The Nigerian equities market advanced by 785.83 points to close the Easter week ended April 2, 2026, at 201,698.89, as gains in MTN and GTCO sustained momentum.

This represents a modest week-on-week increase of 0.39% from the previous close of 200,913.06, bringing the total market capitalization of the All-Share Index to N129.8 trillion.

Trading activity was relatively subdued as the market operated for only four sessions, with a total of 2.8 billion shares valued at N113.5 billion exchanged in 215,287 deals, lower than the prior week’s 3.9 billion units.

Market breadth weakened, as 29 equities recorded price gains compared to 47 in the previous week, while 57 stocks declined, up from 45, and 62 equities closed unchanged.

According to data from the Nigerian Exchange, the market’s year-to-date return climbed to 29.62%, while month-to-date performance for April stands at a modest 0.20%.

The market closed positively in two of the four trading sessions during the week, as Friday was declared a public holiday in observance of the Easter celebration.

Trading opened on a weak note on Monday, with the index shedding 428.6 points but holding above the 200,000 mark to close at 200,484.4.

Momentum rebounded on Tuesday with an 803.3-point gain, remained positive on Wednesday with a 0.21% rise, before easing slightly by 4.7 points on Thursday to settle at 201,698.9.

Across key segments, performance was mixed, with the Premium Index rising 1.59% driven largely by a 5.85% gain in MTN Nigeria, while the NGX 30 Index advanced 0.54% and the Main Board Index dipped 0.29%.

On the gainers’ side, the NGX Banking Index led the market, rising 0.71% as GTCO advanced 5.08% and FCMB recorded a modest 0.42% gain.

The NGX Oil and Gas Index posted a marginal increase of 0.02%, supported by gains in Eterna, which rose 3.41%, and Japaul Gold.