The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN has successfully resolved the $7 billion foreign exchange, FX backlog inherited by Governor Yemi Cardoso.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Mrs. Hakama Sidi Ali, the Acting Director of Corporate Communications at the CBN, confirmed the settlement of all valid FX backlog claims.
She said it was in, “fulfilling a key pledge of the CBN Governor, Mr. Olayemi Cardoso, to process an inherited backlog of US$7 billion in claims.”
Mrs. Sidi Ali noted that the CBN recently concluded the payment of $1.5 billion to settle obligations to bank customers, effectively settling the residual balance of the FX backlog.
She also disclosed that independent auditors from Deloitte Consulting meticulously assessed these transactions, ensuring that only legitimate claims were honoured.
“Any invalid transactions were promptly referred to the relevant authorities for further scrutiny,” The CBN spokesperson added.
At a recent meeting, Governor Cardoso declared: “We made clearing the FX backlog a priority to restore credibility and confidence in the Nigerian economy.
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“It was important that we go through an independent and credible process that would determine the authenticity of those obligations, and, at this point, I can tell you that we have now cleared all genuine, verifiable transactions. This encumbrance to market confidence in the country’s ability to meet its obligations is now totally behind us.”
Clearance of the foreign exchange transactions backlog is part of the overall strategy detailed in last month’s Monetary Policy Committee meeting to stabilise the exchange rate and thereby curb imported inflation, spurring confidence in the banking system and the economy.
Cardoso used the MPC meeting and a subsequent conference call with foreign portfolio investors to set expectations for sustained increases in Nigeria’s foreign currency reserves and improved liquidity in the foreign exchange market.
