Dollar to Naira Black Market Rate Today — Thursday, 13 August 2026

The naira slipped further against the dollar on Thursday, 13 August 2026, with the greenback changing hands at ₦1,416.85 to buy and ₦1,421.61 to sell on the parallel market, as the local currency continued to face pressure from sustained demand for foreign exchange ahead of the travel season.

For Nigerians heading abroad — whether for business, tourism, or education — the gap between what the Central Bank of Nigeria sanctions and what the street actually charges remains a painful reality. The CBN official rate currently sits at ₦1,360.15 per dollar, meaning travellers sourcing forex outside the banking window are paying a premium of roughly ₦56 to ₦61 per dollar depending on where they transact. On a modest travel budget of $2,000, that spread alone adds close to ₦120,000 to the cost of a trip before a single flight ticket is purchased.

The day-on-day movement shows the parallel rate has risen 0.51 percent compared to Wednesday's close, a modest but meaningful shift that signals the naira is losing ground incrementally. Bureau de Change operators at major airports, particularly Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos and Nnamdi Azikiwe International in Abuja, are typically quoting rates that track closely with the black market rates published here, though airport BDC counters sometimes apply an additional margin of ₦5 to ₦15 over street prices due to overhead and convenience factors.

Travellers heading to the United Kingdom face an even steeper conversion burden. The pound sterling is currently buying at ₦1,885.73 and selling at ₦1,905.38 on the parallel market. Anyone planning a trip to London, Edinburgh, or other UK destinations should consult the latest pounds-to-naira exchange figures before finalising their travel budgets, as a £3,000 spending allowance now requires well over ₦5.7 million at current rates.

Meanwhile, travellers bound for Europe are contending with the euro selling at ₦1,601.57 on the street, with a buy rate of ₦1,581.86. Schengen-zone visitors planning holidays in France, Germany, or Spain should factor this firmly into their planning using the current euro-to-naira conversions before departure.

The practical takeaway for any Nigerian traveller this week is straightforward: source your foreign currency as early as possible, compare rates between your bank, licensed BDC operators, and airport counters, and avoid last-minute exchanges at the departure terminal, where convenience typically comes at the highest cost.