The Nigerian Exchange (NGX) opened 2026 on a strong note, with equities market capitalisation crossing the ₦100 trillion mark, driven by robust investor demand and early-year buying.
Market data shows that equities capitalisation rose from ₦99.94 trillion on January 2 to ₦101.81 trillion by January 5, adding ₦1.87 trillion in just two trading sessions. In dollar terms, market value increased from $69.61 billion to $71.15 billion.
The rally was supported by gains in the All-Share Index (ASI), which rose 1.74 per cent in the latest session, lifting year-to-date returns to 2.32 per cent. The performance reflects the traditional “January Effect,” marked by renewed investor activity at the start of the year.
Investor sentiment was broadly positive, with 73 stocks advancing against eight decliners, pushing market breadth to 9.13x. Notable gainers included Cadbury Nigeria, Fidson Healthcare and Champion Breweries.
Trading activity increased, with 695.64 million shares exchanged during the session, although transaction value declined 25.57 per cent to ₦18.57 billion across 56,606 deals. Year-to-date equities turnover stood at ₦43.52 billion.
Zenith Bank led trading by value at ₦3.51 billion, followed by WAPCO (₦2.56 billion) and Aradel Holdings (₦1.57 billion). Access Holdings and GTCO also ranked among the most actively traded stocks.
Commenting on the milestone, Temi Popoola, Group Managing Director and CEO of Nigerian Exchange Group, described the ₦100 trillion mark as a significant signal of renewed investor confidence.
“The equities market capitalisation crossing ₦100 trillion is a defining milestone for Nigeria’s capital market and reflects its growing depth, resilience and response to improving macroeconomic conditions,” he said.
Similarly, Jude Chiemeka, CEO of Nigerian Exchange Limited, said the rally reflects strong participation across key sectors, including banking, industrial and consumer goods.
Meanwhile, fixed income market capitalisation remained flat at ₦51.48 trillion, while the exchange-traded funds (ETF) segment grew to ₦50.45 billion, highlighting rising interest across asset classes.
