The Digest:
With six months until the March 2026 deadline, only six of Nigeria’s 13 listed banks have successfully met the Central Bank’s stringent new capital requirements. This slow progress reveals the immense pressure on financial institutions to fortify themselves against economic headwinds.
Key Points:
- Access Bank led Tier-1 lenders, hitting the N500bn mark via a N351bn rights issue.
- Zenith Bank, GTBank, Stanbic IBTC, Wema Bank, and Jaiz Bank have also crossed their respective thresholds.
- The CBN’s directive mandates N500bn, N200bn, and N50bn for international, national, and regional banks.
- The remaining seven listed banks must now accelerate capital-raising efforts to avoid penalties.
- Strategies include rights issues, private placements, and potential mergers and acquisitions.
- The move aims to strengthen the banking sector’s resilience against macroeconomic volatility.
- This recapitalisation is the first major exercise since the 2004-2005 banking reform.
Sources: Nairametrics, Business Day
