US Dollar to Naira Black Market Rate Today
Live US Dollar to Nigerian Naira exchange rate. Black market BDC rate and official rate from the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Price history
Parallel market sell rate · daily close
USD/NGN Rate: Last 30 Days
US Dollar to Naira black market rate: key facts
As of 4 May, 8:28 pm WAT, BDC operators are buying USD at ₦1,380.33 and selling at ₦1,401.68. The spread (the difference between buy and sell) is ₦21.35 per USD. The official CBN rate for USD/NGN is ₦1,375.06.
Why Nigerians use the black market dollar rate
The CBN allocates dollars through the NAFEM window for priority transactions: import duties, fuel purchases, and some tuition payments. For everyone else (individuals converting savings, importers of consumer goods, traders restocking from China or Dubai) the BDC is the only option. The rate shown here is what you will actually be quoted when you walk into a Bureau de Change in Lagos or Abuja today.
Buy rate vs sell rate: a practical guide
The buy rate is what the BDC pays you per dollar. If you have dollars and want naira, this is your rate. The sell rate is what you pay per dollar when purchasing. School fees, overseas shopping, travel money, all priced at the sell rate. The gap between the two (the spread) is how BDC operators earn their margin, typically ₦5–₦20 per dollar.
Official CBN rate vs black market rate for USD
The CBN publishes an official rate for USD/NGN through the NAFEM window for regulated transactions. The black market rate is typically higher because official supply cannot meet demand. Today the gap between the two is approximately ₦27 per USD.