The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN said that it gave access to about 7,792 requests for foreign exchange valued at over $867 million to manufacturers, students and other strategic actors in the Nigerian economy.
This is according to statement by acting Director, Corporate Communications Department, Isaac Okoroafor, on Thursday in Abuja, stated that the access was in continuation of CBN’s resolve to ease foreign exchange pressure on manufacturers.
The access, Mr. Okoroafor noted, was given through inter-bank window to enable manufacturers and strategic actors source for vital raw materials and spare parts for their respective industries.
He added that the figure was derived from a summary of the Forex Utilization for the month of October. The summary indicated that the raw materials sector received the highest allotment, getting access to foreign exchange valued at $355.7 million representing 40.99 per cent of the total value.
He noted that “statistics from the CBN in Abuja showed that manufacturing and petroleum industries got access to $91.2 million and $150.8 million respectively.
“Companies and other interests in the agriculture sector got access to $13.7 million for the period, while entities in the aviation sector received $10.3 million.”
The director stated that finished goods and others got allotments of $43.8 million and $10.7 million respectively. Invisibles, comprising of school fees, students’ upkeep and medicals, among others, received $191.3 million, representing 22.05 per cent of the figure, he stated.
Mr. Okoroafor pointed out that the release of the figures underscored the transparency of the apex bank in foreign exchange management.
He added that the CBN remained committed to its pledge to ease foreign exchange pressure on manufacturing and agriculture sectors through forward sales under the new flexible foreign exchange regime.
He recalled that in September, manufacturing industries in Nigeria were given access to foreign exchange valued at over 660 million dollars in the inter-bank market.
