Macroeconomic Report & Economic Updates
January 15, 2018
Nigeria Economic Update (Issue 1)
Nigerias external reserves improved in 2017. The reserve stood at approximately $39 billion as at the end of December 2017, up by about 50 percent from the $26 billion at the beginning of the year 20172. The surge in reserve was particularly boosted by increased capital importation, and crude revenue earnings prompted by a relatively higher crude oil price and improved domestic production. Given that the recent uptick in external reserves is still largely associated with improved crude oil price, efforts should be geared towards conserving current reserve gain so as to cushion future external shock. In the medium term, there is need to diversify export earning away from oil so as to mitigate the effects of volatility in crude oil prices.
Related
Nigeria Economic Update (Issue 29)
OPEC weekly basket
price decreased marginally from $45.95 on June 24, 2016 to $45.26 on July 1,
2016,while Nigerias bonny light fell by $1, from $48.90 to $47.91.
The apparent decline in crude oil price was driven by lingering market demand
uncertainty, following the unexpected Brexit referendum. More so, ease
in supply disruptions in Nigeria and Canada may have contributed to the
downward pressure on prices. Going forward, until there is greater regulatory
precision on global oil output levels, prices may likely remain stuck or continue
to exhibit a downward trend. Although, Nigerias fiscal constraints slightly
relaxed with oil production increasing in the review week (following repairs on
sabotaged pipeline channels), potential global crude oil oversupply threatens
governments revenues. However, oversupply threats could be reduced if there is
a consensus on oil production quotas in the upcoming OPEC meeting.