Ogochukwu Onwaeze, THEWILL

Nigeria has entered the final months of 2026 with stronger external and domestic buffers, but the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) says a tougher global environment could still disrupt the improvement.

Dangote Petroleum Refinery and several petroleum marketers have reduced petrol prices at major depots following a decline in international crude oil prices.

Nigeria recorded more than 18.8 million domestic and international air passengers in 2025, representing an 11.9 percent year-on-year increase and making the country Africa’s fourth-largest aviation market.

The Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) decision to cut its benchmark interest rate by 350 basis points has opened a new phase in monetary policy, with economists divided over how quickly the reduction will translate into cheaper credit and stronger economic activity.

Agusto & Co. has upgraded the long-term credit rating of Mutual Benefits Assurance Plc from BBB+ to A-, citing improvements in the insurer’s financial performance, capitalisation and underwriting operations.

The market opened with a capitalisation of N162.385tn before rising 0.18 percent by the close of trading.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has cut its benchmark Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) by 350 basis points to 23 percent, from 26.5 percent.

Nigeria’s current account surplus rose to $7.54 billion in the second quarter of 2026 from $4.49 billion in Q1, as stronger petroleum exports, lower crude oil imports and higher non-oil exports improved the country’s external position.

The Federal Government has commercially launched a $300m investment fund designed to attract public and private capital into off-grid electricity and distributed renewable energy projects across the country.

Eight years after entering the Nigerian market, financial technology company OPay is evolving from a digital payments platform into a broader financial services provider, reflecting the changing way Nigerians access and manage money.