Cash Outside Banks Falls ₦198bn in January Cash held outside Nigeria’s banking system fell by ₦197.68bn in January 2026, dropping to ₦5.21tn, according to the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Money and Credit Statistics. The decline came as total currency in circulation slipped marginally to ₦5.73tn, though the share of cash outside banks remained high at 90.91%, slightly lower than 94.33% in December 2025. Year-on-year, cash outside banks was still higher, rising from ₦4.74tn in January 2025 to ₦5.21tn in January 2026, while overall currency in circulation expanded by ₦495.68bn. Broad money supply (M3) fell by ₦1.05tn to ₦123.36tn in January, driven largely by a decline in net foreign assets, which dropped to ₦29.61tn from ₦31.51tn in December. The naira strengthened during the month, closing at ₦1,391/$ compared with ₦1,431/$ at the start of January, contributing to the lower naira value of foreign assets. Meanwhile, net domestic assets rose to ₦93.76tn, up ₦850.76bn month-on-month, reflecting stronger domestic credit and liquidity conditions. Narrow money also increased to ₦42.33tn, showing a year-on-year rise of ₦5.57tn. Against this backdrop, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) cut the benchmark interest rate by 50 basis points to 26.5%, citing easing inflation and improved FX stability. Governor Olayemi Cardoso said food inflation fell to 8.89%, the lowest in 13 years. Cardoso reaffirmed the MPC’s commitment to evidence-based policy, noting that “the ongoing disinflation trajectory would continue, largely supported by sustained exchange rate stability and enhanced food supply.”

Naira Reaches Two-Year Peak kf N1,347/$   The naira has strengthened sharply in recent weeks, reaching one of its strongest levels in nearly two years, even as rising foreign portfolio inflows increase the risk of investor profit-taking later in the year, according to a macro update...

Naira Hits N1,430/$ at Parallel Market The naira strengthened to between 1,425 and 1,430 per dollar at the parallel market following the Central Bank of Nigeria’s renewed directive allowing the sale of foreign exchange to Bureau De Change operators, a development stakeholders say is already...

You don’t need a degree in economics to understand Nigeria’s inflation crisis. A simple visit to any local market tells the story more clearly than charts or policy papers ever could.

The Nigerian naira strengthened against the euro during Thursday’s trading session, closing at N1,606/€1, up from Wednesday’s N1,644/€1, according to Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) data.

Naira-denominated mutual funds have recorded a sharp surge of about 140% over the past year.