News
Banks Borrow N2.5Trillion in August to Cushion Liquidity Crisis
Banks, discount houses and other financial institutions in the country have reportedly gone on massive borrowing spree, increasing their borrowing from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) by some 210 per cent in one month in order to manage the liquidity crisis.
The massive borrowings are coming on the heels of the imposition of 50 per cent cash reserve requirement (CRR) on public sector deposits by the CBN.
Leadership newspaper quoted data from the CBN which indicated that deposit money banks (DMBs), merchant banks and discount houses more than tripled the amount borrowed) in August alone to meet their financial obligations.
According to the CBN Economic Report for August 2013, banks increased their borrowing from the CBN Standing Lending Facility (SLF) from N793.08 billion in July to a whopping N2.465 trillion in August alone, representing an increase of 210.8 per cent.
Recall that the CBN commenced implementation of the policy in August following its decision during the Monetary Policy Committee meeting in July. Accordingly, it withdrew N896.43 billion being 50 per cent cash reserve requirement (CRR) on public sector from the banking system earlier that month.
The data also showed that on the average, banks borrowed a whopping N123.29 billion to sustain their operations in August compared with the daily average of N34.48 billion recorded in the preceding month.
Banks opted to borrow from the CBN even though it would disqualify them from accessing foreign exchange from the official foreign exchange market, a pointer to the severity of the liquidity crisis.
In the past, banks have been known to prefer paying the high interbank rate for one day to borrow from other banks rather than borrowing from the CBN at 14.0 per cent and being barred from the official foreign exchange window.
The heavy dependence of the banking sector on monetised oil revenues for its liquidity has been a constant source of worry to the CBN.
Speaking recently on the issue, the CBN governor, Malam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi said the apex bank have been stressing “the need to keep pushing banks into altering their business model to reduce vulnerability.”
The liquidity crisis has forced lending rates to rise. The CBN economic report for August released last week showed that banks’ deposit and lending rates generally trended upwards during the review month. It also revealed that all deposit rates of various maturities, including the average savings rate rose from a range of 2.45 – 7.41 per cent to a range of 2.63 – 7.47 per cent.
“At 6.61 per cent, staff estimate showed that the average term deposit rate rose by 0.45 percentage point above the level at the end of the preceding month. Similarly, the average prime and maximum lending rates rose by 0.41 and 0.84 percentage points to 16.94 and 23.89 per cent in the review month, respectively.
“Similarly, the margin between the average savings deposit and maximum lending rates widened by 0.66 percentage points to 21.26 per cent at the end of August 2013,” the report added.
Also, it showed that at the interbank call segment, the weighted average rate which stood at 10.61 per cent at end-July 2013, increased by 4.52 percentage points to 15.13 per cent at end-August 2013. Similarly, the weighted average rate, at the open-buy-back (OBB) segment, rose by 3.9 percentage points to 14.31 per cent from the level in July 2013.
DataPro Rating Agency has upgraded the long-term credit rating of Dangote Cement Plc to AA+ from AA, citing the company’s strong financial performance, market leadership and ability to meet its financial obligations despite Nigeria’s challenging economic environment.
In its latest rating report, the technology-driven credit rating agency also affirmed Dangote Cement’s short-term rating at A1, with a Stable Outlook. The ratings are valid until June 16, 2027.
DataPro said the upgrade reflects the cement maker’s sustained financial strength, resilient operating performance and dominant position in Nigeria and across Africa.
According to the agency, the assessment followed a comprehensive review of the company’s capital base, earnings, liquidity, corporate governance, regulatory compliance and the sustainability of its financial performance over the medium to long term.
It noted that Dangote Cement’s strong brand, leading market share, solid earnings, robust asset base and experienced management continue to strengthen its ability to meet financial commitments on time.
The agency also highlighted the company’s outstanding financial performance in 2025.
According to the report, Dangote Cement posted N4.31 trillion in revenue during the year, representing a 20 per cent increase from the previous year. Profit before tax more than doubled, rising 109 per cent to N1.53 trillion, driven by higher sales, improved operating efficiency, lower finance costs and a stronger capital structure.
DataPro said the AA+ long-term rating indicates low credit risk and reflects excellent financial strength, business profile and operating performance relative to its rating benchmarks.
It added that the A1 short-term rating signifies good credit quality and shows that the company has a strong capacity to meet its short-term financial obligations as they fall due.
The rating agency, however, noted that the credit rating has a maximum shelf life of 12 calendar months in line with international best practice and should be used only as a reference, not as an offer to trade in securities or as a substitute for investors’ independent judgement.
Xora Finance has announced it will no longer consider job applicants from Nigeria.
Xora Finance is a digital bank founded by Joren Lundgren, in February 2026 and allows users to deposit and earn interest on their XRP cryptocurrency.
Lundgren, founder, in an announcement on X (formerly Twitter), cited an ongoing pattern of misconduct, such as dishonesty and theft, from previous Nigerian hires as the reason for the decision.
This sudden blanket ban came just days after the company’s official career page was aggressively recruiting remote workers for marketing and content roles.
The announcement generated heavy backlash online, with many people upset that a blanket rule punishes honest job seekers.
Some lawyers have said that victims of Ponzi schemes have legal remedies, although recovering lost funds and prosecuting perpetrators remain major challenges.
A Ponzi scheme is an investment fraud that pays existing investors with funds collected from new participants rather than from actual profits.
Operators lure victims by promising high returns with little to no risk.
The scheme inevitably collapses when the flow of new investors slows down.
Some lawyers who spoke to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) separate interviews with on Sunday, said that victims could pursue civil actions to recover their money.
Mr Chibuikem Opara, a lawyer at Justification Chambers, Ikeja,said many Nigerians continued to fall victim to Ponzi schemes in spite of repeated warnings.
Opara said it was wrong to attribute participation in Ponzi schemes to a lack of investment opportunities, noting that promoters often exploit investors’ greed through promises of unrealistic returns.
“What you cannot take away is the fact that many Nigerians have fallen and continue to fall victim to these schemes every time,” he said.
According to him, victims may individually or collectively institute civil actions against the beneficiary company for breach of contract or refund arising from failure of consideration.
Opara said victims could also unite to seek an order from the Federal High Court to wind up the beneficiary company.
He, however, noted that such efforts might yield little benefit if perpetrators had already siphoned the funds and left behind an empty shell.
The lawyer said available remedies largely depended on the actions of relevant authorities, adding that recipient accounts could be frozen to facilitate fund recovery and support winding-up proceedings.
Opara said regulators and law enforcement agencies often became aware of Ponzi schemes only after substantial losses had occurred.
According to him, victims frequently failed to report suspicious schemes early enough to enable timely intervention.
He added that funds are sometimes moved outside the country before authorities become aware of the fraud.
Opara also cited inadequate information and the deceptive nature of the schemes as major obstacles to investigation and prosecution.
“Most times, everything about the schemes is made to appear elusive, just like the profits promised to victims,” he said.
Also speaking, Mr Vincent Aminu of A.F. Aminu and Co. advised that victims of investment scams should report such cases to appropriate law enforcement agencies on time.
Aminu said victims could petition the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) or file reports with the police.
He said that after investigation, prosecutors could bring charges against suspects under relevant fraud-related laws, including provisions of the Criminal Code and the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act.
Beyond criminal prosecution, Aminu said .victims could pursue civil actions to recover their money
According to him, such actions may be based on breach of contract, unjust enrichment, or fraudulent misrepresentation, depending on the circumstances.
He added that victims could petition the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which could investigate illegal operators, shut down unauthorised platforms, and freeze assets.
He identified the anonymity of online fraudsters as one of the biggest challenges confronting investigators.
According to him, many operators concealed their identities through fake digital profiles and technologies that made tracking them difficult.
Aminu also noted that victims who delayed taking legal action risked losing opportunities for redress.
He added that prolonged court proceedings often delayed justice for victims.
“Many fraud-related cases take years before the court reaches a verdict, thereby delaying justice for victims,” he said.
Also, Mr Chris Ayiyi of Ayiyi Chambers, Apapa, described Ponzi schemes as a gamble that benefited early participants at the expense of later investors.
Ayiyi said some early entrants received returns on their investments, thereby encouraging others to join the schemes.
He said the schemes eventually collapsed, leaving late investors to bear the losses
The lawyer called for a complete ban on Ponzi schemes or sustained public enlightenment campaigns against them.
He urged the National Assembly to enact laws that would strengthen regulation and provide greater protection for investors.
According to him, stronger legal safeguards are necessary in a country operating a capital-based economy.
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