Business
Naira Continues to Weaken Amidst Central Bank Interest Rate Hike
The Nigerian naira has continued to weaken on the foreign exchange market, with the dollar-to-naira exchange rate showing a noticeable depreciation on Monday.
According to data from FMDQ, the naira fell to 1,586.71 against the dollar on Wednesday, down from 1,548.76 the previous day, marking a decline of 37.95 naira.
At the black market, the naira also experienced a drop, weakening to 1,585 naira per dollar from 1,580 naira the day before. This ongoing depreciation has persisted since last week, despite the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) releasing foreign exchange reserves to authorized dealers in an attempt to stabilize the currency.
Bismarck Rewane, the Chief Executive of Financial Derivatives, noted in a recent interview with Channels TV that the naira’s sharp decline is partly in response to the CBN’s recent decision to raise interest rates by 50 basis points to 26.75 percent.
The CBN had previously indicated that the country’s foreign exchange market is under strain due to increased demand, a situation exacerbated by the summer holidays.
Bitcoin has fallen below $63,000, reaching its lowest level since October 2024 amid weakening investor confidence and increased volatility in the cryptocurrency market.
According to CoinMarketCap data, Bitcoin dropped 13.9 per cent to $62,965 as of 10:20 p.m. on Thursday. The decline comes after months of downward movement, with the cryptocurrency now more than 45 per cent below its October peak.
Ethereum also recorded a sharp decline, falling 13 per cent to $1,863, while the global cryptocurrency market capitalisation dropped to $2.19 trillion.
Analysts reportedly linked the latest decline to a broader sell-off in US technology stocks, which has also affected other risk assets. Bitcoin had reached an all-time high of more than $125,000 on October 5 before falling sharply in the days that followed, highlighting the continued volatility in the crypto market.
Businessman Aliko Dangote has explained why he believes Nigerians should participate in the ownership of his refinery by purchasing shares.
He was asked by singer Davido why Nigerians should participate, and Dangote explained that the initiative would help spread wealth and prosperity across Africa.
“Well, it’s very important because that is the only way to spread prosperity and wealth throughout Africa. And like I said, this is not going to be the first and the last. We will continue with even our fertilizer. By the time we finish listing, every single one will own part of our businesses and we will create a pool of cash…”
He explained that the goal is to create opportunities for more Nigerians to own a stake in the businesses and help spread wealth across the country.
Aliko Dangote speaks on his lineage and addresses not having a son as he was asked about not having a son to carry his name and achievements.
“That is not my priority because God controls everything. You can pray for God to give you a son, but he might be the one to take down the name of the family.”
Instead, he shared that he does not mind not having a son. “I don’t think a son would have done better than the three daughters I have.”
Aside from that, he was also asked about giving advice to young Nigerians. “Work hard, be consistent, focused and know what you want to do.”
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