Diaspora remittance inflows to Nigeria hit $1.57bn, April, May, June 

Foreign Exchange inflows through International Money Transfer Operators rose to $1.57 billion in the second quarter of 2026, the highest quarterly total between 2019 to 2026. According to in the Central Bank of Nigeria’s second quarter 2026 Statistical Bulletin, the increase reflected strong inflows in May and June.

The latest figure surpassed the previous quarterly high in the available series, recorded in Q3 2024 at $1.47 billion. CBN data showed that IMTO inflows totalled approximately $1.57 billion between April and June 2026, up from $1.18 billion in the corresponding period of 2025, an increase of about 33%. 

According to CBN data April inflows stood at $513.81 million, down from $597.44 million at the same period in 2025. In the same vein, May inflows increased to $472.13 million, compared to the $288.17 million a year earlier. In June the data recorded $580.16 million, up from $292.25 million in 2025.

The stronger inflows in May and June more than offset April’s year-on-year decline. June also recorded the highest monthly inflow of the quarter. The quarterly total exceeded the previous second-quarter high of approximately $1.26 billion recorded in 2024.

The monthly figures show that quarterly IMTO inflows have varied considerably since 2019, with a broader increase in the amounts recorded in recent years. Q2 inflows were approximately $551.86 million in 2019, $482.58 million in 2020, $638.19 million in 2021, $954.61 million in 2022 and $810.84 million in 2023. They then rose to $1.26 billion in 2024, before easing to $1.18 billion in 2025.

The latest quarterly performance represents a new high against these previous second-quarter totals. The monthly series also shows that Q3 2024 inflows reached approximately $1.47 billion, while Q4 2025 recorded about $1.40 billion. The increase in remittance inflows comes amid regulatory changes introduced by the CBN to strengthen oversight of international money transfers and improve transparency in the foreign exchange market.

The performance follows a decline in IMTO inflows during the first half of 2025, when receipts fell by 11.78% compared with the same period in 2024. The latest data therefore show a stronger remittance inflow trend in the first half of 2026.