Best Forex Brokers in Nigeria

Few online brokers are based in Nigeria, and many Nigerian forex brokers have little or no oversight by either the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) or other regulatory agencies. However, forex trading is in demand in Nigeria, so although specific regulations by the SEC have not been established yet. Nigerian residents can open brokerage accounts with forex brokers regulated outside of Nigeria.

It's best to choose an international forex broker that accepts clients from Nigeria and has oversight by one or more of the major forex regulators. Carefully consider your trading needs before you commit to a forex broker and open a live account. Get started today with Benzinga's review of the best forex brokers in Nigeria.

Quick Look: Best Forex Brokers in Nigeria

• Best Overall: FOREX.com
• Best for Fast Execution Speed: Blackbull Markets
• Best for Copy Trading: eToro
• Best for CFD Trading: AvaTrade
• Best for Beginners: Capital.com

Best Forex Brokers in Nigeria

Here are some of the top online forex brokers that allow you to open an account from Nigeria. 

1. Best Overall: FOREX.com

FOREX.com is ranked as the No. 1 U.S. forex broker. The company has oversight from the 2 main U.S. financial regulators: the National Futures Association (NFA) and the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). It also has oversight from regulators in the U.K., Australia, Japan, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore and the Cayman Islands.

Accounts at FOREX.com can be funded with just $100 USD. The broker lets you trade micro lots if your preference is to start trading with smaller amounts. It also offers an Islamic account option in addition to keeping client accounts segregated from its own funds.

FOREX.com offers several web-based, desktop and mobile trading platforms, which include the MetaTrader 4 and 5 platforms from MetaQuotes in addition to NinjaTrader.

Clients also have access to the company’s proprietary Advanced Trading Platform for desktop computers and its Web Trading platform if you prefer to trade via a web browser. Due to U.S. restrictions, FOREX.com has a maximum leverage ratio of only 50:1 available to clients who trade currencies.

2. Best for Fast Execution Speed: Blackbull Markets

BlackBull Markets is a broker that was founded in 2014 and is headquartered in New Zealand. The company's global expansion and strong reputation have established it as a reputable choice in the trading industry. BlackBull Markets provides a range of trading options, including forex, indices, commodities, energies, metals and CFDs.

One notable feature of BlackBull Markets is its regulatory status. The company is overseen by regulatory bodies such as the Financial Markets Authority (FMA) in New Zealand and the Financial Services Authority (FSA) in the Seychelles.

3. Best for Copy Trading: eToro

eToro is a social trading platform with over 10 million account holders worldwide. It has provided forex products and more to retail clients for over 10 years. 

eToro has some impressive features. The most popular include CopyTrader, the Social News Feed and CopyPortfolios.

CopyTrader and CopyPortfolio allow you to locate a successful trader and copy their strategy. You can copy up to 100 traders with this feature.

With the Social News Feed, trader updates from those in your network can be accessed in a Twitter-like thread. Traders are able to get alerts based on certain market factors and can discuss markets and their strategies.

4. Best for CFD Trading: AvaTrade

AvaTrade has been facilitating online trading since 2006 and has offices all over the world. 

With the firm’s intuitive and simple interface and the solid customer support team, you can easily navigate the complex investing world. It also provides specialized educational content for beginners like its Trading for Beginners section.

Avatrade offers multiple trading softwares, including an in-house platform. AvaTradeGO and MetaTrader 4 are available. And you can copy trades of experienced traders with automated trading softwares like ZuluTrade, DupliTrade or MQL5. Open your account with a minimum deposit of $100 via credit card or wire transfer.

5. Best for Beginners: Capital.com

Capital.com is often considered a top choice for beginners looking for a forex broker. The platform provides a user-friendly interface that is easy to navigate, making it ideal for users who are new to trading. Another advantage of choosing Capital.com is the wide range of markets available. Including stocks, ETFs, forex, crypto and CFDs on over 3,700 global markets.

Capital.com offers a range of educational resources, such as tutorials, articles, and videos, to assist beginners in grasping the basic principles of trading. These resources cover a range of topics including market analysis, risk management, and trading strategies.

Understanding Forex in Trading Nigeria

The Nigerian national currency is the Nigerian Naira ₦ (NGN). It's divided into 100 smaller denominations known as kobo. The Nigerian currency is not among the top traded currencies listed by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS).

With respect to the Nigerian financial sector regulation, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) set forth guidelines for the Nigerian stock market and forex brokers in the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act (BOFIA) of 2007.

Its role is comparable to that of the SEC in the United States. The BOFIA obligates forex brokers that do business in Nigeria to maintain their clients’ funds in segregated accounts. This means that clients’ deposits must be maintained in separate accounts which protects them in the event of bankruptcy or legal actions taken against the broker.

What to Look for in a Nigerian Forex Broker

Whether an online forex broker is based in Nigeria or somewhere else, the best online brokers should generally have these 11 elements covered:

• Oversight from a reputable regulating agency
• A good reputation among forex traders
• Allow you to open and trade in the type of account you want
• Require a minimum deposit you can afford
• Give you access to trade all forex pairs and other assets you may want to trade
• Maximum leverage ratio high enough for your trading strategy
• Competitive dealing spreads
• Provide you with protection against negative balances
• Keep slippage and re-quotes on orders to a minimum
• Maintain client funds segregated from your own money
• Withdrawal and deposit options to suit your needs

Another important consideration is the trading software the broker supports. While some brokers offer clients a proprietary trading platform, many provide market access and platforms from 3rd parties such as MetaTrader 4 and 5 from MetaQuotes, as well as cTrader and NinjaTrader.

Trading the Foreign Exchange Market

If you live in Nigeria, the security of your funds should be top-of-mind as you choose a forex broker. Make sure that any trading profits you earn can be easily withdrawn upon request.

Select a well-regulated broker that keeps segregated accounts for its clients and holds them on deposit with a top tier bank. Regulation by a strict authority could also save you considerable trouble and money if an issue ever arises with the broker.

Get started today with our list of the best forex broker in Nigeria.

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