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The Nigerian equities market closed April 2026 on a strong note, rising 20.36%—its best monthly performance so far this year—clearly surpassing February’s already notable 16.60% gain.

Tracked by the NGX All-Share Index, the market advanced from 201,287.9 to 242,277.8, crossing the 240,000-mark for the first time, while total market value climbed to N155.9 trillion.

This growth was not only about rising prices but also stronger investor activity, as more than 16 billion shares were traded, second only to the over 21 billion units recorded in February 2026.

The market has now sustained a five-month winning streak since December 2025, pushing year-to-date returns to 55.69% and bringing it close to its strongest half-year performance since the 64.51% achieved in the second half of 2020.

April’s performance was largely driven by gains in individual stocks, whose strong upward movements lifted their sectors and, in turn, supported the overall growth of the market.

The NGX Oil and Gas sector emerged as the best performer in April 2026, delivering a strong 39.04% return to investors, with over 591 million shares traded during the period.

The NGX Industrial Goods sector followed as the second-best performer, gaining 28.50%, and breaking the 11,000-point level for the first time to close at 11,277.2, with over 426 million shares traded.

The NGX Banking Index ranked third, advancing 22.61%, with trading volume exceeding 7.7 billion shares, highlighting the sector’s strong liquidity and investor interest.

The NGX Consumer Goods sector was the fourth-best performer in April, gaining 11.31%, with over 622 million shares traded during the period.

In contrast, the NGX Insurance sector was the only laggard, declining by 3.65%. Since it is mainly made up of mid- and small-cap stocks, the broader market index was not significantly affected.