent, respectively, to $0.44bn, $0.72bn, and $0.19bn, compared to their levels in June.”

In an earlier report, the CBN said it had intervened in the markets with $1.65 billion, $1.39 billion and $1.82 billion in January, February and March, while the interventions were $1.56 billion and $1.18 billion in April and May respectively.

The report read, “Total foreign exchange sales to authorised dealers by the bank were $1.18 billion, a decrease of 24.4 per cent, below $1.56 billion in April.

“A breakdown shows that foreign exchange sales at the Investors and Exporters and interbank/invisible windows decreased by 37.9 per cent and 0.7 per cent to $0.16bn apiece, below their respective levels in the preceding month.

“Similarly, SMIS and matured swap contracts fell by 7.0 per cent and 71.4 per cent to $0.64bn and $0.10bn, respectively, compared to the amounts in April. However, foreign exchange sales at the Small and Medium Enterprises window rose by 8.4 per cent to $0.12bn in the review period.”

Kehinde Ogunyale

Reporting on the data-driven economy, and investigations.

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