Business
Naira Recovery Against Dollar To Begin February 2021 – CBN

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) says the naira will begin recovery against the dollar and other global currencies from February 2021.
This was contained in the latest CBN Business Expectation Survey released by its Statistics Department.
The survey respondent firms, however, envisage higher interest rates from January, March till June 2021.
According to the report, although the naira has for several months depreciated against the dollar, the local currency appreciation against the greenback will start from February 2021 till July same year.
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The December 2020 Business Expectations Survey was conducted online from December 7 to 11, 2020, with a sample size of 1,050 businesses nationwide.
A response rate of 91.3 per cent was achieved and the sample covered agriculture/services, manufacturing, wholesale/retail trade, and construction sectors. The respondents were made up of small, medium, and large corporations covering both import-oriented and export-oriented businesses.
On the state of the naira, Managing Director, Financial Derivatives Company Limited, Bismarck Rewane, said the local currency has lost over 26.72 per cent of its value so far in 2020.
He attributed naira’s continued decline to a heightened forex supply shortage, demand pressure, and rationing.
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Rewane noted that for the naira rates to converge would require the adoption of a fully floating exchange rate system determined by the forces of demand and supply.
Also, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had called for unified exchange rate for the naira to promote growth and attractive foreign capital.
The CBN had last month devalued the naira by N6 to a dollar. The naira devaluation brought the local currency closer to the exchange rate unification agenda of the apex bank as recommended by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank.
In a weekly exchange rate for disbursement of proceeds of International Money Transfer Service Operators (IMTOs) for November 30, 2020, all authorised dealers, Bureaux De Change and Service Providers were advised to add N6 across all rates.
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The naira was a month ago exchanging at N500/$ at the parallel market before it appreciated to N465/$ at the weekend. The local currency has, however, remained stable at N379/$ on the CBN’s official rate, a check at the apex bank’s website showed.
(NATION)
Business
NNPCL Raises Fuel Price

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has increased the pump price of petrol from ₦865 to ₦992 per litre, marking a fresh hike that has sparked widespread concern among motorists and consumers .
As of the time of filing this report, the company has not released any official statement explaining the reason for the sudden adjustment.
During visits to several NNPC retail outlets, The Nation observed fuel attendants recalibrating their pumps to reflect the new price.
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At NNPC filling station on Ogunusi road, Ojodu Berger, petrol attendants at the station said they were instructed to change the price to reflect the new rate N992 per litre.
However, checks at Ibafo along the Lagos /Ibadan expressway showed that NNPC outlets still displayed the old price of N875 per litre, although they were not selling to commuters.
Most of the NNPC stations were not dispensing fuel.
Business
CBN Directs Banks To Refund Failed ATM Transactions Within 48hrs

The Central Bank of Nigeria has directed Deposit Money Banks and other financial institutions to refund customers for failed Automated Teller Machine transactions within 48 hours, in a sweeping reform aimed at protecting consumers and restoring confidence in the banking system.
The directive is contained in a draft guideline released by the apex bank on Saturday, titled “Exposure of the Draft Guidelines on the Operations of Automated Teller Machines in Nigeria.”
The document, signed by Musa I. Jimoh, Director of Payments System Policy Department, was circulated to banks, payment service providers, card schemes, and independent ATM deployers, with a call for stakeholder feedback by October 31, 2025.
Under the draft, failed “on-us” transactions, where customers use their own bank’s ATM, must be reversed instantly. If technical glitches prevent immediate reversal, the bank is required to manually refund the customer within 24 hours.
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For “not-on-us” transactions, involving other banks’ ATMs, refunds must be processed within 48 hours.
“Customers must not be made to suffer for failed transactions caused by system errors or network failures,” the circular stressed.
In a significant shift, the CBN mandated banks and ATM acquirers to deploy technology that automatically reverses failed or partial transactions, removing the need for customers to lodge complaints.
Institutions holding customer funds due to failed disbursements must reconcile and return balances immediately.
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According to the apex bank, these measures respond to widespread frustration over delayed refunds and poor customer service and form part of a broader effort to enhance consumer protection, improve reliability, and modernise Nigeria’s payment infrastructure in line with global standards.
The guidelines will also overhaul ATM operations nationwide. Banks and card issuers are now required to deploy at least one ATM for every 5,000 active cards, with phased targets of 30% compliance in 2026, 60% in 2027, and full compliance by 2028. Any future deployment, relocation, or decommissioning of ATMs must receive prior approval from the CBN.
To ensure safety, ATMs must be fitted with anti-skimming devices, CCTV cameras, and placed in enclosed or well-lit areas.
Machines are expected to comply with Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards, maintain audit logs, and display functional helpdesk contacts. At least 2% of all ATMs must feature tactile symbols for visually impaired customers.
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ATMs are also required to dispense cash before returning cards, allow free PIN changes, issue receipts for all transactions except balance inquiries, display clear transaction fees, dispense only clean banknotes, and provide backup power to reduce downtime.
Downtime must not exceed 72 consecutive hours, after which operators must inform the public of the cause and expected restoration time.
The CBN will enforce compliance through regular audits, on-site inspections, and monthly reports from ATM operators detailing deployments and locations. Defaulting institutions risk sanctions, though fines were not specified.
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The apex bank explained that the overhaul was necessary due to rising complaints about failed transactions, cyber fraud, and declining service quality, noting that “the goal is to build a payments system that works seamlessly for everyone, urban and rural users alike.”
Nigeria’s electronic payments landscape has grown rapidly in recent years, with 200 million cardholders and rising reliance on digital banking, but network failures, poor infrastructure, and delayed reversals have continued to undermine confidence.
The fresh guidelines, coming eight months after a revision of ATM fees, are expected to streamline service delivery, enhance transaction security, and hold banks accountable. Stakeholders are invited to submit feedback ahead of the final policy adoption, which could take effect before the end of the year.
Business
Nigerian Stock Market Hits 10th Consecutive Uptrend As investors Gain N308bn

The Nigerian Stock Market recorded its 10th consecutive uptrend as investors raked in N308 billion gain on Thursday.
This comes as the Nigerian Exchange Limited, NGX, market capitalisation, which opened at N92.490 trillion, appreciated by 0.33 per cent to close at N92.798 trillion on Thursday.
Also, the All-Share Index added 0.33 per cent, or 485.25 points, to close at 146,204.34, compared with 145,719.09 recorded on Wednesday.
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Increased trading in Eunisell Interlinked, Caverton Offshore Support Group, Sunu Assurances, Industrial and Medical Gases, Mecure, and 27 other advancing stocks boosted market performance on Thursday.
To this end, the market breadth also closed positive with 32 gainers and 21 losers.
Further analysis showed that Eunisell Interlinked and Caverton Offshore Support Group led the gainers’ chart by 10 per cent each, closing at N44 and N6.93 per share, respectively, while FTN Cocoa Processors led the losers’ table by 6.67 per cent, closing at N5.60 per share.
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Market activity showed a decline in the number of deals and volume traded but an improvement in trade value.
Accordingly, a total of 346.99 million shares worth N27.43 billion were traded in 24,691 deals, compared with 525.72 million shares worth N13.61 billion exchanged in 25,597 deals on Wednesday.
Fidelity Bank topped the activity chart with 42.01 million shares valued at N861.54 million.
According to DAILY POST, NGX has continued its bullish run from last month’s end to date.
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