The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) raised ₦1.7 trillion from its open market operations conducted on Monday, following strong investor demand that significantly exceeded the amount initially offered.
The OMO auction was held ahead of an expected ₦1.04 trillion inflow from the maturity of OMO bills scheduled for December 23, 2025. In a bid to partially replace the maturing securities, the apex bank offered ₦600 billion across short- and medium-term tenors.
Market liquidity remained elevated, estimated at about ₦2.6 trillion, driven by anticipated inflows including ₦281.53 billion from Treasury bills maturing on December 25, 2025, and ₦354.46 billion in bond coupon payments from the June 2032, June 2033, June 2038, and June 2053 Federal Government bonds.
The CBN’s offer comprised ₦300 billion each of 162-day and 211-day OMO bills. Demand was strong, with total subscriptions reaching approximately ₦2.4 trillion, as foreign portfolio investors and domestic banks continued to show strong appetite for naira-denominated assets.
Following the auction, the apex bank allotted about ₦1.7 trillion across the two tenors, with stop rates settling at 19.38 percent for the 162-day bill and 19.42 percent for the 211-day instrument, according to the auction results.
In the secondary market, Nigerian Treasury bills closed on a mildly bullish note as yields declined across most maturities. The December 17 paper recorded the sharpest movement, with yields falling by 13 basis points.
Overall, average yields across the Treasury bills curve declined by 3 basis points to close at 17.72 percent, reflecting sustained demand and expectations of continued liquidity management by the monetary authority.
