- Senate Passes State Police Bill
- Nigeria Targets $750 Billion in Untapped Minerals With New EMERGE Programme
- S&P Cuts Nigeria’s Growth Projection, Raises Inflation Expectation
- South African Rand Stables Against Crosses Ahead of PPI Data
- AI Names Shift Global Markets Indicators, FTSE 100 Surges
- BTCUSD- Bitcoin Dips to $61.5K as Institutional Appetite Softens
- Nigeria Seeks Partnerships to Build World-Class Steel Industry
- Oil Prices Ease Near Pre-War Range as US, Russia Plan Talks
Author: Julius Alagbe
Julius Alagbe is a senior financial journalist and Editor at MarketForces Africa with nearly two decades of experience in finance, accounting, and economics reporting.He is one of Nigeria's most prolific financial market reporters, covering capital markets, monetary policy, corporate earnings, banking, telecoms, and macroeconomic developments across Africa.Julius has built a strong footprint reporting on Nigeria's leading corporates and financial services sector, including coverage of the Nigerian Exchange Group, Central Bank of Nigeria monetary operations, MTN Nigeria, GTCO, and major investment banking transactions.He regularly monitors the CBN’s open market operations, interbank FX markets, and equity market movements, providing readers with real-time intelligence on Nigeria’s financial landscape.His reporting draws on direct access to institutional research from firms including Moody’s Ratings, CardinalStone Securities, Fitch, and other leading African investment houses.Julius brings analytical depth and editorial rigour to every story, making complex financial data accessible to professionals, investors, and policymakers across Africa.Julius Alagbe is based in Lagos, Nigeria.
The Senate on Wednesday approved a new excise duty regime on sugar-sweetened beverages. The upper chamber also endorsed the creation of a dedicated funding stream to strengthen public health interventions across the country.
Ethereum (ETH) price is struggling to rebound after slipping 8% to $1,730 on Thursday amid bearish action driven by relentless institutional selling via spot ETFs and a cascade of leveraged long liquidations.
Cardano price (ADAUSD) plunged 13.51% to $0.188 over 24h, underperforming the broader market downturn, driven primarily by escalating ecosystem distress and negative sentiment.
Ripple (XRP) price is down 7.04% in 24 hours to $1.15, underperforming a broader market sell-off primarily driven by a wave of forced selling from leveraged long positions.
Bitcoin price (BTCUSD) is down by 6.3% over 24 hours to $62.919 on Thursday, driven by sustained institutional selling pressure. With about $60 billion in transaction value, Bitcoin’s decline is rooted in institutional exits and exacerbated by the unwind of derivatives.
Oil prices are softer in the global commodity market on Thursday following reports of a ceasefire deal between Lebanon and Israel, which boosted hopes for a broader agreement to end the US-Israeli conflict with Iran that could potentially lead to a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Wall Street and the FTSE 100 declined as risk aversion dampened sentiment across global equities. Escalating tensions in the Middle East set the tone for global risk aversion, with overnight US-Iran exchanges weighing on sentiment and driving a broad pullback in equities.
Ripple (XRP) fell to $1.20 on Wednesday, underperforming a broadly weaker crypto market, driven primarily by a risk-off macro sell-off. The move aligns with Bitcoin’s 2.89% drop, indicating a beta-driven decline amid heightened geopolitical tensions and institutional ETF outflows.
NEAR Protocol (NEARUSD) gained 13% in 24 hours to $2.88, sharply outperforming a declining Bitcoin and broader market, primarily driven by a sector rotation into AI-focused cryptocurrencies.
The naira extends rally against the US dollar, and other crosses at the Nigeria Foreign Exchange Market (NEFM) as data show the country’s external reserves continue to gain momentum.