By Seun Ibiyemi
Nigeria’s equities market recorded a 42 per cent increase in trading activity in January 2026 on a year-on-year basis, even as monthly transactions fell sharply compared to December 2025, data from the Nigerian Exchange Ltd. (NGX) showed.Stock market gains N6.79trn as NGX All-Share index climbs 6.16%
Total market transactions rose to N862 billion in January, up from N607.1 billion in the same month of 2025. However, trading activity dropped 37.55 per cent from the N1.38 trillion recorded in December 2025, reflecting reduced participation from both domestic and foreign investors.
Domestic investors dominated the market, accounting for 86.8 per cent of total transactions, while foreign investors contributed 13.2 per cent. Domestic trades were valued at N747.8 billion, compared to N114.1 billion from foreign investors.
Month-on-month, domestic transactions declined by 18.92 per cent from N922 billion in December, whereas foreign transactions fell sharply by 75.08 per cent, from N458 billion to N114 billion.
NGX attributed the drop in foreign participation to the absence of large block trades that boosted December’s volumes.GTCO, Zeneth bank, others dominate NGX as trillion-naira club
Within the domestic segment, institutional investors recorded N388 billion in transactions, down 35.73 per cent from N604 billion in December, while retail investors increased activity, with transactions rising 12.92 per cent to N360 billion from N317 billion the previous month.
This growth indicates a rising engagement by individual investors despite broader market fluctuations.
The January performance highlights a resilient domestic trading base, even as foreign participation remains volatile, underscoring the need for policies that can attract sustained foreign investment in Nigeria’s equities market.
