A total of $43 billion in foreign currency flowed through Nigeria’s central bank as outflows in the whole of 2020, latest data from the Apex bank shows. This compares to the $66 billion in foreign currency outflows via the CBN in 2019.
The CBN received a total foreign currency inflow of $40 billion during the year compared to $62 billion a year earlier. The Central Bank of Nigeria has recorded a deficit or a net foreign currency outflow of $3 billion in 2020 (2019: $4 billion).
Nigeria faced an excruciating foreign currency crisis in 2020 as the fall in oil prices, global lockdown due to Covid-19 and a dearth in capital importation affected Nigeria’s foreign currency balances forcing multiple devaluations during the year and a wide disparity between the official and parallel market exchange rate.
