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.

Naira Dips as Interbank Turnover Eases, FX Reserves Rise The naira dipped slightly against the US dollar at the official window on Monday, with data showing a sustained increase in the country’s foreign reserves. The local currency closed at N1346.9676 per dollar at the Nigerian foreign exchange market (NFEM), from N1346.4919 per greenback last week. Transactions were executed between N1345 and N1350 at the NFEM window, with trading data indicating FX liquidity was tighter than at the previous close. At the NFEM window, interbank FX turnover moderated slightly to $152.592 million, down by 4.4% from $159.732 million posted at Friday’s…

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Africa to Push for Greater Control of Critical Minerals at New York Summit Africa is pushing for greater control of its critical minerals at a high-level summit in New York aimed at promoting value addition and continental cooperation. The Africa Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG) said it would convene its Third High-Level Roundtable on Critical Minerals Development in Africa on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly. In a statement by the AMSG desk issued to newsmen on Sunday in Abuja, the Roundtable to hold on Sept. 21 would be chaired by President Bola Tinubu, Chairperson of the AMSG…

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NGX Index, Return Tank as Investors Lose N2.1trn in 5 Days The Nigerian Exchange (NGX) All-Share Index (ASI) tanked, with equities investors losing N2.1 trillion in an all-week bearish movement in the local bourse. The local bourse closed the trading session on a negative note last week, weighed down by sell-offs across key counters. The market index declined by 1.35% week-on-week (WoW) to close at 239,351.16 points, while market capitalisation fell by approximately N2.09 trillion to N154.53 trillion. Consequently, the market’s year-to-date (YTD) return moderated to 53.81%. Market breadth remained negative, with 18 gainers against 58 losers, translating to a…

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