Naira at Growing Risk of Devaluation in Coming Weeks, Absa Says

  • Nigerian currency seen at 530 per dollar by Absa analyst
  • Devaluation may happen after Tinubu sworn in as president

A customer hands a 1000 Nigerian naira banknote to a vendor in Lagos, Nigeria.

Photographer: Damilola Onafuwa/Bloomberg
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Nigeria will likely devalue its local currency by about 15% after President-elect Bola Tinubu is sworn in on May 29 to alleviate severe trade imbalances and dollar shortages, an analyst at Absa Group Ltd. said.

Africa’s largest economy operates a multiple exchange regime dominated by a tightly controlled official rate, cutting off access to many businesses and individuals, which in turn drives demand to the unauthorized black market.