Central Bank of nigeria |

Nigeria Softens Rules Shielding Banks From Wireless Rivals

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Nigeria is preparing rules that will allow wireless carriers to transfer cash, softening a previous policy that protected the turf of banks in Africa’s most populous country. The central bank may have realized it can’t rely on lenders alone to achieve its objective of extending services to the 50 million adults still without a bank account in the nation of about 200 million people. Telecommunications firms, including South Africa’s MTN…

Nigeria Holds Key Rate at Record High to Stem Inflation Risk

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LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa)- Nigeria’s central bank held its main lending rate at a record high to curb inflationary pressures anticipated with election spending, and proposed ways to increase credit in the economy. The Monetary Policy Committee voted to leave the benchmark rate at 14 percent, Governor Godwin Emefiele told reporters on Tuesday in the capital, Abuja. That was in line with the forecasts from all but one of 10 economists surveyed by Bloomberg. Three MPC members voted…

IMF Urges Nigeria to Keep Tight Monetary Policy, Curb Inflation

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LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – The Central Bank of Nigeria should maintain its tight monetary-policy stance and consider raising interest rates to help anchor price expectations, the International Monetary Fund said. Increasing the monetary policy rate from 14 percent to exceed price growth, which stood at 15.1 percent in January, “would more transparently reflect CBN intentions, help anchor inflation expectations, and signal forward-looking policy,” the Washington-based lender said in a report release Wednesday after an Article IV consultation. Governor Godwin…

Nigeria’s Sticky Inflation Threatens to Curb Rate-Cut Hopes

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LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Nigeria’s long-awaited interest rate-cutting cycle risks being short-lived, if it starts at all. Governor Godwin Emefiele said last month the Central Bank of Nigeria may reduce its benchmark from a record-high 14 percent before July if inflation drops closer to single digits. But with fuel costs surging and government spending swelling before next year’s election, he may struggle to reach that threshold at a time when the pace of price growth is still…

Gas Flaring Law Error Cost Nigeria Billions of Dollars, Says Finance Minister

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LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Africa’s top oil producer plans to make gas flaring more costly for companies that have escaped the payment of billions of dollars despite being fined, Nigerian Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun said. In the “legal framework for the gas-flaring penalty, it was drafted as a charge. A charge is tax deductible,” Adeosun said in a January 23 interview. “So, what do the international oil companies do? They flare, they pay the charge…

Nigerian Rates Easing Still Some Way Off Even as Inflation Slows

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LAGOS (capital Markets in Africa) – The slowdown in Nigeria inflation to a 20-month low may not be enough to prompt the central bank to start easing just yet. The inflation rate in Africa’s most-populous nation fell to 15.4 percent from 15.9 percent in November, the Abuja-based National Bureau of Statistics said in an emailed report Tuesday. The median estimate of seven economists in a Bloomberg survey was for the rate to remain unchanged. Prices rose 0.6 percent…

Nigerian Inflation Slows for Ninth Straight Month in October

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LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Nigerian consumer inflation slowed marginally for a ninth consecutive month in October as food-price growth stayed above 20 percent. The inflation rate in Africa’s most-populous nation fell to 15.91 percent from 15.98 percent in September, the Abuja-based National Bureau of Statistics said in an e-mailed report on Tuesday. The median of 12 economists’ estimates compiled by Bloomberg was 15.9 percent. Prices rose 0.8 percent in the month. On Nov….

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