Mr. Thompson Sunday, the Managing Director/Chief Executive of the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), has reaffirmed the Corporation’s strict compliance with fiscal and financial regulations, including the provisions of the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA) 2007, noting that the NDIC has consistently remitted the required percentage of its earnings to the Federal Government.

Mr. Sunday made this known during a courtesy visit to the Managing Director/Chief Executive of the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI), Dr. Armstrong Takang, as part of NDIC’s ongoing engagement with key stakeholders following his formal assumption of office in July 2025.

According to him, NDIC takes financial accountability and transparency seriously, stressing that the Corporation complies fully with statutory remittance obligations, including the payment of 20 per cent of gross earnings or 80 per cent of net surplus to the Federal Government, as applicable. He added that NDIC also submits its financial statements ahead of statutory deadlines.

The NDIC MD/CE explained that this culture of compliance aligns with the Corporation’s role as a key institution within Nigeria’s financial safety-net, charged with protecting depositors and promoting confidence in the banking system. He emphasized that adherence to fiscal discipline remains central to NDIC’s credibility and effectiveness.

Mr. Sunday further disclosed that NDIC also complies with the Federal Government’s 50 per cent cost-to-income ratio policy, although he noted that the policy poses operational constraints. He explained that the deductions affect NDIC’s ability to build a strong Deposit Insurance Fund, which is needed to respond effectively to bank failures.

He stressed that international best practices under the Core Principles for Effective Deposit Insurance issued by the International Association of Deposit Insurers (IADI) require deposit insurers to maintain adequate funds to reimburse depositors when banks fail without recourse to government, adding that the NDIC is seeking an exemption to strengthen its capacity in this regard.

Mr. Sunday described MOFI as a critical stakeholder, noting that the Federal Government, through MOFI, holds a 40 per cent equity stake in NDIC. He said sustained collaboration with MOFI is essential to ensuring that NDIC continues to meet its obligations to government while effectively safeguarding depositors’ funds.

In his remarks, Dr. Takang commended the NDIC for its exemplary collaborative spirit and acknowledged the Corporation’s compliance with fiscal regulations. He assured that MOFI would continue to engage the Federal Ministry of Finance on NDIC’s behalf, noting that a strong NDIC is vital to sustaining confidence in Nigeria’s financial system.

Both institutions reaffirmed their commitment to continued cooperation, transparency and accountability, with Mr. Sunday reiterating that NDIC remains focused on balancing regulatory compliance with its overriding mandate of depositor protection and financial system stability.

Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (“GTCO) has obtained the approvals of both the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to undertake a private placement of its ordinary shares, subject to the fulfilment of the applicable conditions precedent and regulatory requirements.

The Financial Holding Company had earlier on August 29, 2025 announced that its banking subsidiary (Guaranty Trust Bank Limited) had satisfied and surpassed the new CBN minimum capital requirement for commercial banks with international authorisation, having already increased its capital to N504.037 billion.

The Company has entered into an arrangement, in connection with a best efforts private placement for gross proceeds of up to N10 billion from the sale of up to 125,000,000 of the ordinary shares of the Company at N80 per share”.

This private placement in the sum of N10billion is being raised pursuant to Section 7.1 of the Guidelines for Licensing and Regulation of Financial Holding Companies (FHCs) in Nigeria regarding the computation of the capital of FHCs.

According to a statement signed by the company’s Group General Counsel/Company Secretary, Erhi Obebeduo, the proposed private placement is being undertaken pursuant to the company’s shareholders’ resolution passed at its Annual General Meeting held on 9 May 2024 which authorised the Board to establish a capital raising programme of up to $750,000,000 or its equivalent through the issuance of ordinary shares, preference shares, convertible and/or non-convertible bonds or any other instruments, whether by way of a public offering, private placement, rights issue, book building process or any other method or combination of methods in such tranches, and at such dates and upon terms and conditions as may be determined by the Board.

The statement further read that, “As a result of this, the Board has authorised the Company to embark on a private placement to raise N10,000,000,000.00 (Ten Billion Naira only), by the allotment of 125,000,000 (one hundred and twenty-five million) ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each (the “Private Placement”).

The Offering is scheduled to close on December 31, 2025 (the Closing Date) and is subject to certain conditions, including, but not limited to, receipt of all necessary approvals.

At the close of 2025, Temidayo Ojo, the CEO of Jumia Nigeria, reflected on a year-end shopping season that points to the growing maturity of the country’s e-commerce market. “Black Friday is no longer a single, short-lived spike in activity,” he said.

“It has become a familiar, anticipated moment in the retail calendar, where consumers shop deliberately and with confidence.”

Preliminary KPIs for the two months ended November 30, 2025, show strong year-on-year growth in both orders and Gross Merchandise Value (GMV), with GMV growth outpacing order growth. This indicates that customers are placing fuller, more considered baskets rather than shopping in fragmented transactions. Nigeria ranked among Jumia Group’s better-performing markets, with engagement remaining steady throughout the Black Friday period rather than spiking briefly and tapering off.

A key factor behind this performance is the growing familiarity of consumers with online shopping. Customers are increasingly leveraging platform features such as saved carts, brand stores, and price comparison tools to plan purchases in advance. This trend suggests that digital commerce is becoming embedded in everyday habits rather than being viewed as a one-off event.

Ojo also highlighted the role of Jumia’s JForce network in connecting digital commerce to local communities. “Our agents are critical to ensuring that customers across Nigeria, including secondary cities and smaller communities, have access to variety, consistent pricing, and reliable delivery,” he said. “During peak periods like Black Friday, JForce agents can respond faster, serve more customers efficiently, and build stronger local relationships. This isn’t just a distribution channel—it’s a pathway to sustainable income and inclusion.”

Reflecting on the overall performance, the CEO concluded: “What we’re seeing this year-end is steady engagement across categories, stronger consumer confidence, and partners like our JForce agents benefiting from increased activity.

“It confirms that Nigeria’s e-commerce ecosystem is maturing, growing in a more structured and resilient way. As the December Holiday Sale continues, we expect these patterns of familiarity, trust, and participation to sustain momentum and drive both commerce and community impact across the country.”