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E-Payment Transactions Down 3.14% to 119.84trn in January – FDC

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Transactions through electronic payment (e-payment) channels in the country declined by 3.14 per cent to N119.84 trillion in January 2025 from the N123.72 trillion recorded in the previous month, a report by Financial Derivatives Company Limited (FDC) has shown.

Although the firm, which cites e-payment transactions data obtained from the Nigeria Interbank Settlement System (NIBSS), did not proffer reasons for the decline, it projected that the value of transactions through e-payment channels will likely rise to N125.73 trillion and N126.43 trillion in February and March this year respectively, driven by factors such as improved services from payment system operators, delayed implementation of the cybersecurity tax and more people jettisoning cash for electronic transfers.

As the firm put it, “in Q1’2025 e-payment transactions will be buoyed by: payment system efficiencies; delay of the cyber tax; less cash and more transfers.”

In an earlier report, FDC had noted that the total value of epayment transactions “has been increasing steadily since July 2023.”

Indeed, data recently released by the NIBSS indicates that the value of electronic payment transactions in the country hit a record N1.07 quadrillion in 2024 compared with N6003.36 trillion in the previous year.

Analysts note that there has been increased adoption of epayment in the country in recent years, occasioned by factors such as the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) initiatives to promote the cashless policy, the impact of the 2020 Covid-19 crisis and the naira redesign programme introduced by the apex bank in late 2022.

In its report titled, “Instant Payments – 2020 Annual Statistics”, the NIBSS, for instance, stated: “The Covid-19 pandemic changed the e-payments landscape, accelerating the adoption of instant payments as more people transitioned to electronic channels for funds exchange in the wake of government-imposed lockdowns.”

New Telegraph reports that implementation challenges with the CBN’s naira redesign policy led to an acute shortage of cash, which crippled economic activities across the country in the first quarter of 2023, thereby forcing bank customers, who were unable to access cash at the time, to adopt e-payment channels.

In fact, there are indications that lingering cash scarcity in the banking system was responsible for the reported surge in the value of Point of Sale (PoS) transactions last year as more people became banking agents or PoS merchants to meet increased demand for cash from bank customers who were frustrated by their inability to withdraw cash from ATMs or banking halls.

According to latest NIBSS data, the value of PoS transactions rose by 69 per cent to N18 trillion in 2024, from N10.74 trillion in 2023.

As part of its efforts to tackle the lingering cash scarcity, the CBN has in recent times rolled out strict measures aimed at ensuring that Deposit Money Banks and PoS agents comply with its cash deployment regulations.

Last month, the apex bank fined nine Deposit Money Banks N150 million each for failing to ensure cash availability via Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) during the 2024 festive season.

Also, the CBN, on December 17, issued a circular on “cashout limits for agent banking transactions,” which saw it restricting PoS agents to a daily transaction limit of N1.2 million and also introducing a daily transaction limit of N100,000 per customer for cashout transactions conducted by the agents.


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E-Financial

Ecobank Nigeria to Fully Repay $300m Eurobond Ahead of Schedule

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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.

 


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Reps Give Banks Four-Day Ultimatum on Tax Deductions, Charges

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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.

Reps Give Banks Four-Day Ultimatum on Tax Deductions, Charges

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.


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SEC Urges IST to Freeze all CBEX Bank Accounts in Nigeria

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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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