Business

Sell excess dollars in 24 hours, CBN orders banks

Published

3 months ago

February 1, 2024

Sell excess dollars in 24 hours, CBN orders banks

The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has ordered Deposit Money Banks to sell their surplus dollar stock by February 1, 2024, as part of new measures to stabilize the country’s fluctuating currency rate.

The CBN, which made the announcement in a fresh circular issued on Wednesday, also urged lenders not to hold extra foreign currency for profit.

According to officials, the central bank believes that some commercial banks have long-term foreign exchange positions to profit from the erratic swings of exchange prices.

The new circular introduces a set of guidelines aimed at reducing the risks associated with these practices.

In the circular titled, “Harmonisation of Reporting Requirements on Foreign Currency Exposures of Banks”, the CBN raised concerns over the growing trend of banks holding large foreign currency positions.

The latest circular came barely 48 hours after the CBN released a circular, warning banks and FX dealers against reporting false exchange rates, among others.

The new development also came on the heels of the adjustment of the methodology used for the calculation of the nation’s official exchange rate by the FMDQ Exchange.

The review has pushed the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market rate (official exchange rate) from approximately N900/dollar to N1,480/dollar. The naira closed at 1,450/dollar at the parallel market on Tuesday.

The move which is aimed at unifying the official and parallel market exchange rates has been hailed by economists and other stakeholders.

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They however challenged the CBN to clear FX backlogs estimated at over $5bn and also fund FX demands at the official market. This, they said, would forestall a situation whereby the parallel market rate would move away from the official rate again.

Apparently as part of the moves to fund FX request at the official window, the CBN in its latest circular released on Wednesday accused banks of holding excess foreign exchange positions.

As a result, the central bank gave lenders until February 1, 2024 (today) to sell off excess dollar positions.

The circulated, dated January 31, 2024, was signed by the Director, Trade and Exchange, CBN, Dr. Hassan Mahmud, and representative of the Director, Banking Supervision, CBN, Mrs. Rita Sike.

The circular read in part, “The Central Bank of Nigeria has noted with concern the growth in foreign currency exposures of banks through their Net Open Position (NOP). This has created an incentive for banks to hold excess long foreign currency positions, which exposes banks to foreign exchange and other risks.”

To address these issues, the CBN in the circular issued prudential requirements that banks must follow. A key focus of these requirements is the management of the Net Open Position (NOP).

The NOP measures the difference between a bank’s foreign currency assets (what it owns in foreign currencies) and its foreign currency liabilities (what it owes in foreign currencies).

The circular mandates that the NOP must not exceed 20 per cent short or 0 per cent long of the bank’s shareholders’ funds.

This calculation, the apex bank said, must be done using the Gross Aggregate Method, which provides a comprehensive view of the bank’s foreign currency exposure.

Furthermore, banks with current NOPs exceeding these limits are required to adjust their positions to comply with the new regulations latest by February 1, 2024.

Additionally, banks must calculate their daily and monthly NOP and Foreign Currency Trading Position (FCT) using specific templates provided by the CBN.

The CBN also directed banks to maintain adequate stocks of high-quality liquid foreign assets, such as cash and government securities, in each significant currency.

According to the circular, all banks are required to adopt adequate treasury and risk management systems to provide oversight of all foreign exchange exposures and ensure accurate reporting on a timely basis.

Banks are expected to bring all their exposures within the set limits immediately and ensure that all returns submitted to the CBN to provide an accurate reflection of their balance sheets.”

Finally, the CBN warned banks that non-compliance with the NOP limit would result in immediate sanction and suspension from the foreign exchange market.

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In the half of 2023, First Bank, UBA, Zenith, Access, and GTB reported a combined N1.38tn in forex revaluation gains.

The apex bank at the time issued a directive instructing commercial banks to resist using their foreign exchange revaluation gains for dividends and operational expenditures. It noted that “Banks that exceed the NOP prudential limits due to the FX revaluation shall be granted forbearance for the breach upon application.’’

A top bank executive, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the new circular would force banks to sell off excess dollar liquidity exceeding $5bn.

The top banker said, “Just as some Nigerians prefer to keep their money in dollars because naira is not a good store of value, banks also hold excess dollar liquidity to make gains. They do their own at institutional level. What the CBN is saying with this new circular is that, you cannot hold excess dollar liquidity again. Any foreign exchange you are holding must be committed to something, a transaction or obligation you can proof. Banks have made a lot of revaluation gains. Some banks, I believe, got approval under the last administration to hold more dollar than the requirement. The idea is that if banks sell all these excess dollars, there will liquidity and the exchange rate will stabilise. Foreign investors will come in.”

Naira trades

Meanwhile, the naira closed at N1,455.59/$ at the official window on Wednesday, according to the FMDQ Securities Exchange. This is a 1.82 per cent appreciation from the N1482.57/$ it closed trading on Tuesday.

At the parallel market, it lost N61 to trade at N1,511/$. A Bureau De Change operator, Malam Ibrahim, told The PUNCH, “For now, we are selling between N1,511/$ and N1,512/$. Earlier today, the dollar was sold between N1,535/$ and N1,540/$.”

Another operator said he could only sell at N1,510/dollar. However, a source at the market informed our correspondent of a ‘no sales policy’ to be implemented by the BDC union tomorrow.

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The source said the decision was taken today after serious deliberations on how to reduce the fall of the naira.

“Nobody is coming to market tomorrow. We want to close the market because honestly, the naira is just crashing anyhow. This was caused by some media reports this week that the dollar was now selling for N1,500 even though we were still selling at N1,400. Now everybody is blaming black market operators and that’s why we decided that the market will remain closed tomorrow,” the source said.

“We will resume next tomorrow, and the rate should be less than N1,400/$,” the source added.

On the cryptocurrency peer-to-peer market, the naira was trading for N1,495.1/$ on Binance’s P2P platform as of the time of filing this report.

The naira is recording its worst week on the official market following the move by FMDQ Securities Exchange to revise the methodology used to set the exchange rate. According to a market notice, this new calculation will attempt to narrow the gap between the official and parallel rates of the naira.

It said, “This revision aims to address recent fluctuations and challenges encountered in the Nigerian Foreign Exchange (‘FX’) Market.”

It added, “These revisions are focused on enhancing the accuracy and reliability of the NAFEX and NAFEM rates determination process, with a focus on data availability and integrity involving a rigorous data validation process, including tolerance checks which shall be applied by FMDQ Exchange, subject to internal policies and procedures.”

Sell excess dollars in 24 hours, CBN orders banks

Business

Naira rebounds, sells for 1,280/$ at parallel market

Published

7 hours ago

April 28, 2024

Trends Admin

Naira rebounds, sells for 1,280/$ at parallel market

The Naira yesterday recovered against the US dollar at the parallel market as it appreciated to N1280/$, according to market information obtained by Nairametrics from currency traders.

This implied that the Naira appreciated by N120, representing a gain of 8.57 per cent when compared to the N1,400 to a dollar at which it traded on Friday.

Currency traders confirmed that they sold between N1, 280 and N1,300/dollar.

The local currency had, midweek lost a third of its value barely two weeks after strengthening to below N1,000 against the dollar.

It later dropped to N1,400 against the dollar at the black market on reports of fresh demand pressure.

This had made many people to question the impact of the sales of $15.83 million to 1,583 Bureau De Change (BDC) operators by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The apex bank had, on Monday announced the sale of $10,000 to its licensed currency traders nationwide at the rate of N1,021/$1 as part of its plans to aid foreign currency accessibility for qualified end users and stabilise the foreign exchange market.

Currency traders had attributed the recent depreciation of the Naira to market forces as supply had been unable to meet up with the demand.

Meanwhile, a data from FMDQ showed that the Naira continued its downward trend against the greenback at the official foreign exchange window, closing at N1,339.23/$1 on Friday.

This represents a 2.24 per cent depreciation when compared to the N1,309.88/$1 that was reported the previous day.

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Recent initiatives by the apex bank had tempered forex scarcity, aiding the Naira’s recovery from an early March rate of N1,617 per dollar to N1,072 per dollar on April 17.

BDCs proffer solutions to depreciation

Meanwhile, the Association of Bureaux De Change Operators of Nigeria (ABCON), has revealed plans for a unified retail end of the foreign currency market to tackle the recent Naira depreciation.

The president of the association, Aminu Gwadabe, disclosed this on Friday, noting that the move would tackle volatility and boost regulatory compliance within that market segment.

According to him, the association is implementing plans meant to unify operators from different cadres of the market, including the inauguration of state chapters for market coordination, integration and administering a united market structure.

He revealed plans to upgrade ABCON’s Business Process Platform, formerly called SAAZ Master.

“Part of our vision for a united retail-end forex market includes activating geo-mapping and automated BDCs physical office verification exercise using the Remote Gravity Physical verification apps.

“This will enable forex buyers to easily locate BDCs offices for effective and seamless transactions,” he stated.

Currency can’t appreciate in a vacuum – Senator Nwoko

Senator Ned Nwoko yesterday advised the federal government and the CBN against any measure capable of artificially forcing the Naira to gain value against other currencies.

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Nwoko, who represents Delta North, gave the advice in a statement he signed and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

He stated that continuous revisits to previously implemented policies and considerations of new ones were imperative.

He noted that the value of a sovereign nation’s currency is the cornerstone of respect and collaboration among nations.

The lawmaker emphasised that Nigeria must stimulate Naira demand.

According to him, as a country that exports crude oil and other commodities globally, it is imperative that all transaction on these items be conducted exclusively in Naira.

“This will incentivise buyers to seek out Naira, thereby driving its appreciation due to increased demand and scarcity.

“Moreover, the foreign reserve policy warrants reassessment.

“The practice of maintaining reserves in foreign jurisdictions, termed “foreign reserves,” is not only objectionable but also counterproductive to Nigeria’s economic sovereignty.

“Unlike other countries like the United States, Britain, France and Japan, which hold their reserves domestically, Nigeria’s adherence to this practice raises questions about its colonial legacy.

“If our early indigenous leaders acquiesced to this approach due to colonial influence, why should we perpetuate it? The primary rationale often cited to justify foreign reserves is trade balance maintenance,” Nwoko said.

According to him, this argument lacks merit when considering the limited number of traders involved in importing goods into Nigeria, which constitutes a negligible fraction of the country’s population.

Naira rebounds, sells for 1,280/$ at parallel market

Auto

Chery celebrates automobile excellence, creativity at Lagos roadshow

Published

24 hours ago

April 27, 2024

Trends Admin

Chery celebrates automobile excellence, creativity at Lagos roadshow

Chery Nigeria on Friday held many Lagos fans of elegant new vehicles spellbound during its spectacular roadshow.

The event featured a captivating procession from the Carloha showroom to The Palms in VI passing through scenic routes such as the Third Mainland Bridge, Ikoyi and Victoria Island, ending with a celebration at the iconic shopping mall.

The roadshow not only showcased Chery’s exceptional vehicles but also celebrated the spirit of creativity and community.

The event provided a platform for guests to savour and enjoy the unique display of new work of art and automotive excellence.

The roadshow extravaganza, as the organisers called it, was revealed Chery’s commitment to engaging experiences, showcasing the brand’s latest masterpiece, the Tiggo 8 Pro,Tiggo 4 Pro and Arrizo 5, in an unforgettable way.
The highlight of the event was a unique “Sip and Paint” session led by a notable artist, who skilfully captured the essence of the Tiggo 8 Pro on canvas.

Guests were invited to unleash their creativity as they painted their own interpretations of the iconic Chery logo, adding personal touch.
The climax of the evening came with a breathtaking moment as Eben, renowned for his impressionistic prowess, unveiled his masterpiece – a stunning portrayal of the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro.
The artwork, met with awe and admiration from attendees, encapsulated the essence of Chery’s dedication to innovation, style, and sophistication.
Representative of Chery brand in Nigeria, Carloha, says it will continue to provide automotive solutions to customers with its six-year free service and six-year warranty or 200,000km, whichever comes first.

Meanwhile, Chery has expressed its gratitude to all attendees, partners and supporters who contributed to the success of this extraordinary event.
“As the brand continues its journey of innovation and inspiration, it remains dedicated to delivering exceptional experiences that captivate hearts and minds,” the firm said in a statement on Saturday.

Business

BDCs consider harmonised retail market as naira depreciates further

Published

1 day ago

April 27, 2024

Trends Admin

BDCs consider harmonised retail market as naira depreciates further

The Association of Bureaux De Change Operators of Nigeria (ABCON) has said it is working on establishing a unified retail end forex market operations to tackle volatility and boost regulatory compliance within the Bureau De Change (BDC) sub-sector.

This is as the value of the naira depreciated further at the parallel market to N1,450 to the dollar.

From N1,420 which it was on Thursday, the value of the naira, which had depreciated to N1309 to the dollar at the Nigeria Autonomous Foreign Exchange market (NAFEM) continued to fall at the parallel market.

ABCON president, Alhaji (Dr.) Aminu Gwadabe, said ABCON is carrying out strategic plans meant to unify operators from different cadres of the market including inauguration of state chapters for markets coordination, integration and administering a united market structure.

According to him, ABCON plans to extend its automation policies and platforms to all BDC operators across Nigeria markets and upgrade its Business Process Platform-(formerly called SAAZ Master). He said the new blueprint for a united retail end forex market structure will ensure the deployment of a centralised, democratised and liberalised online real time trading platform.

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He stated that the association will sustain its engagement with regulatory agencies, security operatives and other government apparatus to entrench a secured and thriving forex market that is supportive to regulation and government.

“Part of our vision for a united retail-end forex market include activating geo mapping and automated BDCs physical office verification exercise using the Remote Gravity Physical verification apps. This will enable forex buyers to easily locate where BDCs offices are for effective and seamless transactions”.

He reiterated the benefits of a realistic and vibrant retail end forex market as supporting Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN’s) goal of achieving true price discovery for the naira, balancing of international obligations and national objectives; ensuring ease of regulation, security agencies monitoring and supervision as well as entrenching market visibility for BDC players.

According to Gwadabe, the vision for a united retail end forex market will help in the provision of market intelligence reports, enhance the local and global image of the BDCs and other stakeholders, market operators and boost employment generation.

The successful execution of this plan, Gwadabe said, will help in seamlessly capturing revenues for the government through digitised retail end market and creating a well structured, transparent and competitive platform to checkmate the menace of unlicensed platforms like Binance, Aboki FX, ByBit among others.