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The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has decided to retain the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) at 27.5%, a move that reflects the bank’s cautious approach to monetary management. This decision was made during the 300th Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting, where all 12 members voted unanimously to maintain the current policy rates.
Key Highlights of the meeting includes:
- Monetary Policy Rate (MPR): Retained at 27.5% to maintain price stability and support economic recovery.
- Asymmetric Corridor*: Maintained at +500/-100 basis points around the MPR to ensure liquidity management.- *
- Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR): Held at 50% for Deposit Money Banks and 16% for Merchant Banks to control liquidity.
- Liquidity Ratio: Left unchanged at 30% to ensure banks’ liquidity and stability.
Industry experts had predicted the CBN’s decision to retain the MPR at 27.5%. According to Olaitan S. Sunday, Managing Director of Rostrum Investment & Securities Ltd, “Holding the MPR at 27.5% will continue to support the naira, anchor inflation expectations, and bolster investors confidence in the Nigerian economy.”
The CBN’s decision to hold rates steadily signals its focus on maintaining price stability while cautiously supporting economic recovery. By maintaining current rates, the bank is giving room for existing policies to yield results before implementing further adjustments.
Market analysts suggest that any potential rate cuts will depend on inflation trends and exchange rate stability over the coming months. If inflation continues to moderate and the foreign exchange market stabilizes, the CBN may consider a more accommodative policy stance in the second half of the year.
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