Lagos, Nigeria – Nigeria’s All-Share Index climbed 0.54 percent to 202,559.6 on March 17, 2026, gaining 1,084.7 points. BUA Cement and tier-one banks fueled the rally on the Nigerian Exchange. Market cap hit a record N130.02 trillion, up from N129.3 trillion in West Africa’s top bourse.
Trading volume surged to 1.75 billion shares across 62,654 deals, from 948 million prior. Year-to-date returns reached 30.17 percent amid positive sentiment.
Okay News reports sector shines. BUA Cement rose 10 percent to 326.70 naira, Premier Paints 9.86 percent to 23.40 naira. Zenith Bank added 7.91 percent.
Losers included Presco down 10 percent to 1,875.60 naira and Caverton 8.70 percent to 6.30 naira. FCMB topped volume at 516.2 million shares, Wema Bank 213.3 million.
Zenith Bank led value traded at N18.1 billion, GTCO N12.3 billion, MTN Nigeria N8.9 billion. FUGAZ banks gained: Zenith 7.91 percent, UBA 6.04 percent, GTCO 4.53 percent.
SWOOTs showed strength with BUA Cement up 10 percent, Wema Bank 6.35 percent. Dangote Cement rose 0.88 percent, but MTN Nigeria fell 4.76 percent.
Higher activity signals investor positioning. Banking volumes reflect fund flows. The N130 trillion cap marks historic valuation in Nigeria’s equities.
