Nigeria’s stock market delivered its strongest performance of 2026 in April, with the NGX All Share Index jumping 20.36 percent and crossing the 240,000 mark for the first time. Market capitalisation climbed to about N155.9 trillion, reflecting renewed investor confidence and aggressive buying across key sectors.
As the surge extended into a fifth straight month, trading activity also remained robust, with over 16 billion shares traded during the month. With returns year-to-date soaring beyond 55 per cent, the market is on pace for one of the most spectacular runs in recent memory.
Heavyweights in oil and gas, banking, and industrial products propelled most of the rise. Aradel Holdings and Seplat Energy fuelled the energy industry; cement titans such as BUA Cement and Dangote Cement drove industrial equities. Banking stocks saw significant momentum as well, with Ecobank and Zenith Bank making sizeable advances.
The News Chronicle gathered that the ongoing increase is being driven by a combination of local liquidity, reshuffling of investors, and changing preferences for stocks as a hedge against currency instability and inflation.
Although the majority of industries saw increases, insurance equities trailed somewhat, providing a contradiction to the more general positive mood. Analysts, nevertheless, assert that the present movement of the market suggests more participation and rising trust, therefore making Nigerian stocks one of the exceptional performers among developing countries this year.
