The Nigeria Stock Exchange market advanced further as equity indices pitched higher in the review week. Benchmark indices, All-share Index and Market Capitalization rose by 1.5 percent to settle at remarkable points, 37,425 and N12.90 trillion respectively an exceptional first-time record in more than two years. The uptrend has been sustained by stronger demand for investment securities due to outstanding H1 performance reports submitted by some listed companies during the week10.

Money Supply: On a month-on-month basis, growth in M2 have accelerated overtime; reaching over N20,000 billion by April 2016. The rise in M2 at the end of 2016Q1 reflects the fast-paced rise in aggre

Recent report in the media highlights that Nigerias GDP has dropped to $296 billion in 2016, in contrast to the $481 billion recorded in 20151 and Nigeria has lost its position as Africas largest economy to South Africa. This conclusion was based on the computation of GDP with current naira-dollar exchange rate. However, while the naira has significantly lost its official value since the adoption of a flexible exchange rate, estimating GDP merely with a single exchange rate figure (rather than its yearly average) cannot be regarded as an appropriate method to conclude on Africas largest economy.

Latest monthly economic report by the CBN reveals a decline in foreign exchange flows through the CBN. Foreign exchange inflow through the apex bank, dropped Month-on-Month by 21 percent to $2.3 billion in May 2017, occasioned by the fall in from Oil and Non-oil sources during the month.