Naira Plunges In ‘official Market’, CBN Warns Forex Dealers

The naira plunged further at the official window on Tuesday, closing at an all-time-low of N1,482 against the United States dollar.

The local unit had closed at 1,348 against the greenback on Monday after the FMDQ Security Exchange review the methodology used for the calculation of its rates.

This came as the Central Bank of Nigeria released a circular to authorised dealers on financial market price transparency, warning them against engaging in sharp practices.

The bank stated that its attention had been drawn to the practice of some dealers and their customers in reporting inaccurate and misleading information on transitions in the financial market.

It stated that the behaviour was not compliant with ethical standards… “and deliberate attempts to create price distortions by reporting false transaction details amounts to market manipulation which will not be tolerated and henceforth face sanctions.”

Meanwhile, members of the organised private sector and economists expressed concerns over the development, saying the fall of the local unit at the NAFEX window would likely lead to business shutdowns, job losses, hikes in the prices of commodities and services, and high inflation.

Economists and private sector bodies that spoke to The PUNCH on Tuesday expressed worries over the fall in the value of the naira.

They said the depreciation of the naira at the official window to N1348.63/$ at the close of trading on Monday had wider implications for the economy.

However, the naira plummeted further on Tuesday, falling to N1482.57/$ as of the end of trading. On Monday, FMDQ Securities Exchange, which calculates the exchange rate of the country, revised the methodology used to set the exchange rate. This some experts believe is a technical devaluation of the national currency.

In a market notice, FMDQ stated, “This revision aims to address recent fluctuations and challenges encountered in the Nigerian Foreign Exchange (‘FX’) Market.”

It noted that the new measures taken would ensure that NAFEX and NAFEM rates accurately reflect market conditions.

It explained, “These revisions are focused on enhancing the accuracy and reliability of the NAFEX and NAFEM rates determination process, with a focus on data availability and integrity involving a rigorous data validation process, including tolerance checks which shall be applied by FMDQ Exchange, subject to internal policies and procedures.”