Market News

ByAyomide Odunlami

Ayomide Odunlami is a Tax Reporter at BusinessDay, covering Nigeria’s tax reforms, compliance trends, and government revenue strategies. She reports on how evolving tax policies affect...

Nigeria’s Eurobond market closed the week to April 10 on a positive note, with average yields declining by 33 basis points to 7.12 percent from 7.45 percent, as renewed investor demand lifted prices across maturities.

The drop in yields signals stronger appetite for Nigerian sovereign debt in the international market, as investors increased purchases of existing bonds, pushing prices higher and borrowing costs lower for the government.

Buying interest was broadly distributed along the yield curve, reflecting confidence across both medium- and longer-term maturities. Key instruments such as the Feb-2030 bond saw yields compress by 41 basis points, while the Jan-2031 and Sep-2033 bonds declined by 39 basis points and 41 basis points respectively.

The Feb-2032 bond recorded the sharpest movement, with yields falling by about 45 basis points, highlighting particularly strong demand at that tenor.

“The Eurobond market also closed in the green this week, as the average yield fell by 33bps to 7.12 percent from 7.45 percent previously,” analysts at Meristem said, noting that “buying interest was spread across the curve,” with bonds such as Feb-2030, Jan-2031, Feb-2032, and Sep-2033 reflecting strong demand.

Analysts at CSL Stockbrokers also pointed to improving global sentiment as a key driver. “The Nigerian sovereign Eurobond market posted a broadly positive performance, with yields trending lower across the curve,” CSL said, attributing the movement to easing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.

According to the firm, ceasefire discussions involving the United States, Israel, and Iran have raised expectations of de-escalation, supporting investor confidence and driving yields lower by about 32 basis points week-on-week to around 7.1 percent.

“Investor confidence has largely remained stable,” said Ayodele Makinde, a fixed income analyst, explaining that earlier movements in yields were driven more by external factors, particularly tensions in the Middle East, rather than a shift in Nigeria’s underlying fundamentals.

Read also: Nigeria’s Eurobond yields spike as Middle East conflict weigh on sentiment

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The movement underscores that Nigeria’s recent gains in the Eurobond market are being driven more by external relief than domestic strength.

While falling yields offer short-term breathing room for the government, the reliance on global sentiment leaves the market exposed, with any shift in external conditions likely to reverse the gains.