Source: Punch
The naira is likely to strengthen further on the black market as the Central Bank of Nigeria steps its interventions in the foreign exchange market.
According to currency analysts and economic experts, the naira will record further gain in the coming days as the CBN aims to narrow the gap between the official and parallel market rates.
The naira strengthened to 385 to the dollar on the black market on Thursday, from 395 on Wednesday, and from 457 last Thursday.
On the official interbank market, the naira closed at 308 to the dollar, against 306 last Thursday.
“We see the exchange rate converging at some point between 380-400 naira to the dollar in the near term because of the determination of the central bank to increase dollar supply,” the President, Association of Bureau De Change operators, Aminu Gwadabe, said.
A currency expert at Ecobank Nigeria, Mr. Kunle Ezun, said the dollar might sell at 375/380 next week if the central bank continued its intervention programme in the forex market.
“It depends on what the CBN is targeting; but the good thing is that when the dollar sells for between 375 and 380, the incentive to do round-tripping will not be there anymore and this is good for the market, the economy and the country,” he added.
The CBN was planning to sell $100m in currency forwards on Thursday to be delivered within the next 60 days.
The local currency has been appreciating in recent weeks on the back of the continued and consistent interventions in the forex market by