The value of the naira on the streets moved closer to what is obtainable at the Bureau de Change and banks yesterday as it further firmed selling at N365 to the dollar, even as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) says it will be selling forex to clear backlogs.
Authourised dealers said the apex bank plans to settle the bids through a combination of spot and short-term forward deals.
The Central Bank has been selling dollars since February in an effort to improve liquidity and narrow the spread between the official and black market exchange rates for the naira.
Close to $5 billion has been sold, according to analysts.
The frequent interventions of the apex bank and the twice weekly dollar sales to BDC operators have helped in its attempt to achieve rate convergence.
At the Investors and Exporters window, the value of the naira also closed firmer at N373.52 to the dollar yesterday up from N377.14 which it began the day’s trading but weakened at the interbank window to N305.60 from N305.55 which it closed on Tuesday.