Nigeria’s foreign exchange (FX) reserves have recorded a notable decline, shedding $359.81 million within a single week to settle at $40.56 billion as of January 13, 2025.
This decline follows a short-lived high of $40.91 billion recorded on January 7, 2025, and marks a steady downward trend in the reserves.
The latest data from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) highlights the fluctuating nature of the country’s external reserves, which serve as a critical buffer for stabilising the economy and maintaining investor confidence.
What does the data say
At the close of 2024, Nigeria’s foreign reserves stood at $40.88 billion, demonstrating a relatively stable position as the country entered the new year.
Early January saw a modest uptick in reserves, with the level reaching $40.92 billion on January 6, 2025. This increase, however, was short-lived as reserves peaked at $40.91 billion on January 7.
The decline began immediately afterwards, signalling a persistent downward trajectory. By January 13, reserves had fallen by 0.88 per cent from their January 7 peak, representing a loss of $351.89 million within six days.
On January 8, the reserves dropped to $40.85 billion, reflecting a daily reduction of $60.31 million. This marked the start of a steady erosion of the gains achieved late last year and earlier in the month this year. The downward trend continued on January 9, when reserves dipped further to $40.80 billion, a daily drop of $49.15 million. By January 10, reserves declined more sharply to $40.75 billion, losing $50.35 million compared to the previous day.
The most significant decline occurred between January 10 and January 13, when reserves fell to $40.56 billion. This three-day period saw a cumulative loss of $192.39 million, highlighting a consistent and troubling pattern of depletion. Overall, the reserves experienced a 0.88 per cent decline in one week, raising questions about the factors driving the losses and their implications for the economy.
Implications for the economy
The steady decline in Nigeria’s foreign reserves over the past week has potential implications for the country’s economic stability. Foreign exchange reserves play a pivotal role in supporting the naira, particularly in times of market volatility.
They are also critical for financing imports, repaying external debts, and bolstering investor confidence.
A sustained reduction in reserves could weaken the Central Bank of Nigeria’s ability to stabilise the currency and meet international obligations.
The drop in reserves could be attributed to a combination of rising import costs, external debt servicing, and interventions in the foreign exchange market to support the naira.
This situation may be further exacerbated by heightened demand for dollars in the market.
Also, the CBN’s ongoing efforts to manage liquidity in the forex market may be contributing to the reserve depletion.
Nigeria’s heavy reliance on imports for consumer goods, machinery, and industrial inputs further compounds the pressure on foreign reserves, particularly in a period of limited export diversification.
What you should know
Nairametrics earlier reported that Nigeria’s foreign exchange (FX) reserves have recorded an increase of $591.78 million in the month following the government’s $2.2 billion Eurobond auction on December 2, 2024.
The reserves rose from $40.292 billion on December 2 to $40.884 billion on January 3, 2025, reflecting a month-on-month growth of 1.47%.
This growth highlighted the effectiveness of the country’s strategic measures in stabilizing its foreign exchange position amid mounting external and internal challenges.
The $359.81 million drop in Nigeria’s foreign exchange reserves over one week is a concerning development, particularly as it signals potential vulnerabilities in the country’s external sector.
