E-Financial
Diamond Bank Launches Diamond Y’ello Debit Card
Diamond Bank, leading retail Bank, using new technology and digital applications to drive financial inclusion and innovative customer experience has announced its plans to issue MasterCard debit cards to millions of Diamond Y’ello account holders in a move that is expected to significantly expand financial inclusion and reduce cash-based transactions in Nigeria’s economy.
The scheme, according to a statement made available to the press at the 25th World Economic Forum on Africa in Cape Town, South Africa, is targeted at ensuring that interested Diamond Y’ello account holders are issued with debit cards that will give them unhindered access to the Bank’s services and their funds at automated teller machines across the country.
Shedding more light on the rationale for the scheme, Uzoma Dozie, Diamond Bank’s chief executive officer stated that the launch of the Diamond Y’ello debit card is timely and aligns with the cashless policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). According to him, millions of Diamond Y’ello account holders of the bank will have access to the Bank’s services while still enjoying the financial transaction freedom that are now available to the Bank’s numerous customers.
‘’With the introduction of this card, Diamond Bank has raised the bar for cashless banking in Nigeria’s financial services sub-sector. As you know, the card automatically grants account holders unlimited access to their funds and other financial transactions and also provide customers with additional interaction channels besides the agent locations. I think it is the biggest thing that has happened in the industry after the launch of the Fingerprint authentication feature on our Mobile app.”
Speaking further, Mr. Dozie stated that a core component of Diamond Bank’s strategic focus is to ensure the enhancement of the freedom of the financial lifestyle of the unbanked and under-banked by providing convenient banking services and multiple payment channels via the web and the POS, pointing that the Diamond Y’ello debit card will act as a physical link to this unique type of “account you open without documentations and other rigours associated with traditional accounts”.
It would be recalled that in 2014, Diamond Bank launched the Diamond Y’ello account into the Nigerian market as part of its financial inclusion programme to reach the unbanked.
Diamond Y’ello account, which was introduced in partnership with the mobile telecommunications giant, MTN, is a fully mobile hybrid account that offers the over 55 million subscribers on MTN Nigeria network a fusion of financial services and telecoms incentives.
Every MTN subscriber has access to a Diamond Y’ello account. Benefits include easy access to
Diamond Y’ello account holders’ community, full banking services with interest payments on account balances and access to loans via application from the subscriber’s mobile device on demand.
The Diamond Y’ello Account is activated by dialing *710# on any MTN line. According to the Bank, there are over 3 million Diamond Y’ello accounts owners who are serviced by over 500,000 agents in Nigeria.
E-Financial
Ecobank Nigeria to Fully Repay $300m Eurobond Ahead of Schedule

Ecobank Nigeria has moved to retire the remaining part of its $300 million Eurobond before maturity. The bank has launched a tender offer for holders of its 7.125% senior notes due February 2026.

The bank announced the offer on Friday, 28 November 2025, inviting investors to tender their holdings ahead of schedule. Of the original $300 million issuance, $150 million remains outstanding.
Under the terms, investors whose notes are accepted for repurchase will receive $1,000 for every $1,000 in principal, plus accrued and unpaid interest up to, but not including, the settlement date. The transaction is expected to be completed on or before 31 December 2025.
Ecobank said the early repayment move is part of a broader strategy to optimise its balance sheet and strengthen capital planning flexibility. The lender added that the tender offer gives investors an opportunity to exit the instrument ahead of the original February 2026 maturity.
In a statement, the bank said the initiative underscores its “commitment to transparent engagement with funding partners and investors,” stressing that the offer supports its long-term goal of maintaining a well-structured debt profile.
Participation in the programme is voluntary, and investors will make decisions based on their individual considerations, the bank added.
Ecobank emphasised that the announcement is for information only and does not constitute an offer to buy or sell securities. Eligible noteholders are expected to rely on the formal tender documents when deciding whether to take part.
E-Financial
Reps Give Banks Four-Day Ultimatum on Tax Deductions, Charges

The House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee investigating deductions of taxes and sundry charges from the earnings of civil and public servants has given commercial banks a four-day deadline to submit all requested documents.

House of Rep
The committee, chaired by Hon. Kelechi Nwogwu, issued the ultimatum at the commencement of its investigation, following a motion earlier moved by the House Chief Whip, Hon. Usman Bello Kumo, on alleged deductions from civil servants’ salaries.
Nwogwu insisted that Chief Executive Officers of affected financial institutions must appear in person before the panel, rejecting representatives sent by GT Bank, Zenith Bank, Access Bank and other banks.
He explained that the panel was mandated to ensure that all deductions of charges by banks on customers’ accounts were fair and properly applied.
The committee disclosed that invitations had also been extended to the Ministry of Finance, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, and all commercial banks operating in Nigeria.
“You cannot appear here without an identity. We are here on the mandate of the people who elected us into parliament. We have resolved to meet next week on Wednesday.
“You must submit all requested documents by Monday, May 1,” Nwogwu said.
He warned that any bank that failed to comply with the deadline would face sanctions, adding that the committee would put the CEOs on oath during the next sitting.
The investigation continues next week.
E-Financial
SEC Urges IST to Freeze all CBEX Bank Accounts in Nigeria

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has asked the Investments and Securities Tribunal (IST) to order the freezing of all bank accounts belonging to Crypto Bridge Exchange (CBEX) and other defendants held in commercial banks and financial institutions across Nigeria.

The request was made in Suit No. IST/OA/02/2025: Securities and Exchange Commission & Anor v. Crypto Bridge Exchange (CBEX) & 25 Others, the first case before the 6th Tribunal presided over by Hon. Aminu Jinaidu, Chairman of the IST.
SEC also urged the Tribunal to seize houses and other assets allegedly acquired by the defendants using proceeds obtained from the public through the CBEX investment scheme, which it said falsely operated as a digital assets platform and capital-market operator.
The Commission argued that CBEX, which is not registered with SEC, unlawfully promised investors a 100 percent return on investment within 30 days—conduct it said is in violation of Section 3(b) of the Investments and Securities Act, 2025.
SEC further disclosed that the Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong had, on April 23, 2024, issued an advisory warning against CBEX, describing it as a suspicious virtual-asset entity. According to the advisory, CBEX adopted a name resembling that of a Chinese property-rights trading organisation to give investors false assurance, despite having no connection with the legitimate entity.
At Tuesday’s sitting, the Tribunal ordered that hearing notices be served on the defendants through national newspapers, as CBEX failed to appear and was not represented in court.
CBEX launched in Nigeria in July 2024, operating through a website and mobile app. It claimed to use advanced artificial intelligence to generate unusually high profits from cryptocurrency trading, promising returns of up to 100 percent within a 40- to 45-day lock-in period. The scheme later collapsed and was exposed as a Ponzi operation that reportedly defrauded investors of more than N1.3 trillion (about $800 million).
Hon. Jinaidu also presided over several other matters on the tribunal’s docket, including Benue Investments Property Co. Ltd & Anor v. Securities and Exchange Commission & 6 Others; Maven Asset Management Ltd v. Securities and Exchange Commission; John Makinde Onade & Anor v. First Registrars & Investors Services Ltd & Anor; and Securities and Exchange Commission & Anor v. Tourist Company of Nigeria PLC & 6 Ors. All the cases were adjourned to January 27, 2026.
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