Connect with us

Business

CIBN Cautions MFBs Over Loans’ Disbursement

Published

11 years ago

on

The Chartered Institute of
Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), has cautioned operators of Micro-Finance Banks (MFBs) in the country against giving out loans beyond their capacity.
The institute also advised operators of MFBs not to emulate and carry out transactions and loan disbursements as commercial banks.
President, CIBN, Mrs Debola Osibogun said this Wednesday when she paid a courtesy visit to Accion Microfinance Bank Limited’s head office in Lagos.
She said “as long as the microfinance banks do not behave as if they are commercial banks, they would not have much problem. Their area is different and the sector they are is different from what commercial banks are expected to service”.
“If microfinance banks keep giving out huge sum of money to individuals then they might be running some risks. But when you give small sums of money  to a large number of people, the risk is not as high as when you give a lump sum to one person.”
She commended the bank for accessing part of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN’s) N220 billion intervention fund for Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs).
“The CIBN boss added , on the issue of intervention fund, which the central bank has provided, I am glad that she (Accion CEO, Bunmi Lawson) was able to inform us today that her organisation has been able to access the fund. We could use that to encourage other microfinance banks to try and access the fund. It is for the benefit of people who do not have access to corporate finance.”
“I believe some of the microfinance banks must have gotten their hands burnt but people like Accion that are doing the right thing and concentrating on the grassroots, you can see that they are progressing,  I would advise that other microfinace banks emulate what they are doing and they should make sure they don’t play in the same field as the commercial banks”, she declared.
Also speaking, the CEO of Accion, Lawson said her microfinance bank was pleased to be recognised by the CIBN for its efforts in the industry.
“As the bank is expanding across Nigeria, we will continue to provide sustainable financial services to reach the unserved and underserved in the country,” she added.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Business

Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

Published

20 hours ago

on

September 22, 2025

By

Kenya made it a clean sweep at the Berlin Marathon with Sabastian Sawe winning the men’s race and Rosemary Wanjiru triumphing in the women’s.

Sawe finished in two hours, two minutes and 16 seconds to make it three wins in his first three marathons.

The 30-year-old, who was victorious at this year’s London Marathon, set a sizzling pace as he left the field behind and ran much of the race surrounded only by his pacesetters.

Japan’s Akasaki Akira came second after a powerful latter half of the race, finishing almost four minutes behind Sawe, while Ethiopia’s Chimdessa Debele followed in third.

“I did my best and I am happy for this performance,” said Sawe.

“I am so happy for this year. I felt well but you cannot change the weather. Next year will be better.”

Sawe had Kelvin Kiptum’s 2023 world record of 2:00:35 in his sights when he reached halfway in 1:00:12, but faded towards the end.

In the women’s race, Wanjiru sped away from the lead pack after 25 kilometers before finishing in 2:21:05.

Ethiopia’s Dera Dida followed three seconds behind Wanjiru, with Azmera Gebru, also of Ethiopia, coming third in 2:21:29.

Wanjiru’s time was 12 minutes slower than compatriot Ruth Chepng’etich’s world record of 2:09:56, which she set in Chicago in 2024.

 

Continue Reading

Business

NIS Ends Decentralised Passport Production After 62 Years

Published

20 hours ago

on

September 22, 2025

By

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has officially ended passport production at multiple centres, transitioning to a single, centralised system for the first time in 62 years.
Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the disclosure during an inspection of the Nigeria’s new Centralised Passport Personalisation Centre at the NIS Headquarters in Abuja, last Thursday.
He stated that since the establishment of NIS in 1963, Nigeria had never operated a central passport production centre, until now, marking a major reform milestone.
“The project is 100 per cent ready. Nigeria can now be more productive and efficient in delivering passport services,” Tunji-Ojo said.
He explained that old machines could only produce 250 to 300 passports daily, but the new system had a capacity of 4,500 to 5,000 passports every day.
“With this, NIS can now meet daily demands within just four to five hours of operation,” he added, describing it as a game-changer for passport processing in Nigeria.
“We promised two-week delivery, and we’re now pushing for one week.
“Automation and optimisation are crucial for keeping this promise to Nigerians,” the minister said.
He noted that centralisation, in line with global standards, would improve uniformity and enhance the overall integrity of Nigerian travel documents worldwide.
Tunji-Ojo described the development as a step toward bringing services closer to Nigerians while driving a culture of efficiency and total passport system reform.
According to him, the centralised production system aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s reform agenda, boosting NIS capacity and changing the narrative for improved service delivery.
Continue Reading

Business

FG To Roll Out Digital Public Infrastructure, Data Exchange, Next Year 

Published

20 hours ago

on

September 22, 2025

By

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has announced plans to roll out Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and the Nigerian Data Exchange (NGDX) platforms across key sectors of the economy, starting in early 2026.
Director of E-Government and Digital Economy at NITDA, Dr. Salisu Kaka, made the disclosure in Abuja during a stakeholder review session of the DPI and NGDX drafts at the Digital Public Infrastructure Live Event.
The forum, themed “Advancing Nigeria’s Digital Public Infrastructure through Standards, Data Exchange and e-Government Transformation,” brought together regulators, state governments, and private sector stakeholders to harmonise inputs for building inclusive, secure, and interoperable systems for governance and service delivery.
According to Kaka, Nigeria already has several foundational elements in place, including national identity systems and digital payment platforms.
What remains is the establishment of the data exchange framework, which he said would be finalised by the end of 2025.
“Before the end of this year and by next year we will be fully ready with the foundational element, and we start dropping the use cases across sectors,” Kaka explained.
He stressed that the federal government recognises the autonomy of states urging them to align with national standards.
“If the states can model and reflect what happens at the national level, then we can have a 360-degree view of the whole data exchange across the country and drive all-of-government processes,” he added.
Continue Reading

Trending