Unilever Nigeria stole the spotlight on the Nigerian Exchange today, surging 10.0% to NGN 121.0 on Thursday, April 23, 2026, even as the NGX ASI slipped 0.21% to 1,653.22 points. That divergence was the clearest signal of the session: in a market that was broadly mixed rather than deeply weak, a defensive consumer stock drew aggressive buying, suggesting traders are increasingly rewarding companies seen as capable of protecting margins in Nigeria’s still difficult inflation and FX environment.
Key figures
- Unilever Nigeria: +10.0% at NGN 121.0
- NGX ASI: -0.21% at 1,653.22
- Market breadth: 31 gainers / 34 losers / 81 unchanged
- Brent crude: $102.84 a barrel, up 7.7% on the week
- USD/NGN: 1,349.14, up 0.18%
NGX today: index slips, but the Nigerian stock exchange today was far from uniformly weak
The April 23, 2026 session was not a broad-based selloff. With 31 stocks advancing, 34 declining, and 81 unchanged out of 146 listed names tracked, the market showed hesitation more than outright risk aversion. The 0.21% decline in the NGX all share index therefore masked sharp stock-specific moves, especially in consumer names and selected financial heavyweights, while weaker insurance and smaller speculative counters came under pressure.