The exchange rate between the Naira and the US dollar according to the data released on the FMDQ Security Exchange, the official forex trading portal showed that the Naira opened at ₦1555.00 per $1 on Thursday , January 23, 2024 and closed at ₦1531.20 per $1 on Friday , January 24, 2025.
However, the Naira is trading as high as ₦1,660 per Dollar at the black market even though the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) announced the unification of all segments of the foreign exchange market.
The apex bank, in a circular on Wednesday 14th June 2023, said all FX windows were now collapsed into the investors & exporters (I&E) window.
The statement read, “Abolishment of segmentation. All segments are now collapsed into the Investors and Exporters (I&E) window. Applications for medicals, school fees, BTA/PTA, and SMEs would continue to be processed through deposit money banks.
“The operational hours of trades shall be from 9 a.m to 4 p.m, Nigeria time.”
The apex noted that further guidance on the operational changes would be communicated to authorized dealers and the general public in due course.
The changes to operations in the country’s FX market imply that Nigeria has eased its control of the naira, allowing the local currency to float freely.
Meanwhile, a free-floating exchange rate occurs when a government allows the exchange rate to be determined purely by market forces and there is no attempt to ask the central bank to influence the external value of the exchange rate.