The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) sold $1.64 billion in foreign exchange through the spot market in the first half of 2026, with sales peaking at $950.1 million in March.
This is according to the latest CBN Q2 2026 Statistical Bulletin.
The monthly figures show that March accounted for approximately 58% of the total spot sales recorded between January and June.
Sales were considerably lower in the other months, while total reported foreign exchange sales, including transactions across other categories, reached about $1.67 billion during the period.
The CBN’s monthly spot sales increased from $53 million in January to $225.1 million in February before rising sharply in March.
The figures show that the CBN’s spot-market activity was concentrated in March, with monthly sales remaining below $226 million in every other month covered by the bulletin.
The first-half figures come after the CBN recorded $8.20 billion in foreign exchange spot sales in 2025, according to the annual figures in the statistical bulletin.
Nairametrics previously reported that Nigeria’s total foreign exchange demand increased by 91% to $50.93 billion in 2025, its highest level in six years.
Foreign exchange demand and capital movements continue to shape Nigeria’s currency market, with recent data showing substantial demand from financial services and increased portfolio investment.
The figures provide context for the scale of foreign exchange demand and investment flows during the period, while the CBN data detail its reported FX sales across different channels.
