Nigeria T-Bill Yields Fall to 2026 Low After CBN's 350bp Rate Cut

Nigeria's Treasury bill yields have fallen to a 2026 low after the Central Bank of Nigeria cut its policy rate by 350 basis points to 23 per cent and adjusted the standing deposit facility floor to 20 per cent. Money market rates declined on Wednesday as increased liquidity in the banking system pushed short-term funding costs lower.

Banking system liquidity rose 7.92 per cent to N7.45tn from N6.91tn. That marked the fourth consecutive weekly increase. Liquidity has now risen by 95.30 per cent since the beginning of the year.

Overnight Rates Ease

AIICO Capital Limited said the overnight policy rate fell by one percentage point to 21 per cent. The overnight lending rate declined by 51 basis points to 21.76 per cent. The average Treasury bill rate also fell to 18.38 per cent.

Nigerian Interbank Offered Rates reflected the stronger liquidity position. The overnight rate fell 123 basis points to 20.93 per cent. The Open Repo rate declined by 100 basis points to 21 per cent. The overnight rate in the money market fell by 51 basis points to 21.76 per cent, according to market data.

Liquidity Inflow and Auction Demand

The liquidity build-up was supported by a N2.27tn inflow from matured Open Market Operation bills. Higher utilisation of the Standing Deposit Facility also helped, reaching N7.34tn.

Banks participated heavily in the midweek Treasury bills auction. Subscriptions exceeded N4.2tn against allotments of less than N500bn. Treasury bills also recorded strong buying interest in the secondary market, with yields declining across maturities. The average T-bill yield dropped by 43 basis points to 18.38 per cent, according to AIICO Capital.

Outlook

Analysts expect short-term rates to remain under downward pressure as surplus liquidity persists in the banking system. AIICO Capital expects overnight rates to move closer to the 20 per cent deposit facility floor, given the N7.45tn liquidity surplus.

Market participants said the size of the next OMO auction would be important in determining how quickly the excess liquidity is absorbed. The settlement of the latest Nigerian Treasury bills auction is expected to have only a limited effect on the liquidity surplus because the amount allotted was significantly below total investor subscriptions.