In continuation of its resolve to ease the challenge of access to foreign exchange, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on Tuesday further injected another $100m into the interbank foreign exchange market.
The Bank’s Acting Director, Corporate Communications, Isaac Okorafor, confirmed this to newsmen in Abuja, adding that the move by the Bank was to fund the commercial banks with enough forex to cater for the request of customers to meet personal travelling allowance (PTA), basic travelling allowance (BTA), medicals and tuition fees.
This fresh injection by the apex bank brings the amount so far pumped into the interbank forex market within the last two weeks to $1,138bn for both forwards and invisibles.
The regulator Monday pumped $367,134,329.93 to meet the forwards requests of customers. A breakdown of the forwards showed that the sum of $144,073,753.07 was for 45 days forwards, while $223,060,576.86 was for 60 days.
Commending the move, market analysts said the injection will further create problems for currency speculators who are yet to recover from the sudden appreciation of the naira.
According to the former economic adviser to the President and Minister, National Planning Commission, Professor Ode Ojowu, “It appears this time around, the CBN has decided to become smarter than the market manipulators, by putting on its cap of authority to look beneath the market forces.”
Analysts have also commended the efforts of the CBN in ensuring the continuous appreciation of the naira. This they attributed to good policy and effective communication strategy, which has witnessed increased dollar supply to the market.