Nigerian Stock Market Declines as Tier-One Banks Weigh Down

On February 25, 2026, the Nigerian stock market experienced a downturn, with the All-Share Index closing at 194,370.2, reflecting a 0.06% decrease. This marked the second consecutive decline, following a brief rise above the 196,000 level on February 23, 2026.

The decline was primarily driven by losses in tier-one banks, leading to a drop of 114.4 points from the previous close of 194,484.6. Despite the negative price movement, trading activity saw a rise in total volume, with 1.3 billion shares traded compared to 1.1 billion shares in the previous session.

The market capitalization edged down to N124.7 trillion across 70,222 deals, compared to N124.8 trillion in prior trading. Year-to-date returns for the share index eased to 24.91%, down from 24.98%.

Notable gainers included Jaiz Bank and Okomu Oil Palm, while RT Brisco and ABC Transport were among the top losers. Zenith Bank led in trading volume with 120.6 million shares exchanged.