E-Financial
CBN Barks, to Publish Names of Chronic Bank Debtors
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said it would publish the names of chronic bank debtors and waxed worriedly about the growing amount of non-performing loans in the books of banks in the country.
The apex bank and banks, under the aegis of the Bankers Committee, have also decided to bar bad debtors from purchasing foreign exchange in the interbank foreign exchange market.
These were the major fallouts of the 321st meeting of the Bankers’ Committee in Lagos.
Mrs. Tokunbo Martins, director, Banking Supervision, CBN, at a press briefing after the said the central bank, in collaboration with the committee, had also decided to stop the serial debtors from buying foreign currencies at the official interbank foreign exchange market.
Also to be stopped from buying foreign currencies, according to her, are members of the board of directors of debtor companies as well as their subsidiary firms.
She recalled that the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria had spent a fortune to buy toxic assets from the banks’ books in the past and that it was important to stage timely interventions to forestall a repeat of past mistakes.
Martins said, “So, it was decided that going forward, one thing that we will do is to stop them (chronic debtors) from getting access to foreign exchange. Another thing that we also considered doing is to publish the names of the borrowers that refuse to pay up. This is to ensure the continuous safety and soundness of the banking industry.
“It is not all debtors, it is the bad and chronic debtors; those ones that have deliberately refused to pay; those are the ones we are talking about. Now, in the industry we have a standard, we don’t want the NPLs to be more than five per cent of the total loan in the industry.
“The total loan in the industry is in the region of N13tn to N15tn. Right now, we have not reached the upper limit of five per cent, but we don’t want to get there. That is why we decided that we need to come out with this measure. Currently, the industry average of non-performing loans is at 3.3 per cent and we don’t want to get to five per cent; that is why we came up with this measure.”
She said the CBN, in collaboration with the Bankers’ Committee, had laboured to keep the banking industry safe and sound, and that there was a need to ensure the continued safety of the banks.
Emeka Emuwa, managing director and CEO Union Bank Plc, said the amount spent by naira debit cardholders overseas was rising fast and the banks were beginning to notice some arbitrate in the segment.
Consequently, the CBN and the Bankers’ Committee will slash the annual allowable drawdown for each bank customer, according to him.
The current annual allowable drawdown is $150,000 per customer but Emuwa did not specify the amount it would be slashed to.
He said, “We did find that in a number of cases, people were using the cards in manners that were not expected of them and there have been some arbitraging going on. So, in order to sustain stability, what was agreed by the committee was that the limits for the use of the naira debit cards would be reduced.
“As a customer, if you have a dollar account, you will still have unfettered access to it; but for naira debit accounts, the limits will be reduced to more judicious levels. This specifically refers to the use of these banks’ products abroad, because when they are used abroad, the merchants have to be settled.
“Even if it is the Automated Teller Machines, the service provider, Visa or MasterCard has to be settled in foreign currencies and we find that it is a drain on the foreign resources available to finance our industries. So, there is going to be a reduction in the annual allowable drawdown using naira debit cards abroad.”
Also speaking Mrs. Bola Adesola, managing director, Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria, said the foreign exchange market was safe and sound, and was already moving towards a near convergence of rates in the various segments.
This, she said, was as a result of the positive actions taken in the past by the central bank and the committee.
“As you are all aware, in the last couple of months, several methods have been taken by the CBN and the banks to try and attain some stability in the foreign exchange market. This has been achieved because the demand for foreign currencies by businesses has been continually met. All genuine demands for foreign currencies have been met by the CBN,” Adesola said.
Also at the press conference were Mr. Omar Hafeez, Chief Executive of Citibank Nigeria; and Alhaji Ibrahim Muazu, CBN Director of Corporate Communications.
Federal Ministry of Finance has halted enforcement of about N680 million in disputed fees imposed by the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) on NICON Insurance Limited and Nigeria Reinsurance Corporation (Nig Re) as part of the ongoing insurance industry recapitalisation exercise.
The Ministry also directed NAICOM to suspend its demand that the two companies transfer their entire recapitalisation funds into an escrow account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), pending determination of a petition challenging the legality of the charges and the directive.
The intervention followed a July 27, 2026 petition by NICON and Nig Re over what they described as unlawful fees and regulatory demands arising from the implementation of the Nigerian Insurance Industry Reform Act (NIIRA) 2025.
In a letter to the Commissioner for Insurance, Raymond Omachi, permanent secretary, Federal Ministry of Finance, on behalf of Taiwo Oyedele, minister of Finance and coordinating minister of the Economy, requested that NAICOM provide a detailed response and legal justification for the disputed requirements.
The Ministry specifically directed the Commission to suspend enforcement of the contested processing and verification fees, the one per cent Capital Injection Fee, and the directive requiring the companies to transfer their full recapitalisation funds to a CBN escrow account.
The dispute centres on NAICOM’s assessment of a one per cent fee on capital injected by operators, alongside additional processing and verification charges prescribed under Appendix 2 of the Commission’s Minimum Capital Requirement Guidelines.
According to the petition, the combined assessments amounted to N305 million for NICON and N375 million for Nig Re, bringing the disputed charges to N680 million.
The companies are also challenging what they described as an unconstitutional requirement to transfer more than the statutory proportion of their recapitalisation funds to the CBN.
They contend that Section 16(3) of NIIRA 2025 provides for a 10 per cent statutory deposit, and not the transfer of the entire capital injection into an escrow account.
The companies told the Ministry that they had already met the July 31, 2026 recapitalisation deadline.
NICON said it injected N420 billion, while Nig Re injected N30 billion into Mudaraba Term Deposit accounts with Lotus Bank Limited. The companies maintained that the amounts exceeded their adjusted recapitalisation requirements of N16 billion and N28 billion, respectively.
They further stated that they had deposited N42.5 billion and N43.5 billion respectively with the CBN, in compliance with the statutory deposit requirement under Section 16(3) of the new law.
The companies also disclosed that they had made initial payments of N480 million and N75 million, respectively, in fees.
The Finance Ministry’s directive effectively places the disputed charges and escrow requirement on hold while NAICOM is expected to justify the legal and regulatory basis for its actions.
The intervention could have wider implications for the insurance industry’s recapitalisation programme, particularly as operators face regulatory deadlines to strengthen their capital base under the new insurance law.
The controversy also raises questions about the extent to which regulatory guidelines can impose additional financial obligations on operators beyond those expressly provided for under the enabling legislation.
NAICOM is now expected to respond to the Ministry’s request and explain the statutory basis for the one per cent capital injection fee, the additional processing and verification charges, and the requirement for the full capital injection to be transferred into a CBN escrow account.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has launched a nationwide awareness campaign aimed at helping investors and beneficiaries recover unclaimed dividends and inherited investments, as part of efforts to strengthen investor protection and reduce the volume of dormant assets in Nigeria’s capital market.
The initiative, unveiled in Abuja through the Probate/Unclaimed Monies Awareness and Investor Clinic, seeks to educate investors, beneficiaries and estate executors on probate procedures, estate administration and the processes involved in accessing financial assets left behind by deceased relatives.
Speaking at the event, Dr Emomotimi Agama, the Director-General of the SEC, said the Commission was addressing a long-standing challenge that had prevented many families from accessing investments belonging to deceased relatives.
Agama said many beneficiaries face difficulties obtaining probate, letters of administration, death certificates and other documents required to claim shares, dividends and other financial assets.
“For many Nigerian families, the death of a loved one who held shares, dividends or other investments marks the beginning of a long and often confusing journey,” he said.
According to him, the complexity surrounding estate administration often leaves beneficiaries unable to access legitimate investments and other financial assets inherited from deceased relatives.
He described unclaimed dividends and dormant assets as a major concern for the Nigerian capital market, noting that the funds represent money that should be benefiting families but remains idle because beneficiaries are unable to access them.
“Across our market, unclaimed dividends and dormant assets represent real money—money that belongs to real families, sitting idle, disconnected from the people it was meant to serve,” Agama said.
The SEC DG said the Commission was committed to bridging the gap through policy reforms, investor education and sustained engagement with investors, beneficiaries and other stakeholders in the capital market.
He stressed the importance of ensuring that investors and their families were adequately informed about the procedures for documenting, preserving and transferring financial assets to beneficiaries.
Agama said the awareness campaign would also provide an avenue for members of the public to better understand probate processes and the requirements for recovering unclaimed monies and inherited investments.
Also speaking, the Acting Chief Executive Officer of Meristem Registrars and Probate Services Limited, Ms Nkechinyelu Okoye, identified poor awareness and inadequate estate planning as major factors contributing to the accumulation of unclaimed financial assets.
Okoye said some beneficiaries were unaware that financial assets such as shares and dividends formed part of a deceased person’s estate, while others did not know that their deceased relatives had investments in the capital market.
She added that some beneficiaries were also unfamiliar with the documentation and legal procedures required to establish their entitlement and successfully claim the assets.
According to her, these challenges often result in financial assets remaining unclaimed for extended periods, even when legitimate beneficiaries are available.
The initiative is expected to improve public awareness of probate and estate administration procedures while helping more families identify and recover investments and other financial assets belonging to them.
It is also part of broader efforts to reduce the volume of unclaimed dividends and dormant assets in the capital market and ensure that funds belonging to investors and their beneficiaries are returned to their rightful owners.
United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, africa’s global bank, has partnered Mikano Motors to launch an auto financing scheme, themed: ‘Drive Your Dream Today’, specifically designed to ease the purchase of new vehicles by making them more accessible to Nigerians.
General Manager, Mikano Motors, Tarek Mostafa; Executive Director, Personal and Business Banking, United Bank for Africa, Chidi Okpala and National Operations Manager, Syam Abdulkadir, during a partnership signing between both parties, themed: ‘Drive Your Dreams Today’, a Flexible vehicle financing solutions, initiative at the Mikano Showroom in Victoria Island
The flexible Financing solutions Initiative, requires customers to make an initial payment of just 30 percent while the Bank finances the remaining 70 percent.
Unveiled at the Mikano Motors showroom in Victoria Island, Lagos, the scheme allows eligible customers to repay the financed amount in instalments over a period of 36 months at an interest rate of 23 percent.
The financing is available to a broad range of customers, including individuals who are not on a salaried income, providing entrepreneurs, and other eligible Nigerians with a structured pathway to vehicle ownership.
The process begins with a simple eligibility check. Interested customers can visit their nearest UBA branch or email [email protected] to confirm their eligibility. Once approved, customers can proceed to Mikano Motors to obtain a proforma invoice for their preferred vehicle and continue with the financing process.
Speaking at the launch, UBA’s Group Executive Director, designate, Personal and Business Banking, Chidi Okpala, said the partnership reflects the Bank’s commitment to making everyday aspirations more attainable while promoting a stronger credit culture and advancing financial inclusion.
“Owning a car should not be out of reach for hardworking Nigerians, and this partnership makes it far more achievable,” Okpala said. “A customer puts down 30 percent, we finance the rest, and they pay us back comfortably over a three years period. By removing the single biggest barrier to vehicle ownership where a customer just commits with an upfront cost, we are showing what customer-first banking looks like in practice, which is making their lives easier, by meeting our customers where they are and helping them get where they want to be.”
Also speaking, UBA’s Group Head, Consumer Lending, Frank Okoh, said the scheme was designed to make vehicle financing straightforward and accessible to both salaried and self-employed customers.
“We have kept the entry simple and the terms clear, whether you earn a salary or run your own business,” Okoh said. “A short eligibility check at any branch or by email is all it takes to begin, and our team guides the customer through every step to the moment they collect their keys.”
For Mikano Motors, the partnership provides an opportunity to extend its vehicle ownership proposition to a wider pool of Nigerians
The company’s General Manager, Tarek Mostafa, said the collaboration aligns with Mikano Motors’ vision of providing customers with a high-end ownership experience supported by reliable after-sales services.
“Mikano Motors was established to give Nigerians a high-end ownership experience, from the showroom to years down the road,” Mostafa said. “The backbone of any automotive business is not just the sale, but the after-sales service that follows. Every vehicle we sell is backed by genuine spare parts, reliable maintenance and quality service available anywhere in the country. Wherever you are we would come meet you at no extra cost”
“Partnering with UBA lets more customers enjoy that experience, and we are proud to build lasting relationships alongside a bank that shares our commitment to service,” he added.
Established in 2018 under Mikano International, Mikano Motors builds on more than 35 years of the group’s presence in Nigeria. The company offers a diversified portfolio of vehicles supported by nationwide sales and after-sales services.
The partnership further strengthens UBA’s consumer lending proposition, providing customers with structured financing solutions designed around accessibility, affordability and convenience. Through partnerships such as this, the Bank continues to expand access to credit while helping customers meet significant personal and lifestyle needs with ease.
United Bank for Africa is one of the largest employers in the financial sector on the African continent, with 25,000 employees group-wide and serving over 45 million customers globally. Operating in twenty African countries, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, France and the United Arab Emirates, UBA provides retail, commercial and institutional banking services, leading financial inclusion and implementing cutting-edge technology.
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