Policy Briefs

Nigeria’s policy somersaults relating to it’s forex regime remains disconcerting and a Catch-22 situation. Any which way, the nation is bleeding. Since 2015, CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele, seems conflicted on deciding if the MDBs or the BDCs should hold sway in handling the forex marketing. In truth, he is not confident in either. This week, the CBN pulled the plug on the BDCs, when he announced the ban of forex sales to Nigeria’s nearly 3000 Bureau de Change. His reason, the BDCs were gorging Nigerians, thus propelling the Naira into a tail spin.

 The Governor overlooked that the BDCs and Diaspora remittances were essentially sustaining the critical gaps in the national foreign currency market. He forgot also, that when the MDBs held sway not long ago, they engaged in ritual hoarding and round-tripping. Nigeria’s solution to this seemingly intractable forex challenge is simple: courage to scrap the two-tier forex exchange regime. CBN must find the courage to end the forex Kabuki, now. Period. 

• Post Categories
• Central Bank of Nigeria
• Fiscal Policy
• Foreign exchange
• Policy Making
• Policy transparency
• Strength of Government