February 20, (THEWILL) – The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), have teamed up to clamp down on forex speculators across the country.
A statement by the Head, Strategic Communication, ONSA, Zakari Mijinyawa, said the partnership was aimed at safeguarding Nigeria’s foreign exchange market and combat speculative activities.
“This partnership will involve a coordinated effort with key law enforcement agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Nigeria Customs Service and the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU).
“The primary objective of this alliance is to systematically identify, thoroughly investigate and appropriately penalise individuals and organisations involved in wrongful activities within the FX market.
“By leveraging the expertise of these agencies, we aim to deter malicious practices, protect investor interests, and promote sustainable economic growth.
“This joint effort underscores the commitment of the Nigerian government to improving its Anti-Money Laundering and Counter Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) framework and exiting the grey list of the Financial Action Task Force.
“In addition, the efforts will make progress in ensuring a stable and transparent foreign exchange market, fostering investor confidence, and advancing the nation’s economic well-being”, Mijinyawa stated.
He noted that the CBN’s proactive measures to stabilise the foreign exchange market and stimulate economic activities have been commendable.
However, Mijinyawa said the effectiveness of such initiatives were being undermined by the activities of speculators “both domestic and international, operating through various channels, thereby exacerbating the depreciation of the Nigerian Naira and contributing to inflation and economic instability.”
As part of efforts to address the exchange rate volatility, Mijinyawa said the CBN had initiated a comprehensive strategy to enhance liquidity in the forex market, including unifying FX market segments, clearing outstanding FX obligations, introducing new operational mechanisms for Bureau De Change (BDC) operators, enforcing the Net Open Position limit for commercial banks, and adjusting the remunerable Standing Deposit Facility cap.
The statement also noted that the EFCC has raised a 7,000-man special task force across its 14 zonal commands to clamp down on dollar racketeers in order to reduce pressure.
“Yet, recent intelligence reports have highlighted continued illicit activities within the Nigerian foreign exchange market, the ONSA and CBN are, therefore, embarking on this collaborative approach to tackle these infractions”, he declared.
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