IMF hails Tinubu as Naira records first closing gain

The Naira yesterday recorded its first closing gain of N39/$1 at the Investors and Exporters (I&E) window following  the Central Bank’s (CBN’s) unification of  exchange rates into the I&E window.

The naira, which closed at N702/$1 on Thursday came back strong yesterday, closing at N663/$1, a N39/$1 appreciation, according to data from FMDQ Group.

It was the first closing gain for the naira  since the rate unification policy took off on Wednesday.

The policy, which allows forex dealers and investors to buy and sell dollars at exchange rate of their choice provided they can find buyers, had pushed the local currency to over 15 years low before the ongoing recovery.

The new policy is part of the bold reforms promised by President Bola Tinubu.

Ranging from subsidy removal to some “housecleaning” at critical institutions to exchange rate unification, the market has responded positively.

The Nigerian equities market has outperformed its peers, gaining 13 per cent in the past two weeks

A major support for the unified exchange rate policy came from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Friday, which gave its backing to the exchange rate unification policy of the apex bank.

IMF thumps up  Tinubu’s  unification of exchange rates.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) yesterday expressed support for  the foreign exchange rates unification by  the Tinubu administration.

It pledged to  give the government the required  encouragement to ensure the success of the foreign exchange reforms.

The IMF, in a  terse statement in Abuja by  its Resident Representative in Nigeria, Ari Aisen, said  it “ greatly welcomes the authorities’ decision to introduce a unified market-reflective exchange rate regime in line with our long-standing recommendations.

“We stand ready to support the new administration in its implementation of FX reforms.”

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) ,in a June 14,2023 circular by its Director, Director, Financial Markets, Dr. Angela Sere-Ejembi,abolished segmentation in the foreign exchange (FX) market and collapsed all rates into the Investors and Exporters (I&E).

In effect, buyers and sellers of foreign currency in the official FX market are now allowed to quote rates they find comfortable in the FX market.

President Bola Tinubu had said during his inauguration on May 29 that he would  unify Nigeria’s exchange rate