Nigeria’s net foreign exchange flows rose to $22.5 billion in the second quarter of 2026, the highest level since the fourth quarter of 2019.
According to Nairametrics, citing the Central Bank of Nigeria’s second-quarter statistical bulletin, the figure increased from $21.33 billion recorded in the first quarter.
The growth was driven by a sharper decline in foreign exchange outflows relative to inflows. Total inflows stood at $31.43 billion between April and June, while outflows amounted to $8.93 billion.
Monthly data showed that net FX flows rose from $6.53 billion in April to $7.91 billion in May, before reaching $8.06 billion in June.
Autonomous sources, which account for foreign exchange transactions outside the CBN, contributed significantly to the inflows recorded during the quarter.
Meanwhile, portfolio investment increased by 45 per cent to $6.51 billion in the second quarter, up from $4.49 billion in the preceding quarter.
Despite the improvement, the second-quarter figure ranked 12th among the highest quarterly net FX flow levels in the historical data reviewed. It remained below the record $31.93 billion posted in the third quarter of 2014.
