The Nigerian naira maintained a stable performance against the United States dollar in early trading on Friday, May 22, 2026, continuing the recent trend of relative calm across both the official and parallel foreign exchange markets.
At the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market (NFEM), the country’s official forex trading window, the naira opened at approximately ₦1,370.05 to the dollar, closely reflecting the previous session’s closing range of between ₦1,371 and ₦1,373.
Market participants attributed the steady outlook to sustained liquidity within the official window, supported by consistent interbank transactions and ongoing interventions by the Central Bank of Nigeria aimed at managing volatility and ensuring smooth transaction flows.
In the parallel market, Bureau De Change operators in major commercial centres including Lagos, Abuja and Kano quoted the dollar at about ₦1,370 for buying and around ₦1,372 for selling.
Analysts observed that the close alignment between rates in the official market and the parallel market reflects a continued reduction in the speculative premium that traditionally existed between both segments.
Financial experts linked the current market stability to moderated retail demand and tighter monetary policies introduced by the Central Bank.
With the Monetary Policy Rate maintained at 26.5 per cent, analysts said monetary authorities have continued to adopt measures focused on liquidity control, exchange rate stability and investor confidence in the foreign exchange market.
