/ 20 August 2001

NIGERIA’S RESERVES REACH $10,4-BILLION

NIGERIA’S foreign reserves rose to $10,35-billion in May, for a 1,7% rise over the previous month, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said on Monday. Of the amount, $1,4- billion accrued to the nation’s coffers in May alone, 5,4% above April’s estimate, the CBN said in a statement here. The CBN attributed the positive development in the month to high oil sales revenues which were channelled into the reserves account. Oil revenues yielded $1,17-billion or 78,5% of the total revenue as against $321,1-million from the non-oil sector, it said. – AFP