Tracking African financial markets, commodity flows, and investment signals — every week.

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High-rise office towers and busy traffic along the Marina in Lagos, Nigeria's financial district
Investment Signals

FMDQ Turnover Hits N551.23 Trillion in Nine Months as FX and OMO Bills Take 64%

FMDQ turnover reached N551.23 trillion from January to September 2026, with FX and CBN OMO bills making up 64% and three banks handling 42.7% of the total.

4 min read

Aerial view of central Kampala with office towers and a shopping mall
Currencies & Forex

Uganda Shilling Hits Record Low Near Shs4,250/$ as Central Bank Returns to Dollar Sales

The Uganda shilling fell to a record low near Shs4,250 per dollar, wiping out the gains from a 225-point rate hike. Why it is sliding and what comes next.

4 min read

A hand reaching for blue Nigerian 1,000-naira banknotes on a dark table, with the Market Pulse Africa logo
Currencies & Forex

Naira Exchange Rate Falls to N1,365/$: Sharpest Daily Drop in 18 Months as FX Demand Stays High

The naira exchange rate fell N28 to N1,365/$ on 22 October, its sharpest daily drop since April 2025. What CBN data shows and what to watch next.

3 min read

Accra skyline at dusk, with city lights spreading below a cloudy evening sky and palm fronds in the foreground
Currencies & Forex

Ghana Cedi Steadies at GH¢11.61 After Losing 10% of Its Value in 2026

The Ghana cedi firmed to GH¢11.61 per dollar on the Bank of Ghana interbank market, but it is still about 10% weaker than at the start of 2026. Here is why.

5 min read

Close-up of Benjamin Franklin's eyes on a US hundred-dollar bill above a navy band with the Market Pulse Africa logo
Currencies & Forex

Nigeria FX Turnover Falls 22% to $2.62bn as Forward Deals Drop 81%

Nigeria FX turnover fell 22.23% to $2.62bn in the week to 16 October as forwards dropped 81%. The naira held near N1,333/$ after a $430.6m CBN sale.

3 min read

Office building of the Financial Markets Dealers Association in Lagos behind a gated fence
Currencies & Forex

Nigeria FX Demand Hits $18.34bn in Q2 2026, Its Highest Since 2011

Nigeria FX demand rose to $18.34bn in Q2 2026, its highest since 2011, as financial services outflows doubled imports and CBN dollar sales fell to $418m.

4 min read

CBN Governor Olayemi Cardoso speaking into a microphone at a conference, with a Market Pulse Africa headline band about Nigeria-China trade payments
Currencies & Forex

Nigeria-China Payments: CBN's Cardoso Takes Settlement Talks to Beijing

Nigeria-China payments are on the CBN's agenda as Governor Cardoso plans Beijing talks on settlement, fintech and trade finance with the People's Bank of China.

4 min read

A financial executive reviews currency swap documents in a modern office, with a subtle overlay of the Nigerian naira and US dollar symbols connected by an exchange arrow.
Currencies & Forex

Nigeria’s $5bn swap trades certainty for cheaper money

Nigeria's $5bn swap with First Abu Dhabi Bank trades fixed-cost certainty for flexible dollar liquidity — here's how the deal actually works.

6 min read

Nigerian naira banknotes are fanned across a dark surface, softly lit, with a faint stabilising line graph overlaid above
Currencies & Forex

Naira Holds Near Two-Year High as Nigeria's FX Reserves Strengthen

The naira is holding near a two-year high, supported by record Nigerian FX reserves and rising remittance inflows

4 min read

Nigerian naira banknotes with a foreign-exchange trading screen showing the naira at ₦1,590 per dollar, against a dark Nigerian financial-market background with MarketPulse Africa
Currencies & Forex

The Nigerian Naira at 1,590: Currency Depreciation, Inflation and What Investors Need to Know

The naira has depreciated substantially since the June 2023 liberalisation. At roughly 1,590 to the dollar, the trajectory matters for anyone doing business in or with Africa's largest economy.

2 min read