Nigeria’s equities market recorded its steepest monthly decline on record in June 2026, with investors losing an estimated N13.3 trillion as widespread selling pressure swept across the Nigerian Exchange.
Profit-taking, dividend-related changes, and portfolio reallocation significantly affected large companies across multiple industries, ending months of strong performance.
The News Chronicle reports that the benchmark All Share Index dropped 8.28 percent over the month, therefore lowering the market’s year-to-date return from over 60 percent at end-May to 47.43 percent.
June was the worst month ever in value terms for the Nigerian stock market as market capitalization also declined from N160.5 trillion to N147.2 trillion.
Analysts attributed the decline to changes in liquidity related to the Dangote Group’s private placement, a sluggish mood following FTSE Russell’s postponement of Nigeria’s possible return to Frontier Market status, and fund transfers into fixed-income instruments.
Though a historical setback, the market is still far higher than it was at the beginning of the year; investors are now watching future corporate results, policy decisions, and foreign investment flows for indications of a potential rebound in the second half of 2026.
