Author: Marketforces Africa

UK investment companies will continue to benefit from growing institutional demand for alternative assets due to

Interbank Rates Firm, Banks Borrow as SDF Placements Ease Interbank rates steadied due to excess liquidity levels in the financial system, reflecting the absence of funding pressures across money market activities. Deposit money banks have continued to park funds at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) standing deposit facility as the market opened the year strong, which supported the first OMO bills action. Total placement by banks at the CBN window eased on Tuesday, suggesting system liquidity is on the decline ahead of the debit for the latest OMO bills action. Cash-rich financial institutions sought higher returns on the excess…

Oil Prices Slide Below $60 over Excess Supply Conditions Oil prices declined below $60 per barrel on Wednesday over excess supply expectations. The market expects an oil glut to reduce prices of crude oil in 2026, and Goldman Sachs agrees to a price slump in its latest update. The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies’ members’ (OPEC+) decision to maintain the status quo on output is also acting as support for a price drop amidst political conflict among top suppliers—Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. In addition, crude oil prices slipped below the $60 mark in anticipation of…

Nigeria’s Economy Stabilising, Needs Sustained Reforms —Kale Nigeria’s economy is stabilising but remains fragile, requiring sustained reforms to unlock its full potential, says Dr Yemi Kale, Afreximbank’s Chief Economist. Kale spoke on Tuesday at the Nigeria Economic Outlook 2026 hybrid event organised by FirstBank in Lagos. The event was themed ‘The Great Calibration: Mastering Resilience in an Era of Asynchronous Growth’. He said recent improvements in inflation trends, external reserves and exchange-rate flexibility had created “much-needed policy space” for economic management. However, Kale warned that macroeconomic stability alone does not eliminate deep-rooted structural vulnerabilities within the economy. He identified infrastructure…

DisCos Installed 228,614 Meters in Q3, 2025—NERC The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) says Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) installed 228,614 meters in the third quarter of 2025. The commission said this in its third quarter report posted on its website in Abuja on Tuesday. The report said that the figure represented an increase of 0.73 per cent compared to the 226,959 meters installed in the second quarter of 2025. According to the report, during the quarter under review, 176,302 meters representing 77.12 per cent of the total installations were installed under the Meter Assert Provider framework. It also said that…

BTCUSD Rises Near $94k on Intensify Crypto Bulls Actions Bitcoin (BTCUSD) has climbed near its resistance level, as the world’s largest digital asset is now struggling to cross $94k, a point reached last year before it spiralled downward. The market has been caught between hardened bearish traders and new bullish buyers spotting upside in the crypto asset.  However, crypto bulls have intensified buy action in the last 24 hours. Trading data across cryptocurrency exchanges revealed that BTC has gained 1.12% in the last 24 hours, and it has been fluctuating behind $94, raising concerns about a possible price retreat. Price…

XRP Fires Up with 12% Gain as Cryptocurrencies Rally Ripple (XRPUSD) has gained more than 12% in the last 24 hours, outpacing the broader crypto market’s 1.56% gain, supported by retail and institutional investors increasing bets. Retail activities have been mixed; however, institutional tailwinds have continued to offset sell pressure. This pattern has kept the XRP price in an uptrend. The rally is expected to heat up on fear of missing out (FOMO). With the price hovering near $2.40 on Tuesday, XRP has added more than $13 billion to the crypto market capitalisation. The broader cryptocurrency market is trending positively,…

NRS: FIRS Replacement to Overhaul Revenue Administration – Adedeji The Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) says its replacement of the defunct Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) will overhaul the architecture of the country’s revenue administration. The Executive Chairman of NRS, Dr Zacch Adedeji, said this in a television interview monitored from Abuja. The provision of the recently enacted tax reform laws changes the nomenclature of the country’s apex tax authority from FIRS to NRS. According to Adedeji, NRS is not branding. It is a total institutional upgrade moving from fragmented revenue administration to a modern, digitalised, centralised and intelligence-driven system. He…

Ecobank Nigeria Settles $300m Eurobond Ahead of Maturity Ecobank Nigeria Limited has completed the early repayment of more than 80 per cent of its 300 million dollar Eurobond ahead of its February 2026 maturity. The bank said in a statement on Tuesday that it successfully concluded a tender offer, prepaying about 245 million dollars of the outstanding notes. According to Ecobank Nigeria, the amount represents over 80 per cent of the total issuance of its 7.125 per cent Senior Note Participation Notes due in February. The bank explained that the tender offer, launched on Nov. 27, 2025, allowed eligible noteholders…

XRP Hits $2.16 on ETF Inflows, Middle East Regulatory Win Ripple, XRPUSD, surged by about 4% to $2.16 in the last 24 hours, according to trading data obtained from the Cryptos exchange, extending a 15.66% weekly gain, supported by institutional demand and improved sentiment. XRP’s rally combines technical triggers with deepening Asian liquidity pools and ETF-driven institutional bids. While the 24h move aligns with broader crypto market gains (+1.79%), XRP’s outperformance stems from coin-specific catalysts. Both retail and institutional investors are taking position in the altcoin as analysts see upside potential following its Middle East regulatory wins and uptrend in…