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BDC Forex Ban: Banks Will Corner, Hoard Dollars- Mailafia

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Dr. Obadiah Mailafia, former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has said that commercial banks in the country cannot be trusted with forex sales, adding that they will “corner” the dollars and only release whatever that is left after satisfying their interest.

BDC Forex Ban: Banks Will Corner, Hoard Dollars- Mailafia

Mailafia was reacting on Wednesday to the recent decision by the CBN to stop the sale of foreign exchange to Bureau de Change (BDC) operators.

The former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria featured on The Roundtable, a Punch Newspaper online interview programme.

Recall that Godwin Emefiele, governor of CBN hadr on Tuesday, said Bureau de Change Operators in the country are greedy and make abnormal profit from forex sales.

Emefiele also announced the discontinuation of and new licence approval after the Monetary Policy Committee two-day meeting in Abuja.

The CBN had been supplying each licensed BDCs $20,000 per week at the rate of N393 with the instruction that they should sell with a margin of N2 but some of them sell as high as N505, making over N100 on every dollar sold.

According to Emefiele, BDC operators in the country continue to abuse the privilege, hence, the need to stop forex sales to them.

The CBN governor said commercial banks would be monitored to provide forex for the legitimate use of Nigerians.

But Mailafia said commercial banks cannot be trusted and would sell the dollar at any rate they wish.

“How can you totally trust these commercial banks because most of them will want to corner the dollar for themselves and whatever is left, then they can now share with the market at a rate they want?” he queried on PUNCH Roundtable.

The former deputy governor of the apex bank also said, “On the naira, it is not just the underlying economic fundamentals that matters like interest rate, inflation and so on, these things matter and the level of debt affect it but there are the non-quantifiable elements like violence, instability, rural banditry and terrorism, those things undermine the productive capacity of the economy. They also destroy social capital, the trust that holds the community together to do businesses together.

“If we are not careful, that decision will actually worsen the naira value because the BDCs, you could walk into any of them anywhere and within five minutes, they will attend to you but the banks, you have to drive to your nearest bank, you have to queue most of the time.

“The CBN has not told us the rate, the banks will want to make a profit over the official rate, we don’t know whether they will make a decent profit or they will profiteer. Bankers were the biggest experts in round-tripping. Old habits, I don’t think they change. Leopards are very unlikely to change their spots.

“So, we may end up in a scenario where there is scarcity and the simple economics of demand and supply tells you that where there is increase scarcity, price is likely to shoot up.

“If bank bureaucracy makes it difficult for people to access dollar, what it means is that the bureaucracies, obstacles and bottlenecks are likely to put pressure on supply and pressure on supply may mean an increase in demand for the dollar and greater fall of the naira, if we don’t play the cards well.”

 


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E-Financial

Kuda Bank Teams Up with Lovers & Frnds for Inclusive Valentine’s R&B Bash

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Kuda Microfinance Bank partnered with Lovers & Frnds for a Valentine’s edition event on Sunday, February 15, at Space Hub Lekki, Lagos, redefining celebrations around love, friendship, and social connections beyond romance.

Kuda Bank Teams Up with Lovers & Frnds for Inclusive Valentine’s R&B Bash

Kuda Bank

The R&B-themed gathering drew couples, friend groups, and solo attendees with music sets from DJs like TGarbs, games, gift exchanges, and colour-coded tags—red for relationships, yellow for mingling singles, orange for non-minglers—to spark easy interactions.

Kuda activated a branded photo booth, merchandise giveaways, prize activities, and complimentary drinks for Premium loyalty tier customers, while vendors used Kuda Business POS terminals for seamless cashless payments.

Senior Brand Manager Emmanuel Femi-Adejobi said: “We partner with experiences matching our customers’ lifestyles in music and entertainment, creating spaces they genuinely connect with—we’ll keep supporting how they live and celebrate.”


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E-Financial

CBN Cuts MPR by 50bps to 26.50% as Inflation Eases for 11th Month

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Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has lowered its Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) by 50 basis points to 26.50 percent from 27 percent, a unanimous decision announced by Governor Olayemi Cardoso at the end of the 304th Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting in Abuja on Tuesday.

CBN Cuts MPR by 50bps to 26.50% as Inflation Eases for 11th Month

CBN

Cardoso cited 11 straight months of decelerating headline inflation—reaching 15.10 percent in January 2026 per National Bureau of Statistics—as key, driven by prior tightening lags, naira stability, food supply gains, steady petroleum prices, export earnings, remittances, and balance of payments strength.

Liquidity ratio stays at 30 percent, CRR unchanged at 45 percent for commercial banks (16 percent merchant banks) and 75 percent non-TSA public deposits; standing facilities corridor now +50/-450 basis points around MPR.

The MPC retained other parameters, welcoming Executive Order 09 redirecting oil/gas revenues to the federation account for fiscal boost, last cutting rates in September 2025 after November’s hold.


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Retiree Slams N50m Suit against over Alleged Privacy Breach, Unauthorized Accounts

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Abiodun Olokunjuwon, a retired civil servant based in Ibadan has instituted a N50 million lawsuit against Moniepoint Microfinance Bank at the Oyo State High Court, alleging that the fintech company opened unauthorized bank accounts in her name without her knowledge or consent.

Retiree Slams N50m Suit against over Alleged Privacy Breach, Unauthorized Accounts

Filed in February 2026, the suit is among the first significant cases testing the enforcement of the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 against a Nigerian fintech institution.

According to the statement of claim, the plaintiff became aware of the alleged unauthorized accounts only after her legitimate bank account was restricted pursuant to a garnishee order linked to a debt she denies incurring.

The restriction reportedly prevented her from accessing funds needed for essential transactions.

The claimant alleges that Moniepoint opened two separate accounts in her name using her National Identification Number (NIN) and Bank Verification Number (BVN) without proper authorization or verification.

Following the discovery, she submitted a Data Subject Access Request (DSAR) under the NDPA 2023. Documents allegedly provided by the bank, according to the suit, revealed significant verification lapses.

The plaintiff claims the accounts were opened using falsified documents, including what she describes as a fake NIN slip and contact information unrelated to her.

She further alleges that the accounts listed a Lagos residential address where she has never lived.

The suit contends that Moniepoint failed to implement adequate identity verification and address confirmation procedures before creating and operating the accounts. It further alleges breaches of statutory obligations under the NDPA 2023, including:

  • Failure to ensure personal data processed was accurate and lawfully obtained
  • Failure to implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures
  • Failure to prevent unauthorized or fraudulent processing of personal data

The claimant maintains that these alleged lapses resulted in serious personal and financial harm.

The plaintiff is seeking N50 million in damages for emotional distress, health complications, and disruption to her financial life.

She is also asking the court to order the permanent closure of the allegedly unauthorized accounts.

No date has been fixed for hearing on the matter.


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