Nigeria’s equities market delivered a strong performance in April 2026, with the Nigerian exchange recording a 20.36 per cent gain, its highest monthly return so far this year.
The rally, tracked by the NGX All-Share Index, saw the market climb from 201,287.9 points to 242,277.8, crossing the 240,000 mark for the first time.
Market capitalisation also rose significantly to ₦155.9 trillion.
Beyond price gains, trading activity remained robust, with more than 16 billion shares exchanged during the month, second only to February’s volume.
The market has now extended its winning streak to five consecutive months since December 2025, pushing year-to-date returns to 55.69 per cent and edging closer to its strongest half-year performance in recent history.
Sectoral performance showed strong gains across key segments, with the NGX Oil and Gas Index emerging as the top performer, delivering a 39.04 per cent return.
The sector’s rally was driven by sharp increases in major stocks, including Aradel Holdings, which surged by over 60 per cent, and Seplat Energy, which gained more than 26 per cent.
The NGX Industrial Goods Index followed with a 28.50 per cent rise, buoyed by cement giants such as Lafarge Africa, BUA Cement and Dangote Cement.
Meanwhile, the NGX Banking Index advanced 22.61 per cent, with heavy trading volumes exceeding 7.7 billion shares, reflecting strong investor confidence in banking stocks.
The NGX Consumer Goods Index also recorded gains of 11.31 per cent, supported by rallies in companies such as Unilever Nigeria and NASCON Allied Industries.
In contrast, the NGX Insurance Index was the only sector to post a decline, falling by 3.65 per cent during the period.
Market data indicates that the oil and gas sector has delivered the strongest year-to-date return at over 128 per cent, followed by industrial goods and banking stocks.
With sustained investor interest and sectoral growth, analysts say the Nigerian equities market remains on a strong upward trajectory heading into the second quarter of the year.