E-Financial
NEXIM Creates Synergy with Nigerian Export Promotion Council
Mr. Olusegun Awolowo , newly appointed ED/CE of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), paid a courtesy call to the Managing D/CEO of the Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM) at the Headquarters of the Bank in Abuja, to discuss areas of possible collaboration and synergy.
The visit would be the first of such courtesy calls by Mr. Awolowo since he was appointed to the position by Mr. President last December.
Welcoming his counterpart to the Government Trace Policy Bank, Mr. Roberts Orya thanked Mr. Awolowo and his team for taking the initial collaborative step, noting that NEPC and NEXIM Bank were the principal agencies of government responsible for the promotion of non-oil exports
The NEXIM MD provided the NEPC team with a snapshot of NEXIM Bank’s mandate, mission and vision stating that the institution was established by Act 38 of 1991 as an Export Credit Agency with the broad mandate to promoting the diversification of the Nigerian economy away from oil and deepening the external sector.
Mr. Orya stated that upon his resumption in August 2009 as the MD/CEO of the Bank, he discovered that the Bank has completely moved away from its core mandate and veered into lending to both oil and gas resulting in a dismal credit performance and loss of both its Shareholders’ and investors’ confidence.
This warranted him to seek the approval of the Bank’s Shareholders to initiate a Corporate Transformation Project (Project Spring) that led to the re-definition of the Bank’s Mission, Vision and Strategic Objectives, with the intention of channelling its resources into the development of four sectors [Manufacturing, Agro – Processing, Solid Minerals & Services].
The MASS sectors were deemed to have high amount of employment and foreign exchange earnings.
An outcome of the Corporate Transformation was crafting of new Strategic Objectives to enable the Bank have a clear market focus and become a major contributor to non-oil exports.
This is in addition to turning it into a world class institution which imbibes best-in-class corporate governance and risk management practices towards becoming a relevant player in the export market with the capacity to significantly influence government trade policies.
Mr. Orya further informed Mr. Awolowo that the Bank is developing the ECOWAS and other Africa regional markets as the traditional market for Nigerian exporters.
The idea is provide a strong platform for our exporters to venture into the more complex markets of Asia and other developed economies in line with the strategy in other jurisdictions where the EXIM Banks first developed their regional market.
Towards developing the ECOWAS market, NEXIM had earlier launched the ECOWAS Trade Support Facility (ETSF) to reduce the level of informal trade and encourage the small scale exporters to use the banking system to leverage their operations.
Mr. Orya informed his counterpart that NEXIM is facilitating the Sealink Project, which will culminate in the establishment of a shipping company to own and operate ocean-going vessels to boost trade within the West and Central Africa.
Accordingly, he invited the NEPC to cooperate with NEXIM in making this project a success hinting that an Investment Memorandum to raise the take-off grant of $60million has been prepared in English and French and the private placement is expected to open before the end of January.
On the outcome of the NEXIM Bank’s transformation initiative, Mr. Orya proudly informed his counterpart, “.we may not have achieved every item of the targets we set in our 5-year strategy plan, but we have completely strengthened our operational processes, instituted the strong pillars of corporate governance, risk management., turned NEXIM Bank from an obscure, loss-making institution to a highly visible and profit-making institution with a robust balance sheet size..We have consistently made and declared profits for three years in a row now, paying dividends to our Shareholders..That has never happened since the Bank was set up in 1991”
In closing, the MD advised NEPC to review the current provisions regarding the Export Expansion Grant to make it more effective, adding that both NEXIM and NEPC needed to work in close collaboration to boost the current level of non-oil exports which had remained below 4% over the past 5 years.
Thanking Mr. Orya for welcoming his team, Mr. Olusegun Awolowo stated that his choice of making NEXIM Bank his first ‘port of call’ upon resumption was based on what he had keenly observed as NEXIM Bank’s innovative disposition to deepening the non-oil sector and committedly contributing to Mr. President’s Transformation Agenda and Vision 20:2020.
The NEPC ED stated that he has great confidence in the country’s ability to meet her development goals and commended the initiatives of NEXIM in enhancing the level of formal trade, noting that the study conducted by NEPC revealed that informal trade annually was about $12bn, far more than the formal trade valued at $3billion.
He promised that NEPC would work closely with NEXIM to improve the level of trade flows and also improve the trade statistics.
Mr. Awolowo assured NEXIM Bank that the NEPC was already working towards reviewing the Export Expansion Grant and that the review will cover the qualification criteria and other aspects.
According to him, “. the new strategic focus will place greater emphasis on market development, with Nigerians in diaspora as major targets..” He noted that that Trade Commissioners have been appointed in major countries including China, Brazil and London to help in developing markets for Nigerian products, especially for the benefit of millions of our Diaspora citizens.
Lauding the phenomenal successes of the NEXIM Bank Corporate Transformation initiative, Mr. Awolowo informed the NEXIM boss that NEPC is also working on human resource realignment to drive export growth, adding that the objective of the new management was to increase the level of non-oil exports by at least 30% in the next 4 years.
In closing, the CEO invited NEXIM Bank to collaborate with NEPC for higher synergies and stressed that both organizations have significant roles to play in developing the Nigerian non-oil exports and that his leadership would encourage and foster even closer collaboration between the two institutions towards supporting Mr. President’s Transformation Agenda and achieving Vision 20:2020 .
OneWallet microfinance Bank is partnering Zenith bank and MTN to build a platform that will provide digital financial services to support the growth of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) businesses in Abia State.
Dr. C Darl Uzu, Chairman of OneWallet, who disclosed this while launching the platform for traders at the Ariaria International Market, Aba, Abia State said it was meant majorly for traders and the SMEs because they are the bedrock of the Nigerian economy.
According to Dr. Uzu, “We want to expand the inclusion of small businesses in digital financial services by making it easy for them to make and receive payments on affordable digital devices, hence the UnionBell Smart phones and POS.
“We want to help SMEs to access financial support and loan easily to grow their business, and also help businesses to build the history and credibility they require for future growth and expansion.”
He said OneWallet was not created just as a payment application, but as a business support platform designed around the real needs of SMEs.
Dr. Uzu said the choice of Ariaria International Market as the pilot for the platform was intentional since the market is one of the strongest symbol of enterprise in Nigeria.
“We are not here however to teach Ariaria people how to trade because Ariaria already understands business, but we are hear to support Ariaria business energy with tools that can help businesses do more, reach more customers, organize better and prepare for bigger opportunities; we are here to help Ariaria innovate and grow.”
He thanked MTN, Zenith bank and the leadership of the traders for partnering OneWallet to provide the platform that help businesses to expand.
A representative of MTN at the launch, Dr. Ernest Chieke described OneWallet as a platform for individuals and SMEs which intend to move their businesses forward.
He expressed joy that his firm was partnering OneWallet to bring solution to SMEs’ financial problems.
Carl Akwarandu who represented Zenith bank at the event said the bank decided to partner OneWallet because it has a unique product that will make small businesses grow faster.
He promised that Zenith bank would give OneWallet all the support it needs to make it number one microfinance bank in the country.
The Director of OneWallet, Dr. David Nwosu described the microfinance bank a one stop-touch for SMEs growth.
He said at OneWallet, collateral are not needed to obtain loan, but the individual’s business history.
A member of the board of the microfinance bank, Wiedong Wang, commended Dr. Uzu for establishing OneWallet.
He expressed optimism that with the help of its partners, OneWallet will excel.
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has warned non-interest financial institutions against governance and compliance risks capable of undermining public confidence and financial stability in the country’s growing Islamic finance sector.
Interest-free banks, often known as non-interest or Islamic banks, operate without charging or paying traditional interest (Riba).
The warning was contained in a press statement issued by the apex bank following the 2nd Annual Interactive Session between the CBN Financial Regulation Advisory Council of Experts and the Advisory Committees of Experts of Non-Interest Financial Institutions held at the CBN Auditorium in Abuja.
Speaking through Dr Rita Sike, director of the Financial Policy and Regulation Department, Philip Ikeazor, deputy governor, Financial System Stability, said the rapid expansion of the industry had increased exposure to operational and regulatory vulnerabilities.
The statement read, “The Deputy Governor, however, observed that as the industry grows in size, sophistication, and interconnectedness, it faces unique risks, particularly non-compliance risk, governance challenges, operational vulnerabilities, and emerging technological risks.
“He warned that such risks, if not properly managed, could undermine public confidence, financial stability, and the overall credibility of the non-interest finance ecosystem.”
According to the CBN, the engagement was part of ongoing efforts to strengthen Shariah governance, improve regulatory clarity, and reinforce risk management standards within the non-interest financial services industry.
The apex bank noted that non-interest financial institutions continued to play an increasingly important role in Nigeria’s financial system by providing ethical and Shariah-compliant alternatives to conventional banking.
It stated that the institutions were also contributing to financial inclusion, real sector financing, micro, small, and medium enterprises development, and shared prosperity.
The CBN further explained that the establishment of FRACE and the mandatory constitution of ACEs across all non-interest financial institutions were designed to institutionalise a harmonised governance framework for the sector.
According to the statement, sustained interaction between FRACE and ACEs remained critical to ensuring that regulatory expectations were properly understood and consistently implemented across the industry.
“The objectives of today’s session include fostering the institutionalisation and effective operation of a robust Shariah governance system within Non-Interest Financial Institutions, and providing a structured platform for dialogue, knowledge-sharing, and collaboration,” Ikeazor was quoted in the statement.
In his remarks, Prof Bashir Umar, deputy chairman of FRACE, said the interactive session was aimed at strengthening governance within the non-interest finance sub-sector and promoting constructive engagement between regulators and industry advisory committees.
He also commended the management of the CBN for reviving the session, which was first introduced in 2014.
Earlier in her welcome remarks, Sike reaffirmed the apex bank’s commitment to building a strong and well-governed non-interest financial services industry.
She noted that the growing diversity of products and delivery channels, particularly the emergence of Islamic fintech, had increased the need for stronger regulatory oversight and continuous engagement among industry stakeholders.
“The growing diversity of products, institutions, and delivery channels, particularly with the emergence of Islamic fintech, underscores the need for continuous dialogue, sound regulatory oversight, and robust advisory input from scholars and practitioners,” she said.
The session featured technical presentations on Shariah non-compliance risks in non-interest banks and the role of Islamic fintech in driving financial inclusion.
Participants at the event included members of FRACE, chairmen and members of various ACEs, managing directors of non-interest banks, senior CBN officials, and representatives of the Bank of Industry and the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Federal government is in discussions with the World Bank over a proposed $1.25 billion loan facility aimed at supporting economic reforms, job creation, and competitiveness programmes across Nigeria.
A World Bank document titled Nigeria Actions for Investment and Jobs Acceleration showed the facility has moved beyond the concept and appraisal stages and is now scheduled for a decision meeting ahead of a planned Board presentation on June 26, 2026.
If approved, the loan would become Nigeria’s second-largest World Bank financing package after the $1.5 billion Reforms for Economic Stabilisation to Enable Transformation Development Policy Financing approved in June 2024.
The document listed the Federal Republic of Nigeria as the borrower, while the Federal Ministry of Finance will serve as the implementing agency.
It explained that the project is currently at the decision-meeting stage of the World Bank’s project cycle, where final appraisal documents undergo internal review before submission to the Board of Executive Directors for approval.
At this stage, the institution confirms policy actions, financing terms, and reform commitments already agreed in principle between Nigeria and World Bank teams.
It also said the proposed facility will support government efforts to expand access to finance, digital services, and electricity, while strengthening competitiveness through reforms in taxation, trade, and agriculture.
World Bank says loan will support finance, digital access, and electricity reforms
Between June 2023 and May 2026, the World Bank approved about $9.35 billion in loans and credits for Nigeria across key sectors including power, education, healthcare, agriculture, renewable energy, social protection, and MSME financing.
Major approvals during the period include the $2.25 billion RESET and ARMOR reform financing in June 2024, $1.57 billion for HOPE and SPIN programmes in September 2024, and $1.08 billion for education and resilience projects approved in March 2025.
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