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NEXIM Bank Bags Best Performing African DFI

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The Association of African Development Finance Institutions (AADFI) has rated the Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM) as ‘Best Performing African DFI.’

The decision was an outcome of  the ‘2013 Annual AADFI CEOs Forum of African Development Banks and Finance Institutions’ on the theme “Strengthening African DFIs with Appropriate Standards and Guidelines: 3rd Peer Review & Rating of African DFIs” held at Kenya on  November, 2013.

The Forum marked the conduct of the 3rd Peer Review of DFIs with the AADFI Prudential Standards, Guidelines and Rating System (PSGRS).

In the letter conveying the message to NEXIM Bank, titled “CONGRATULATION ON YOUR RATING AS BEST PERFORMING AFRICAN DFI”, Mr. J.A. Amihere, secretary general of AADFI, stated, “In the light of your institution’s rating as ‘Best Performing DFI”, we are pleased, on behalf of the Chairman of the Association, to extend our warm congratulations to your Board of Directors and Management Team on this record performance, and urge you not to relent in your effort at entrenching best practices in the operations of your institution as you continue to sustain your development financing mandate.”

According to AADFI, the Peer Review Exercise with the AADFI PSGRS was not a competition but an approach to evaluate DFIs in the various areas of governance, finance and operation in order to identify areas of weaknesses for self-improvement and strengths for consolidation.

Suffice to state that considering NEXIM Bank was in the ‘Negative rating’ for a long time before the Roberts Orya-led Management took office in August 2009, it is instructive to note that it quickly moved to ‘B’ rating in 2012, then progressed to ‘Best Performing African DFI’ in 2013.

The state of affairs of NEXIM at the time Mr. Roberts Orya took charge of the then newly-constituted Executive Management on August 20, 2009 was such that the financial and operational performance of the Bank had deteriorated to a punching level, in addition to a myriad of other problems.

These extended to an alarming decline in the quality of risk assets as the Bank’s total loan portfolio of N14.6 Billion was non-performing by 72%. Within that category, N10.03 Billion or 69.05% was classified as completely lost resulting in a decline in the bank’s income.

The net effect was a depletion of the Bank’s shareholders funds as a result of accumulated losses, significant decrease in income and tolerance of excessive and escalating overheads. Coupled with these were the issues of non-adherence to corporate governance tenets, non-existent risk management framework, lack of strategic focus and digression from core mandate, lack of visibility of the Bank, etc.

In light of the above, the Executive Team set to reverse the problems and ensure NEXIM Bank was able to contribute significantly to the economic development of Nigeria.

Under the leadership of  Dr. Kingsley C. Moghalu, former board chairman, the Management received approval in 2010 to reposition the Bank to effectively deliver on its statutory mandate and become an ‘effective enabler of Nigeria’ economic transformation.

Accordingly, a Corporate Transformation exercise was initiated centering on the key perspectives of Strategy, Risk Management and Corporate Governance, Financial Performance, Operations, Organization and People, with assistance from KPMG Professional Services.

The outcome of the exercise was the Corporate Transformation Project (Project Spring) which led to the re-definition of the Bank’s Mission, Vision and Strategic Objectives targeting four sectors, namely, Manufacturing, Agro-processing, Solid Minerals & Services, which have high employment and foreign exchange earning potentials in the non-oil sector of the Nigerian economy. This has become the MASS Agenda of the NEXIM Bank.

 


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E-Financial

Access Bank Staff Arrested for Allegedly Stealing from Customers’ Accounts

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The Katsina State police command, on Thursday, paraded one Adewumi Gabriel, Head of ATM Operations of Access Bank Daura branch, for conspiring with a colleague to steal the sum of N18 million from a customer’s account.

Adewumi confessed to conspiring with David Mesioye, now at large, using their expertise of the bank’s operations to carry out the theft discovered during an audit.

Spokesperson of Katsina State Police Command, Abubakar Aliyu said, some of the exhibits recovered from Adewumi include the sum of N10.18million from his different bank accounts and a physical cash of N366,900, among other valuables.

In a separate incident, Bishir Abdullahi, a 37-year-old resident of Sokoto State, was arrested at an Old Generation Bank ATM in Katsina with 14 stolen ATM cards in his possession.

According to Sadiq, the suspect was a notorious fraudster who specialised in swapping ATM cards of unsuspecting members of the public at ATM points.

He explained that the suspect was arrested by a police officer on duty at the bank’s branch of Tudun Katsira quarters in the Katsina metropolis, following suspicious activities around the ATM machine.

“Upon instant search, 14 suspected stolen ATM cards of different banks were found in his possession.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect had been using the stolen ATM cards to withdraw sums of money from his victims’ accounts.

“The total amount withdrawn by the suspect from the victims’ accounts is N2.705million. The suspect will be charged to court upon completion of the investigation.”


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PalmPay Reaffirms Commitment to Combating Financial Fraud

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PalmPay, a leading fintech company in Nigeria, has reiterated its commitment to combating financial fraud through cutting-edge technology. This was emphasized during a high-level courtesy visit by the company’s Managing Director and management team to the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU).

Addressing the growing prevalence of fraud in the country, Chika Nwosu, Managing Director of PalmPay Limited, stressed the need for robust collaboration between fintech companies and government agencies. “At PalmPay, we believe that a secure financial ecosystem is the foundation for a thriving digital economy,” he stated.

“Our partnership with the NFIU underscores our dedication to supporting Nigeria’s anti-fraud and anti-money laundering (AML) efforts. Together, we aim to ensure a safer digital experience for all Nigerians.”

Chika also highlighted the significant rise in electronic payment transactions across Nigeria’s financial system, underscoring the importance of proactive measures to address emerging threats.

PalmPay reaffirmed its support for the NFIU’s mission to safeguard the country’s financial infrastructure. The company outlined plans for close collaboration with the agency, including knowledge-sharing initiatives, stakeholder training programs, and the development of innovative solutions to combat fraud in the digital space.

Hafsat Abubakar Bakari, Chief Executive Officer of the NFIU, commended PalmPay for its proactive approach to financial security and its commitment to aligning with national and international regulatory frameworks. She emphasized the importance of continuous collaboration between private sector players and government institutions in the fight against financial crimes.

PalmPay’s visit to the NFIU reflects its vision of contributing to a secure, transparent, and inclusive financial ecosystem in Nigeria. As a fintech leader, PalmPay remains steadfast in its mission to create a digital economy where trust and security drive growth and innovation.

 


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AfDB, Italian Insurance Group Sign $6bn Deal to Foster Investment in Africa

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In a bid to provide credit protection to foster investment in Africa under the “Mattei Plan”, SACE, an Italian insurance-financial group and the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) have signed a $6bn deal.

The collaboration between SACE and AfDB is to sustain the development of initiatives with Africa’s public and private sectors, with additional opportunities for Italian businesses in education, agribusiness, healthcare, energy, water and infrastructure.

The signing took place during the African Investment Forum (AIF) 2024 Market Days currently underway in Rabat, Morocco. The AIF is a platform that helps develop bankable projects, secures funding, and facilitates deal closures. Its goal is to mobilize capital for key sectors, supporting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and Africa’s development agendas.

The collaboration agreement was signed by Michal Ron, chief international business officer of SACE responsible for the Overseas Network, and Hassatou N’Sele, AfDB’s vice president for finance and chief financial officer.

“The $6 billion Mattei plan to bolster economic links and create an energy hub for Europe, while curbing African emigration to Europe, was unveiled by Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni in February this year. The Italian Government and the African Development Bank Group have planned a series of joint initiatives to support the implementation of the Mattei Plan.”

This initiative establishes synergies between SACE’s products, such as the Push Strategy as an untied export credit product, traditional export credit insurance, and the financial products offered by the African Development Bank Group.

It will support the financing of high-impact projects in Africa while jointly generating opportunities for business matching between African and Italian companies.

The initiative brings together SACE’s products, including untied export credits, traditional export credit insurance, and financial solutions from the AfDB. The collaboration aims to finance high-impact projects in Africa while fostering business partnerships between African and Italian companies.

“Africa represents a market of great potential for our companies, and our collaboration under the “Mattei Plan” will strengthen their positioning in key sectors for the continent’s development, in line with the purpose of the Mattei Plan,” said Ron.

“In particular, we are already identifying new business opportunities where SACE can make a difference thanks to the Push Strategy, a financial instrument that, through guarantees, connects African buyers with Italian SMEs, involving them in strategic projects related to infrastructure, agribusiness, healthcare, energy, and education: priority sectors where Made in Italy, with SACE’s support, can offer a significant contribution.”

The collaboration also looks to expand commercial relations between Italy and Africa, encouraging the business of Italian companies interested in operating on the continent in priority sectors of the Mattei Plan: education and training, agriculture/agro-industry, healthcare, energy, water, infrastructure, including digital economy infrastructure.

 


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