Net forex inflow rises 33% to $20.3bn in Q1 2026

By Elizabeth Adegbesan

Nigeria recorded a net foreign exchange (forex) inflow of $20.33 billion in the first quarter of 2026, representing a 33.8 per cent increase compared with the $15.19 billion recorded in the fourth quarter of 2025.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) disclosed this in its Q1 2026 Quarterly Economic Report, attributing the increase to higher inflows from autonomous sources.

The apex bank said aggregate forex inflow rose by 13.26 per cent to $31.34 billion in Q1 2026 from $27.67 billion in the preceding quarter.

It added that forex outflow declined by 11.78 per cent to $11.01 billion from $12.48 billion recorded in Q4 2025.

According to the report, forex inflow through the CBN fell slightly by 3.77 per cent to $10.20 billion from $10.60 billion, while inflow through autonomous sources increased by 23.90 per cent to $21.15 billion from $17.07 billion.

The CBN further stated that forex outflow through the bank rose by 4.08 per cent to $7.40 billion from $7.11 billion in the previous quarter, while outflow through autonomous sources declined by 32.77 per cent to $3.61 billion from $5.37 billion.

Consequently, autonomous sources recorded a net forex inflow of $17.53 billion in Q1 2026, compared with $11.71 billion in Q4 2025.

The report also showed that the CBN recorded a net forex inflow of $2.80 billion during the quarter, lower than the $3.48 billion recorded in the preceding quarter.

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