Naira to Dollar official & black market rates today, Thursday, December 18, 2025

The Naira dollar exchange rate showed cautious stability on Thursday, December 18, 2025, as market activity reflected sustained year-end demand for foreign exchange.

The Naira dollar exchange rate remained under close watch as both official and parallel markets responded to seasonal pressure from importers and holiday travellers.

Official Market Performance

At the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market, the Naira dollar exchange rate opened trading at about ₦1,453.25 to the dollar.

This represented a mild recovery from Wednesday’s closing rate of ₦1,458.02 at the official window.

Early trades showed the Naira dollar exchange rate moving between a high of ₦1,460.75 and a low of ₦1,453.07.

Market watchers attributed the mild swings to companies and importers finalising payments before the year ends.

Analysts said the Central Bank of Nigeria remained active through intervention windows to improve dollar liquidity.

These moves have helped stabilise the Naira dollar exchange rate despite increased festive season demand.

Parallel Market Trends

In the parallel market, the Naira dollar exchange rate continued to trade at a significant premium.

Bureau De Change operators in Lagos, Abuja, and Kano quoted rates between ₦1,720 and ₦1,735 per dollar.

The persistent gap between markets has raised concerns among policymakers and financial analysts.

Demand for travel allowances and holiday imports has kept pressure on the Naira dollar exchange rate outside official channels.

Factors Driving the Exchange Rate

Several elements are shaping the current Naira dollar exchange rate movement.

Year-end import demand has pushed dollar needs higher across the retail and corporate segments.

Liquidity injections by the CBN through authorised dealers have provided some relief to the official market.

Stable global oil prices have supported foreign reserves, giving the apex bank room to intervene.

As the week draws to a close, experts expect the Naira dollar exchange rate to stay within ₦1,450 and ₦1,465 officially.

They warned the parallel market could weaken slightly if demand continues to exceed available supply.