Net forex inflow rises 33% to $20.3bn in Q1 2026

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By Elizabeth Adegbesan

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Nigeria recorded a net foreign exchange (forex) inflow of $20.33 billion in the first quarter of 2026, representing a 33.8 per cent increase compared with the $15.19 billion recorded in the fourth quarter of 2025.

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The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) disclosed this in its Q1 2026 Quarterly Economic Report, attributing the increase to higher inflows from autonomous sources.

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The apex bank said aggregate forex inflow rose by 13.26 per cent to $31.34 billion in Q1 2026 from $27.67 billion in the preceding quarter.

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It added that forex outflow declined by 11.78 per cent to $11.01 billion from $12.48 billion recorded in Q4 2025.

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According to the report, forex inflow through the CBN fell slightly by 3.77 per cent to $10.20 billion from $10.60 billion, while inflow through autonomous sources increased by 23.90 per cent to $21.15 billion from $17.07 billion.

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The CBN further stated that forex outflow through the bank rose by 4.08 per cent to $7.40 billion from $7.11 billion in the previous quarter, while outflow through autonomous sources declined by 32.77 per cent to $3.61 billion from $5.37 billion.

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Consequently, autonomous sources recorded a net forex inflow of $17.53 billion in Q1 2026, compared with $11.71 billion in Q4 2025.

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The report also showed that the CBN recorded a net forex inflow of $2.80 billion during the quarter, lower than the $3.48 billion recorded in the preceding quarter.

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