Foreign Reserves Shrinks by $753million in April

Nigeria’s external reserves plummeted by a total of $753 million to close at $27.123 billion as at April 28th, compared with the $27.859 billion it was as at April 1.

According to figures gathered from the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, the current position of the reserves, which are derived mainly from the proceeds of crude oil earnings represented a decline by $1.855 billion or 6.4 per cent, as against the $28.978 billion it stood at the beginning of this year.

Crude oil prices recorded nearly 20 per cent climb in April to about $46 per barrel.

OPEC crude-oil production surged by 484,000 barrels to 33.217 million a day in April, according to a Bloomberg survey.

Analysts at FBN Quest noted the peak in crude oil price from its recent floor in January, saying the budget assumption of $38 per barrel has started to look conservative. They predicted an end-2016 spot price for Bonny Light of $55 per barrel.

“They said, the global supply/demand balance for crude is set to remain out of kilter until late 2017. Inventory accumulation, data-driven China worries and an uncompromising Saudi stance militate against an earlier recovery.

“The success of the President Muhammadu Buhari agenda rests upon whether its expansionary fiscal stance will deliver the capital spending and the jobs to make its contribution to a revival in the economy. This, in turn, requires that it comes close to hitting its ambitious targets for non-oil revenue generation.

“These are heady projections and the impact of the 2016 budget will not be felt much before the end of the year. Beyond the fiscal, the FGN would do well to clarify its policies and trumpet its successes, given the limits on the patience of voters and markets.