E-Financial
Banks Borrow N27.5tn from CBN in Six Months

The Deposit Money Banks in the country borrowed the sum of N27.5tn from the Central Bank of Nigeria through the Standing Lending Facility window of the regulator during the first six months of 2017, the CBN Financial Market Department report has showed.
This represents an increase of over 450 per cent over the N5tn the banks borrowed from the CBN in 2016.
The SLF is a window through which banks borrow funds from the CBN to enable them to meet their short-term cash needs.
On the other hand, the Standing Deposit Facility provides a window for banks to place their surplus cash with the CBN with interest.
The CBN Financial Market report noted that in the first half of 2017, standing facilities (SLF and SDF) were accessed by the banks to enable them to either meet their short-term liquidity needs or place surplus cash.
The report read in part, “The SLF was utilised by the banks in order to enable them to square up their positions after inter-bank market trading hours.
Thus, the total SLF granted in the review period amounted to N27.466tn, out of which N20.629tn was the conversion from unsettled Intraday Liquidity Facility.”
According to the report, the patronage of the SLF reflected the cash flow position of banks during the first half of the year, as requests were at its lowest on January 2, 2017 with N83.61bn and at its highest on April 18, 2017 with N478.54bn.
In view of the 122 transaction days within the period, average daily request amounted to N225.14bn.
The CBN stated that the rates for the SDF and SLF remained at 9 and 16 per cent, respectively.
Consequently, the cumulative interest received on the facilities was N21.13bn at 16 per cent, the report noted.
“In comparison with the corresponding period of the previous year, the total SLF transactions amounted to N5.079tn, out of which N4.836tn was the conversion from the ILF.
Thus, the patronage of the SLF reflected the liquidity position during the first half of the year,” the report stated.
The average daily request stood at N59.76bn, while the cumulative interest received on the facilities was N2.92bn at the applicable rates of 13 per cent and 14 per cent.
According to the CBN, the higher level of transactions over the corresponding period in 2016 was occasioned by the tight monetary operations in 2017.
The report further noted that the patronage of the SDF reflected the liquidity unease in the system as less funds were deposited compared with the corresponding period of the preceding year.
The reduced patronage was due to tighter monetary operations through increased Open Market Operation auctions.
The CBN Financial Market report further indicated that the foreign exchange interventions moderated the cash balances in the banking system.
“The total request for the SDF in the review period was N5.5tn, indicating a daily average volume of N45.54bn as against a total SDF of N12.6tn and a daily average of N102.42bn in the corresponding period of 2016.
A further analysis of the transactions indicated that the highest amount of the SDF was N121.50bn on February 2, while the lowest was N0.30bn on March 20.
“Consequently, the interest paid on the SDF amounted to N1.99bn at the rate of nine per cent in the first half of 2017 as against N2.84bn at four per cent from January 1 to March 21 and seven per cent from March 22 to June 30, 2016,” the report stated.
According to the economic and financial experts, 2017 was a hard year for the banking system and the economy in general.
This, they said, put the banks in a tighter cash position, forcing them to borrow more funds from the CBN.
E-Financial
NAICOM Signs MoU with BPP to Deepen Insurance Compliance in Public Procurement

The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) for collaboration and strengthening of the insurance industry, in the area of public procurement processes.

The Commissioner for Insurance, Olusegun Ayo Omosehin, welcoming the Director-General of BPP, Adebowale Adedokun, and his delegation to NAICOM for a working visit, during which the agreement was signed, highlighted the role of NAICOM as the statutory regulator charged with supervising, regulating and promoting the growth of Nigeria’s insurance industry.
He further stated that NAICOM’s current reform priorities include policyholder protection, regulatory capacity building, legal modernisation, recapitalisation, and increasing insurance penetration.
He emphasised that the collaboration would reinforce the principles of public procurement and insurance practice in Nigeria. He noted that achieving President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision of transforming Nigeria’s economy into a one-trillion-dollar economy required strong inter-agency cooperation.
He stressed that the commission’s reform objectives could not be fully realised without strategic collaboration with agencies such as BPP. The Commissioner further disclosed plans to establish a platform to monitor and verify insurance coverage for public procurement items and assured that insurance operators would strictly adhere to established rules and standards.
In his remarks, the Director-General of BPP, Adedokun, commended the ongoing transformation in the insurance industry, describing the Commission’s environment as serene and reflective of its readiness to support the Federal Government’s economic growth agenda.
Adedokun, welcomed the partnership and highlighted implementation as the critical next phase: “Signing MoU is only the beginning — what matters is delivery. BPP has moved to a fully digital submission model to speed approvals and reduce opportunities for corruption”, he stated.
E-Financial
Binance Cuts Illicit Activity Exposure by 96%, Leads Global Crypto Compliance Push

Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, has reported a 96 per cent drop in direct exposure to illicit activities between January 2023 and June 2025, underscoring its commitment to regulatory excellence and user safety amid Nigeria’s growing digital finance sector.

Binance
The exchange highlighted investments in a robust compliance framework, including over 580 global compliance professionals and 970 staff in related roles, advanced transaction monitoring, stringent Know Your Customer (KYC) protocols, and anti-money laundering (AML) systems.
These measures align with evolving regulations across key markets, including Nigeria, where crypto adoption surges despite Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) guidelines.
Binance’s Chief Compliance Officer, Noah Perlman, said: “At Binance we’ve built a system that doesn’t just react to threats, it anticipates them. A 96% reduction in illicit exposure is a testament to our infrastructure and the 1,500+ professionals working behind the scenes to protect our 300M users.”
Key achievements include a 96.8 per cent plunge in sanctions-related exposure—from 0.284 per cent in January 2024 to 0.009 per cent in July 2025.
In 2025 alone, Binance responded to over 71,000 law enforcement requests, helping seize more than $130 million (over ₦200 billion) in illicit funds.
Collaborations with agencies like Europol, DEA, UK’s NCA, and national cybercrime units have dismantled ransomware groups, darknet markets, and trafficking networks.
Binance co-CEO Richard Teng added: “Our mission has always been to increase the freedom of money, but that freedom is only sustainable if it is built on a foundation of trust. By integrating compliance into our product DNA, we are proving that the world’s largest exchange can also be the most secure.”
The platform engages regulators and policymakers to shape balanced rules supporting innovation while prioritising transparency and financial integrity. Since 2017, Binance has served over 300 million users, publishing regular compliance updates to build trust.
Industry watchers note Binance’s efforts resonate in Nigeria, where crypto trading volumes exceed $50 billion annually, but challenges like fraud and regulatory scrutiny persist. The exchange’s progress could bolster confidence as the CBN refines fintech policies.
Binance reaffirmed its dedication to a safer crypto ecosystem through ongoing investments and partnerships.
E-Financial
Nigeria’s VAT Jumps 34%, CIT Soars 48% to ₦14trn in 9M’25 – NBS

Nigeria’s non-oil tax collections posted robust growth in the first nine months of 2025, with Value Added Tax (VAT) rising 34 per cent to ₦6.4 trillion and Company Income Tax (CIT) jumping 48 per cent to ₦7.72 trillion, bolstering federal revenue amid oil price volatility.

NBS
Data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed VAT climbing from ₦4.77 trillion in 9M’24, reflecting stronger domestic consumption and imports. Quarterly trends indicated a slight 1.4 per cent dip to ₦2.03 trillion in Q2’25 from ₦2.06 trillion in Q1’25, followed by a 10.66 per cent rebound to ₦2.28 trillion in Q3’25—a 28.1 per cent year-on-year gain.
In Q3’25, local VAT hit ₦1.12 trillion, foreign VAT ₦680.23 billion, and import VAT ₦479.79 billion. Sectorally, Administrative and Support Services led with 89.28 per cent quarter-on-quarter growth, trailed by Arts, Entertainment and Recreation (82.49 per cent) and Human Health (32.4 per cent). Real Estate contracted sharply by 51.33 per cent. Manufacturing dominated contributions at 25.89 per cent, followed by Information and Communication (18.77 per cent) and Mining/Quarrying (14.85 per cent).
CIT followed suit, surging from ₦5.22 trillion in 9M’24. It stood at ₦1.98 trillion in Q1’25, leaped 40 per cent to ₦2.78 trillion in Q2’25, and grew 5.7 per cent to ₦2.96 trillion in Q3’25—a 67.19 per cent year-on-year rise. Domestic CIT reached ₦1.21 trillion in Q3, while foreign CIT hit ₦1.75 trillion, underscoring multinational firms’ role.
Economists attribute the uptick to improved tax administration, digital tracking, and post-reform consumption, though sectoral disparities signal real estate headwinds. The gains support President Tinubu’s revenue diversification drive, reducing oil dependency as global crude fluctuates.
NBS data highlights non-oil taxes’ potential to fund infrastructure and social programmes, with analysts eyeing sustained momentum into 2026.
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