The Nigerian naira weakened against the United States dollar on Friday, September 18, 2026, in both the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market (NFEM) and the parallel market.
In the official market, the naira traded at about ₦1,331 per dollar, according to the latest data from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The rate represents a depreciation from ₦1,329.56 per dollar recorded on Wednesday, with the naira losing about ₦1.44 against the greenback.
In the parallel market, the dollar rose to about ₦1,375 on Friday, up from ₦1,370 on Wednesday.
The latest movements put the gap between the official and parallel-market rates at about ₦44 per dollar.
The divergence reflects differences in pricing and dollar supply between the two segments of Nigeria’s foreign exchange market. Parallel-market rates can also vary depending on location, dealer and transaction size.
Market participants continue to monitor dollar liquidity, foreign exchange demand and CBN interventions as key factors influencing the naira’s performance.
Reuters reported on Thursday that the naira was trading at around ₦1,328 per dollar in the official market and ₦1,390 in street trading. The report said the currency was expected to remain broadly stable amid central bank dollar sales and relatively subdued import demand.
At the latest reported parallel-market rate, $100 would cost about ₦137,500, while $1,000 would require approximately ₦1.375 million.
The official NFEM rate remains below the parallel-market quotation, highlighting the continuing spread between Nigeria’s formal and informal foreign exchange markets.
