Welcome, Guest: Register On Nairaland / LOGIN! / Trending / Recent / New
Stats: 3,151,824 members, 7,813,708 topics. Date: Tuesday, 30 April 2024 at 04:50 PM

What exactly Is The Benefit Of Floating The Naira? - Business (8) - Nairaland

Nairaland Forum / Nairaland / General / Business / What exactly Is The Benefit Of Floating The Naira? (25607 Views)

Why Exactly Is The Cement Price Going Up This Way? / Floating Naira: Importers Abandon Tokunbo Cars At Seaport / When The Naira Was Stronger Than US Dollar (Throwback) (2) (3) (4)

(1) (2) (3) ... (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (Reply) (Go Down)

Re: What exactly Is The Benefit Of Floating The Naira? by TheGoodJoe(m): 11:55am On Feb 14
PureFace1:


You forgot that Revenue from crude oil Nigeria major souce of income was still at an all time high during Obasanjo government unlike now that we almost can't even get buyers for our crude oil.

No. Obasanjo met a very low exchange rate when he came into power and his average rate was still low.


In 1999 when the military handed over power to Olusegun Obasanjo, the average crude oil price was $16.56 per barrel. In 2003 when he was re-elected for a second term, average crude oil price rose to $28.05 per barrel and $69.08 per barrel in 2007. The average crude oil price during Obasanjo’s tenure from 1999 to 2007 was $37.18.

By 2008, during Musa Yar’Adua’s tenure, a barrel of average crude oil was $94.45 and later fell to $77. 45 when he died in 2010. During Yar’Adua’s tenure from 2007 to 2010, the average crude oil price was $75.51 per barrel.

Average crude oil price per barrel rose to $107 in 2011 and an all-time high of $109.45 in 2012 as well as $105.87 in 2013. It fell to $96.29 in 2014 and a very record low of $49.49 in 2015. From 2010 to 2015 during Goodluck Jonathan’s tenure, the average crude oil price per barrel was $91.

https://www.icirnigeria.org/fact-check-president-buharis-fancy-lies-on-past-oil-prices/

Obasanjo performed incredibly despite low price of Crude OIl.

cc: Jessyjeff
Re: What exactly Is The Benefit Of Floating The Naira? by Average9jaman: 11:55am On Feb 14
PoliteActivist:

*Politeness*
I modified my post. See above. It is not economic jargon, it is common sense. If my money can buy more in your house, I'd like your house and buy stuff from your house... until I realize I'm giving you all my money!


B4 u worry about how many things another country's money can buy, u should 1st worry about how many things your own country money can buy

That sounds more common sense 2me
Re: What exactly Is The Benefit Of Floating The Naira? by Average9jaman: 12:13pm On Feb 14
Jessyjeff:
Please, just say APC mismanaged the Naira by over borrowing and floating of the currency.

When Obasanjo took over in 1999, Nigeria had around 3 billion dollars in foreign reserve. Nigeria was still then heavily dependent on importation; he didn't float Naira, and he didn't stop subsidy on petrol, diesel and Kerosene.

Yet, Nigeria's inflation rate was under 15% and food was affordable too. He assembled able hands who were able to grow the economy and pay Nigeria's debts or negotiate some debt forgiveness.

Why did everything about Nigeria's economy start deteriorating RAPIDLY immediately APC took over government in 2015? APC has no clue about economic management, especially on federal level.
Re: What exactly Is The Benefit Of Floating The Naira? by Incredible128: 12:15pm On Feb 14
All these won't work if:
1: your country is bedeviled with insecurity
2:it becomes hard for investors to move their money out of your country when they want to
3: fantastic corruption
4:too fluctuating exchange rates
5:scarcity of the forex you say would flood in due to floating of your currency. Proof of this being companies posting losses due to inability to source forex due to lack of it of costliness of it
PoliteActivist:
*Politeness*
It will bring in people and investments.
Don't you see US always accusing China of intentionally devaluing their currency?
Example, if Togo devalues their currency you'd be going there to buy stuff and vacations, but if they inflate their currency you won't go

*Politeness*
It is not economic jargon, it is common sense. If my money can buy more in your house, I'd like your house and buy stuff from your house... until I realize I'm giving you all my money!

*Politeness*
Here's just one particular example: i read somewhere that floating has reduced the rate of japa. Who is losing? Those countries that would have gotten money from visa, etc, plus take our youth and brains. Who is gaining in the long run? Nigeria!
Re: What exactly Is The Benefit Of Floating The Naira? by emorse(m): 12:20pm On Feb 14
Deogratiasfx:


It simply means allowing the forces of demand and supply to influence the currency value as against CBN having a fixed the exchange rate.

It is the most realistic but it takes a smart government to take advantage of it. Hence, exports become cheap and imports become expensive.
People who export make so much because u bring in hard currency but when u import, u use ur huge money to get few things.

But we have to be first, self sufficient (at least in food and a few other basic necessities and then capable of exporting don't you agree?
Re: What exactly Is The Benefit Of Floating The Naira? by TheGoodJoe(m): 12:23pm On Feb 14
@ ckc

I will give you my take.

In a corrupt system, it is easy to mismanage the economy and get away with people praising you. That is where fixing of the currency plays a role. Despite numerous Nigerians in poverty, and being an import-dependent country, our exchange rate reflected the opposite and it cost billions of dollars to achieve this.

However, there came the reckless Buhari's government that depleted the reserves and borrowed with no care.

This puts us in a state where we can not run the country poorly and reflect a good exchange rate. The government had no choice but to float the naira.

Floating means the market decides the exchange rate.

Unfortunately, the country is so poorly run that we are hit by inflation, and increased hardship.

The only way out is sound prudent management. No more business as usual. We have to start seeing the poor and the masses as tools for production and making us less dependent on importation.

I know it is tough, but I like the floating because I know things will get harder until government stop its wastage and genuinely start investing in growing the people, which will grow the economy and grow the naira.
Re: What exactly Is The Benefit Of Floating The Naira? by zeyt: 12:24pm On Feb 14
PoliteActivist:
*Politeness*
It will bring in people and investments.
Don't you see US always accusing China of intentionally devaluing their currency?
Example, if Togo devalues their currency you'd be going there to buy stuff and vacations, but if they inflate their currency you won't go

*Politeness*
It is not economic jargon, it is common sense. If my money can buy more in your house, I'd like your house and buy stuff from your house... until I realize
I'm giving you all my money!

*Politeness*
Here's just one particular example: i read somewhere that floating has reduced the rate of japa. Who is losing? Those countries that would have gotten money from visa, etc, plus take our youth and brains. Who is gaining in the long run? Nigeria!

*Politeness*
Floating is different from inflation. Also it depends on the type of country. Nigeria is the the type of country that CANNOT lose in the long run by floating her currency.
The only losers will be those who wish to travel, those who need to buy foreign, round trippers, blackmarketers, currency hoaders and speculators, corrupt government and CBN insiders, airlines, foreign countries who'd get less of our japa youths, brains, and visa money!
Oh that what is bringing the foreigners with bags of USD straight to beaur de change to collect Naira and deplete our grain market.
While we can buy little food with little amount we have
Re: What exactly Is The Benefit Of Floating The Naira? by TheGoodJoe(m): 12:31pm On Feb 14
@ ckc
If the government does not tackle insecurity, things will keep getting harder. If the government does not tackle the economy, things get harder. If people keep voting thieves, their lives get harder. We are in a serious case to wake up as a country.

1 Like 1 Share

Re: What exactly Is The Benefit Of Floating The Naira? by Faceonme1443: 12:41pm On Feb 14
The truth is that there is no money to pay for petrol subsidy and dollar subsidy again.
Re: What exactly Is The Benefit Of Floating The Naira? by TheGoodJoe(m): 12:42pm On Feb 14
@ ckc

If a governor likes , he can build irrelevant flyovers instead of improving health care and job creation. Things will get harder because the currency value will keep falling. The currency is now like the indicator of our economy.
Re: What exactly Is The Benefit Of Floating The Naira? by livebullet(m): 12:55pm On Feb 14
PoliteActivist:
*Politeness*
It will bring in people and investments.
Don't you see US always accusing China of intentionally devaluing their currency?
Example, if Togo devalues their currency you'd be going there to buy stuff and vacations, but if they inflate their currency you won't go

*Politeness*
It is not economic jargon, it is common sense. If my money can buy more in your house, I'd like your house and buy stuff from your house... until I realize
I'm giving you all my money!

*Politeness*
Here's just one particular example: i read somewhere that floating has reduced the rate of japa. Who is losing? Those countries that would have gotten money from visa, etc, plus take our youth and brains. Who is gaining in the long run? Nigeria!

*Politeness*
Floating is different from inflation. Also it depends on the type of country. Nigeria is the the type of country that CANNOT lose in the long run by floating her currency.
The only losers will be those who wish to travel, those who need to buy foreign, round trippers, blackmarketers, currency hoaders and speculators, corrupt government and CBN insiders, airlines, foreign countries who'd get less of our japa youths, brains, and visa money!

But even garri that isn't foreign do you know the current price? Abeg Nigeria doesn't work under any economic model cos of the depth of corruption

1 Like

Re: What exactly Is The Benefit Of Floating The Naira? by Deogratiasfx: 12:57pm On Feb 14
emorse:

But we have to be first, self sufficient (at least in food and a few other basic necessities and then capable of exporting don't you agree?

Perfect....but in order to have a healthy balance of payments and trades, we need exports. That is why we need factories and industries to enable us have these products that will help us to be self sufficient and then have enough to export.

1 Like

Re: What exactly Is The Benefit Of Floating The Naira? by ADSP116(m): 1:29pm On Feb 14
I like your simple analysis, your perspective is quite understandable not all this gbolaga grammar
DeLaRue:
During Buhari's government, Nigeria, through the CBN, was spending according to some estimates, more than $12billion per year to maintain 2 exchange rates N440, and I think N570 to a dollar.

That $12 billion dollars was effectively a subsidy.

By the time Buhari left, Nigeria had just about $3.5 billion in its account. It is from that amount that we have to pay our debts and pay for imports of goods.

As you can see, Nigeria no longer had the $12 billion dollars required to keep naira/dollar rate at less than N600. So the current government had no choice but to give up on trying to subsidise the naira.

If Atiku or any other candidate had won, they would have had no choice than to follow the same path.

It is like buying a BMW when you had money. If you no longer have money to maintain it, what do you do, you give it up. No be so?

Your friends and neighbours who see you taking Okada will call you stupid for giving up such a beautiful car. But, younno longer have know what they don't know - you no longer have the money to maintain the car.

This is exactly where Nigeria is at present.

Re: What exactly Is The Benefit Of Floating The Naira? by Jessyjeff: 1:57pm On Feb 14
PureFace1:


You forgot that Revenue from crude oil Nigeria major souce of income was still at an all time high during Obasanjo government unlike now that we almost can't even get buyers for our crude oil.
How did you come about that Obasanjo sold crude oil at high price?
Obasanjo sold crude oil around $30 per a barrel during his administration.
Re: What exactly Is The Benefit Of Floating The Naira? by Jessyjeff: 2:00pm On Feb 14
PureFace1:



Even back then how many foreign goods and technology was Nigeria importing compare to now ?

Mobile phones was just getting to Nigeria unlike now that everyone want to use the latest gadgets, the demand for forex wasn't really high.
Nigeria was importing mostly from expensive American and European countries. Nokia, Blackberry, Sony Ericsson, etc , were also then expensive. You will be surprised that more money got stolen from Nigerian government than the actual money spent on import.
Re: What exactly Is The Benefit Of Floating The Naira? by cezarman(m): 2:02pm On Feb 14
grin grin
No be by mouth and too much explanation...
Re: What exactly Is The Benefit Of Floating The Naira? by PoliteActivist: 2:06pm On Feb 14
Blitzking:

But it will make my children unable to afford things in my house cos in the first place it wasn't free for my children..so my children might starve to death cos a foreigner has a higher purchasing power..he would also rent all my room and store my food creating artificial scarcity for my children and remember my children are already shortchanged cos the little they had has already lost value. The question is how can I attract foreign investment without making my children suffer...economist in the house over to you we need to solve the riddle.

They will buy all those things with forex which will leave their pockets and be in yours. Your children will at first complain bitterly but will adapt and eventually find "ways". Meanwhile your neighbor becomes addicted to your cheap goods and stop making their own. Eventually you'll start giving them high-interest credit because your household lives on so little, eventually you'll own them!
Re: What exactly Is The Benefit Of Floating The Naira? by Blitzking: 2:11pm On Feb 14
PoliteActivist:


They will buy all those things with forex which will leave their pockets and be in yours. Your children will at first complain bitterly but will adapt and eventually find "ways". Meanwhile your neighbor becomes addicted to your cheap goods and stop making their own. Eventually you start giving them high-interest credit because your household lives on so little, eventually you'll own them!
To be a fair judge I shouldt then have the right to go to the room they av paid to store good and cry hoarding of food..when a foreigner with 10 million dollars creates artificial scarcity and make us beg for crumb of bread for 10k per piece.
Re: What exactly Is The Benefit Of Floating The Naira? by Jessyjeff: 2:13pm On Feb 14
GeneralDae:

It's not about price but the production of crude oil. We were doing 2.2 million bpd with enough foreign investments. Today we just increased it to 1.4 million bpd for the first time since 2021. NNPC only has about one third of that at the moment and even most of it have been sold already during Buhari era and recently also to collect loans. That's why we can't even supply Dangote. So price is not the main factor here.
Have you asked yourself why more Nigeria's crude oil got stolen between 2015 - 2023, than any other time in history? Obasanjo made sure that people were not allowed to steal crude oil from Nigeria in whatever form and means. What did Buhari as petroleum minister do?

We can go on arguing, but the fact is that corruption and oil theft became more rampant during APC rule, thereby denying Nigeria a sizable amount of revenue in US dollars.
Re: What exactly Is The Benefit Of Floating The Naira? by PoliteActivist: 2:18pm On Feb 14
Blitzking:

To be a fair judge I shouldt then have the right to go to the room they av paid to store good and cry hoarding of food..when a foreigner with 10 million dollars creates artificial scarcity and make us beg for crumb of bread for 10k per piece.

They can't create artificial scarcity of what you make and can always make more. They can only make scarcity of something like land, which you can make very expensive for a non-citizen to buy and continue owning
Re: What exactly Is The Benefit Of Floating The Naira? by Blitzking: 2:21pm On Feb 14
PoliteActivist:


They can't create artificial scarcity of what you make and can always make more. They can only make scarcity of something like land, which you can make very expensive for a non-citizen to buy and continue owning
..why do we then av to use force to open their warehouses after purchasing all the food..since its chicken change to dem .
Re: What exactly Is The Benefit Of Floating The Naira? by chijokz(m): 2:27pm On Feb 14
Genius100:


Look at what happened in the last few years when for example, official rate was N450 and parallel rate was N800. Nigeria essentially restricted the people that could get the dollar at N450. What that means is that there is a thriving black market where the rates are much higher. First, International airlines that sold tickets in Naira and wanted to convert their money to Dollars to take it back to their country could not do so because CBN did not have enough dollars to give them. Nigeria became the number 1 country where airlines had their money stuck. So this puts the country in a situation where foreign entities would not want to invest in the country.

Now think about Diasporan remittances which is supposed to be over $20 billion a year. This money will never come through the official changes because no one will change dollars for N450 when parallel rate is N800. So consequently, the CBN reserves became very low. With low forex reserves, the Country was in a position where we almost could not pay our foreign debt back which constitutes is a death sentence to the economy, if we default.

Also, the Diasporan remittances never made it into the country. It was being held by certain Fintech and their partner banks in Nigeria. They hoarded it which made dollars more scarce and led to Naira continuing to lose value. They were seeing crazy gains while the rest of the country suffered.

Compare that to when you float. The official rates and parallel rates are largely harmonized. Now Diasporans can send money through officially licensed IMTOs. These IMTOs will give the CBN a certain percentage of the dollars- let's say 50% - That amounts to about $10 billion.

Second, the people that were speculating and hoarding millions of dollars for gains, now can no longer make arbitrage money because there is no longer substantial difference in rates between official and parallel. Those dollars can now go to productive activity. Last, foreign companies now know they can get their money in and out of the country which will spur investments.

Ultimately, floating allows CBN to grow its reserves, which allows Nigeria to service debts and also procure additional low interest debt that can be used for the desperately needed capital investments in the country.



Well articulated and laid out logically.
Great job.
Re: What exactly Is The Benefit Of Floating The Naira? by PoliteActivist: 2:28pm On Feb 14
Blitzking:
..why do we then av to use force to open their warehouses after purchasing all the food..since its chicken change to dem .
*Politeness*
Meaning?
The only problem will be middle men. Take China for example. Do you know some things you buy from China and be wondering how they can be so cheap have already been marked up ×5 by middle men (traders)? That's the magic of currency devaluation. That's the only way those things can be so cheap
Re: What exactly Is The Benefit Of Floating The Naira? by Teymanhenry(f): 2:30pm On Feb 14
DeLaRue:
During Buhari's government, Nigeria, through the CBN, was spending according to some estimates, more than $12billion per year to maintain 2 exchange rates N440, and I think N570 to a dollar.

That $12 billion dollars was effectively a subsidy.

By the time Buhari left, Nigeria had just about $3.5 billion in its account. It is from that amount that we have to pay our debts and pay for imports of goods.

As you can see, Nigeria no longer had the $12 billion dollars required to keep naira/dollar rate at less than N600. So the current government had no choice but to give up on trying to subsidise the naira.

If Atiku or any other candidate had won, they would have had no choice than to follow the same path.

It is like buying a BMW when you had money. If you no longer have money to maintain it, what do you do, you give it up. No be so?

Your friends and neighbours who see you taking Okada will call you stupid for giving up such a beautiful car. But, younno longer have know what they don't know - you no longer have the money to maintain the car.

This is exactly where Nigeria is at present.

.
Where's the evidence that the government paid $12m yearly on subsidy?
Re: What exactly Is The Benefit Of Floating The Naira? by philos(m): 2:32pm On Feb 14
PoliteActivist:

*Politeness*
I modified my post. See above. It is not economic jargon, it is common sense. If my money can buy more in your house, I'd like your house and buy stuff from your house... until I realize I'm giving you all my money!

What does Nigeria have that they'll sell to other countries?
That's why one of the Presidential Aspirants was prioritizing "production" over "consumption", and we ignored him because of where he's coming from.
Re: What exactly Is The Benefit Of Floating The Naira? by Marpol: 2:33pm On Feb 14
But why float the naira when Nigeria practically exports nothing! Who would want to invest in a country with no stable light, insecurity at an all time high?

Looks like someone did copy and paste with this economic policies!
Re: What exactly Is The Benefit Of Floating The Naira? by PoliteActivist: 2:43pm On Feb 14
just2endowed:


You have almost solve the puzzle. China can float their currency because China has great export in trade than import.
If you ask tinubu if he understood the economic technicalities behind floating a currency, I believe he doesn't have a clue.
Back.

For a country to float her currency, export must be greater than import. The balance of trade must be in surplus, investment confidence in a country must be all round positive, security and local production must substitute foreign goods, etc. If all these are in place, then naira cam compete head to head with other currency
See below

Re: What exactly Is The Benefit Of Floating The Naira? by GeneralDae: 2:49pm On Feb 14
TheGoodJoe:
@ ckc

If a governor likes , he can build irrelevant flyovers instead of improving health care and job creation. Things will get harder because the currency value will keep falling. The currency is now like the indicator of our economy.
Those Governors are also speculating with dollars and now they have so much naira.

1 Like

Re: What exactly Is The Benefit Of Floating The Naira? by GeneralDae: 2:55pm On Feb 14
Marpol:
But why float the naira when Nigeria practically exports nothing! Who would want to invest in a country with no stable light, insecurity at an all time high?

Looks like someone did copy and paste with this economic policies!
If as you say you export nothing, then how do you defend the naira? If you can't defend it well because of lack of dollars then you widen your black market while you keep it at one rate. You have it at 450 and your black market was around 750.
Re: What exactly Is The Benefit Of Floating The Naira? by bigiyaro(m): 2:55pm On Feb 14
ckc:
Based on the catastrophe this floating of naira of a thing by Tinubu is causing to the economy, can anyone please educate me on the ONE benefit of this policy. I want to learn.
The setup is only beneficial to a corruption free and production driven economy, it is catastrophic cos Nigeria is filled to the brime with corrupt people and produces nothing.
Re: What exactly Is The Benefit Of Floating The Naira? by Abdul4trust1(m): 2:59pm On Feb 14
Genius100:


Look at what happened in the last few years when for example, official rate was N450 and parallel rate was N800. Nigeria essentially restricted the people that could get the dollar at N450. What that means is that there is a thriving black market where the rates are much higher. First, International airlines that sold tickets in Naira and wanted to convert their money to Dollars to take it back to their country could not do so because CBN did not have enough dollars to give them. Nigeria became the number 1 country where airlines had their money stuck. So this puts the country in a situation where foreign entities would not want to invest in the country.

Now think about Diasporan remittances which is supposed to be over $20 billion a year. This money will never come through the official changes because no one will change dollars for N450 when parallel rate is N800. So consequently, the CBN reserves became very low. With low forex reserves, the Country was in a position where we almost could not pay our foreign debt back which constitutes is a death sentence to the economy, if we default.

Also, the Diasporan remittances never made it into the country. It was being held by certain Fintech and their partner banks in Nigeria. They hoarded it which made dollars more scarce and led to Naira continuing to lose value. They were seeing crazy gains while the rest of the country suffered.

Compare that to when you float. The official rates and parallel rates are largely harmonized. Now Diasporans can send money through officially licensed IMTOs. These IMTOs will give the CBN a certain percentage of the dollars- let's say 50% - That amounts to about $10 billion.

Second, the people that were speculating and hoarding millions of dollars for gains, now can no longer make arbitrage money because there is no longer substantial difference in rates between official and parallel. Those dollars can now go to productive activity. Last, foreign companies now know they can get their money in and out of the country which will spur investments.

Ultimately, floating allows CBN to grow its reserves, which allows Nigeria to service debts and also procure additional low interest debt that can be used for the desperately needed capital investments in the country.



very impressive
Re: What exactly Is The Benefit Of Floating The Naira? by PoliteActivist: 3:02pm On Feb 14
philos:


What does Nigeria have that they'll sell to other countries?
That's why one of the Presidential Aspirants was prioritizing "production" over "consumption", and we ignored him because of where he's coming from.

We don't necessarily have to sell, we just have to stop buying because price for foreign-related is too high. Example, foreigners don't have to japa here, we just have to stop japaing to their countries

(1) (2) (3) ... (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (Reply)

Nigerians Living Abroad Have To Travel Back Home To Get BVN In Banks?? / Shoprite Concludes Sale Of Its Equity Stake (100%) In Its Nigeria Subsidiary / Man Tries To Give People Money They Reject, Thinking It Is Ritual Money (video)

(Go Up)

Sections: politics (1) business autos (1) jobs (1) career education (1) romance computers phones travel sports fashion health
religion celebs tv-movies music-radio literature webmasters programming techmarket

Links: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10)

Nairaland - Copyright © 2005 - 2024 Oluwaseun Osewa. All rights reserved. See How To Advertise. 82
Disclaimer: Every Nairaland member is solely responsible for anything that he/she posts or uploads on Nairaland.