Ngozi Amuche
Nigeria’s foreign reserves advanced just at the marginal rate of 0.16 percent or $58.464 million in the one month period between 29th August and 29th September.
According to data from the Central Bank of Nigeria obtained by our correspondent, the reserves, whose balance stood at $35.665 billion as of 29th August, edged up to $35.724 billion by 29th September.
Growth in the reserves was irregular throughout the period with a number of rises and falls in the balance, causing them to decline to $35.67 billion by 1st September and again went up to $35.81 billion as of 17th September.
They had expanded by $65 million from $35.59 million on 20th August to $35.66 million by 27th August.
Between 29th July and 19th August, they shed $278.91 million, crumbling from $35.87 billion to $35.59 billion but began to record increase afterward.
Nigeria’s international reserves might stay anywhere between $29.9 billion and $34.3 billion by end of December, the CBN said in a report: ‘Monetary, Credit, Foreign Trade and Exchange Policy Guidelines for Fiscal Years 2020/2021.’
It added, “Sequel to the COVID-19 pandemic, the viability of the external sector in 2020 is expected to deteriorate, given the present worsening current account balance and depletion of external reserves driven, largely, by decelerating export receipts, particularly oil.
“Specifically, the degree of external reserves accumulation is expected to decelerate, as outflows are expected to outweigh inflows.
“As a result, external reserves are expected to lie between $29.9bn and $34.3bn at end-December 2020 (predicated on current declining oil price between $20 and $40).”