Author: Ogochukwu Ndubuisi

Liquidity Eases as Banks Placement at CBN Window Drops by 25% Deposit money banks (DMBs) placement at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Standing Deposit Facility (SDF) window declined by about 25%, according to money market reports reviewed by MarketForces Africa. However, the financial system remains sufficiently liquid in the absence of an open market operation, though midweek Treasury bill auction settlement is anticipated to reduce the flow. In separate market updates, investment firms said the financial system liquidity opened the week in a strong surplus position of ₦6.16 trillion, reflecting a ₦706.69 billion increase from the previous week’s close.…

The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said it has imposed restrictions on Bazar Money Transfer’s operations for failing to meet registration requirements.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has commenced export of its new crude grade – Cawthorne, marking a significant milestone in the Company’s drive to increase Nigeria’s crude oil production and expand its portfolio of globally competitive export streams.

The NPA disclosed this in its Daily Shipping on Wednesday in Lagos. According to the bulletin, the vessels are expected between April 8 and April 14. The authority said 24 of the ships would carry containers loaded with various goods.

U.S., Iran Agree 2-Week Ceasefire, Hormuz Passage to Resume Iran has confirmed a two-week ceasefire announced by U.S. President Donald Trump, the Tasnim news agency, which is close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), reported early on Wednesday. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz would be possible for two weeks in coordination with Iran’s armed forces “and with due consideration of technical limitations.” Trump had made reopening the waterway a condition for the ceasefire and had threatened to target Iran’s energy sector and infrastructure, including bridges, if Tehran failed to comply, setting…

GenCos Says N501bn Bond Boosts Confidence in Power Reforms Power Generation Companies (GenCos) say the successful issuance of N501 billion bond in January underscores growing investor confidence in the Federal Government’s Presidential Power Sector Financial Reforms Programme (PPSFRP). The GenCos noted that the reform programme was designed to tackle Nigeria’s N3.3 trillion electricity sector debt. Mr Seyi Sobogun, Managing Director of First Independent Power Ltd., disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday in Lagos on behalf of the GenCos. The Federal Government introduced the programme to address long-standing structural challenges in the power sector, including mounting unpaid debts, ageing infrastructure,…

FTSE Russell to Upgrade Nigeria to Frontier Market Status in Sept. FTSE Russell, the global index provider, today announced that Nigeria will be reclassified to frontier market status in September 2026, according to an official notice. The global index provider said this in a published report on its March 2026 semi-annual country classification review for countries monitored by its global equity and fixed-income indices. MarketForces Africa reported that Nigeria was added to the watch list in September 2025 for possible reclassification from Unclassified to Frontier market status. Recalled that Nigeria was reclassified from Frontier to Unclassified market status in September…

Equity investors gained N191 billion as Nigerian Exchange (NGX) recorded price appreciation in GTCO, FirstHoldco, Lafarge Africa, Aradel, among others.

PAX Gold (PAXG) price climbs slightly, hovering around $4,636 on Tuesday as investors reacted positively to direct trading of Ripple stablecoin (RLUSD) with PAXG.

Zenith Bank Plc’s board of directors has proposed to pay shareholders a final dividend of N8.75 for the 2025 financial year, according to details from its audited report filed with the regulator.