IMF Says Nigeria’s Economy May Contract by 1.8% in 2016

IMF Says Nigeria’s Economy May Contract by 1.8% in 2016

LAGOS, Nigeria, Capital Markets in Africa: Africa’s largest economy will probably contract by 1.8 percent this year and curb growth in the entire region, according to the International Monetary Fund. The Washington-based lender cut its 2016 growth forecast for Nigeria from 2.3 percent projected in April, according to its World Economic Outlook update released on Tuesday. The projection for next year was reduced to 1.1 percent from 3.5 percent. The Nigerian economy will contract for the first…

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Nigeria | Naira Forwards, Volatility Surge as Nigeria Removes Spread Limit

Nigeria | Naira Forwards, Volatility Surge as Nigeria Removes Spread Limit

LAGOS, Capital Markets in Africa: Naira forwards rose to record highs and volatility surged after the Central Bank of Nigeria removed a limit on bid-offer spreads in the foreign-exchange market, raising expectations the currency is set to extend declines as it trades more freely. Three-month non-deliverable forward contracts jumped 4.1 percent to a record329 per dollar by 4:41 p.m. in Lagos, while contracts maturing in a year rose 3.3 percent to 363, also the highest level…

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Nigeria Inflation 16.5% in June, Highest in Almost 11 Years

Nigeria Inflation 16.5% in June, Highest in Almost 11 Years

LAGOS, Capital Markets in Africa: Nigerian inflation accelerated to the highest rate in almost 11 years in June, complicating the task of the central bank in an economy which is at risk of contracting this year. The inflation rate in Africa’s largest economy increased to 16.5 percent from 15.6 in May, the Abuja-based National Bureau of Statistics said in an e-mailed statement on Monday. That’s the highest rate since October 2005, according to data on the Central Bank of…

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Nigerian President Buhari Plans Seen as Inadequate to Deal With Nigeria’s Slump

Nigerian President Buhari Plans Seen as Inadequate to Deal With Nigeria’s Slump

LAGOS, Nigeria, Capital Markets in Africa: Nigeria’s economy could contract this year and President Muhammadu Buhari’s government is seen as having few plans in place to turn the slump around, according to analysts including Renaissance Capital Limited’s Yvonne Mhango. Last month, the Central Bank of Nigeria allowed the naira to devalue after a 15-month currency peg curbed investment and contributed to a 0.4 percent contraction in the economy in the three months through March. With inflation at a…

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Diamond’s Atlas Mara Snared in Nigeria Contagion as Stock Sinks

Diamond’s Atlas Mara Snared in Nigeria Contagion as Stock Sinks

LAGOS, Nigeria, Capital Markets in Africa: Atlas Mara Limited, the company co-founded by former Barclays Plc Chief Executive Officer Bob Diamond to buy lenders in Africa, fell to a record low as concern over the health of Nigeria’s banking industry spread. Atlas Mara, which owns at least 21 percent of Lagos-based Union Bank Nigeria Plc, dropped for the fourth time in seven days in London trading on Wednesday. That mirrors declines among most Nigerian lenders after the central bank replaced the…

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IMF Says Nigeria’s Economy Will Probably Contract This Year

IMF Says Nigeria’s Economy Will Probably Contract This Year

LAGOS, Capital Markets in Africa: Nigeria’s economy will probably contract this year as energy shortages and the delayed budget weigh on output, according to the International Monetary Fund. “I think there is a high likelihood that the year 2016 as a whole will be a contractionary year,” Gene Leon, the fund’s resident representative in Nigeria, said in an interview in the capital, Abuja, on July 8. While the economy should look better in second half…

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Nigeria’s Skye Extends Decline to Record Low as Diamond Falls

Nigeria’s Skye Extends Decline to Record Low as Diamond Falls

LAGOS, Nigeria, Capital Markets in Africa: Nigeria’s Diamond Bank Plc and Skye Bank Plc slumped for the straight third day after the central bank stepped in to remove Skye’s top management a week ago. Skye Bank plummeted 9.2 percent to 79 kobo, a fresh all-time low by the close of trading, and Diamond Bank slid by 8 percent to 1.85 naira, the lowest since May 19. Skye’s stock has fallen by 25 percent since the July 4 intervention by…

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