Abuja, Feb. 18, 2026 – Aliko Dangote, the Chairman of Dangote Group, has predicted that the Nigerian currency, the Naira, can appreciate N1,100 to the dollar this year if the government sustains its policies.
According to Channels Television, Dangote said this during the launch of the Nigeria Industrial Policy in Abuja on Tuesday where Vice President Sheu Shettima represented President Bola Tinubu.
Dangote said the naira, which is currently hovering around ₦1,300 to a dollar at the official foreign exchange market, would appreciate further with sustained efforts of government.
“I mean, today, if you look at it, Your Excellency, I believe with the policies that you have implemented in government, people now have started seeing the result, and manufacturers are very, very happy,” he said.
“Today, the dollar is N1,340. Mr Vice-President, I can assure you that, with what I know, by blocking all this importation, the currency this year will be as low as N1,100 if we are lucky.
“The only thing is for, maybe, the government to stop the naira from getting stronger so that they will keep collecting more naira.
“But it’s a catch-22 situation where, now, if the naira gets stronger, it means that everything will go down. Everything will go down because we are an import-based country, which we shouldn’t be. What we should be doing is manufacturing all the things that we need.”
“While the policy is in order, it must be backed with full protection for industrialists to drive the nation’s goal for industrialisation, job creation, and economic growth,” he said.
