Business
CBN Assures On Interest Rates Reduction
The Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele September 11, last Wednesday, said that the bank would continue to explore further avenues to ensure that interest rates were supportive of domestic production needs.
Emefiele said this while delivering a keynote address at the 24th edition of the CBN annual seminar for finance correspondents and business editors in Awka.
The theme of the seminar is “Import Substitution and the Dynamics of Interest and Exchange Rates Management in Nigeria”.
Emefiele, represented by Acting Director, Corporate Communications Department, Mr Issac Okorafor, said CBN would also continually fine tune measures to ensure and guarantee a stable exchange rate regime.
With on-going recovery in economic performance, he said the CBN would record improved outcomes in its effort towards taming inflation, reducing interest rates and guaranteeing exchange rate stability.
The governor added that the bank was consistently devising ingenious approaches to solve the country’s peculiar challenges and would continue to learn from the experiences of other countries, particularly developing nations.
Emefiele noted that the bank had consistently sought to formulate interest and exchange rate policies that were conducive to the development of domestic private industrial activities.
According to him, the CBN is also taking due cognisance of other macroeconomic variables.
The governor said the bank had identified structurally-induced inflation as a dilemma to policy makers on whether to align the rates with socially desired or policy consistent outcomes.
On mitigating the challenge, Emefiele said that CBN had embarked on massive monetary stimulus through direct interventions in sectors holding immense benefits for the broader economy.
“Such interventions have been in agriculture Micro, Medium and Small scale Enterprises (MSMEs), power sector, aviation and youth entrepreneurship, among others.
“These measures were necessitated by the liquidity and credit crunch that followed the global financial crises,” he said.
He said the bank had recognised that there was need for administrative measures to reduce imports.
Emefiele, however, said that the measures might not be compatible with current trends in economic management that leaned towards free markets.
He said that while those might not be completely dismissed, the fundamentals of the domestic environment needed to be promoted to support domestic production and curtail imports.
“The CBN recognises these challenges in its role, provide economic advice and support the Federal Government’s aspirations on economic growth and development.
“Within the core remit of formulating and implementing monetary policy, the interest and exchange rates serve as major instruments for CBN’s support for import substitution,” he said.
The governor noted that fundamentals of the domestic environment needed to be promoted to support domestic production and invariably curtail imports.
“First, interest rates are a major incentive or disincentive to carry on industrial production activities.
“They are the key price for capital and largely determine the ability to engage in profitable domestic economic ventures.
“Economic theory dictates that low interest rate will boost incentives to procure loans to engage in production, and vice versa.”
The governor, therefore, said it was imperative that authorities should endeavour to keep interest rates at reasonably low levels, saying the rate of inflation was a major determinant of the level of interest rates.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) yesterday said 33 banks have met new minimum capital requirements under its recapitalisation programme, raising a combined N4.65 trillion to strengthen the financial system.
The apex bank disclosed this in a statement marking the end of the exercise, which commenced in March 2024 and drew participation from domestic and foreign investors.
The statement was jointly signed by the Director of Banking Supervision, Olubukola Akinwunmi, and the Acting Director of Corporate Communications, Hakama Sidi-Ali.
The statement said “Over the 24-month period, Nigerian banks raised a total of N4.65tn in new capital, strengthening the resilience of the financial system and enhancing its capacity to support the economy.”
The regulator said local investors accounted for 72.55 per cent of the funds, while international investors contributed 27.45 per cent, reflecting continued confidence in the sector.
Commenting on the outcome, the CBN Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, said in the statement, “The recapitalisation programme has strengthened the capital base of Nigerian banks, reinforcing the resilience of the financial system and ensuring it is well-positioned to support economic growth and withstand domestic and external shocks.”
It added that while 33 banks have complied with the new thresholds, a few others are still undergoing regulatory and legal processes.
The statement noted, “The CBN confirms that 33 banks have met the revised minimum capital requirements established under the programme.
“A limited number of institutions remain subject to ongoing regulatory and judicial processes, which are being addressed through established supervisory and legal frameworks.
“All banks remain fully operational, ensuring continued access to banking services for customers.”
The apex bank stressed that the exercise was executed without disrupting banking operations, ensuring uninterrupted access to services nationwide.
It further stated that key prudential indicators have improved, particularly capital adequacy ratios, which remain above global Basel benchmarks.
The minimum ratios were set at 10 per cent for regional and national banks and 15 per cent for banks with international licences.
The bank also said the recapitalisation coincided with a gradual exit from regulatory forbearance, a move it said improved asset quality, strengthened balance sheet transparency, and enhanced overall stability.
To preserve these gains, the CBN said it has reinforced its risk-based supervision framework, mandating periodic stress tests and adequate capital buffers for banks.
It added that supervisory and prudential guidelines would be reviewed regularly to strengthen governance, risk management, and resilience across the sector.
“The successful completion of the programme establishes a stronger and more resilient banking system, better positioned to support lending, mobilise savings, and withstand domestic and global shocks,” the statement said.
The Tide learnt that foreign capital inflows into Nigeria’s banking sector rose by 93.25 per cent year-on-year to $13.53bn in 2025, up from $7.00bn recorded in 2024, amid the ongoing recapitalisation drive by the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Data from the National Bureau of Statistics capital importation report showed that the banking sector remained the dominant destination for foreign capital, accounting for $13.53bn of the total $23.22bn recorded in 2025, representing 58.26 per cent of total inflows, up from 56.81 per cent in 2024.
The surge reflects heightened investor interest in Nigerian banks as they raised fresh capital to meet new regulatory thresholds introduced by the apex bank, with industry-wide recapitalisation activities driving large-scale inflows across all quarters of the year.
However, the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE) recently raised concerns over weak credit flows to small businesses despite recent banking sector reforms.
The CPPE, led by a renowned economist, Dr Muda Yusuf, acknowledged that the ongoing bank recapitalisation exercise by the CBN has strengthened the financial system, but warned that the benefits have yet to translate into meaningful support for the real economy.
The facility will be disbursed through participating Microfinance Institutions (MFIs), which will in turn extend the loans to their customers, particularly SMEs, as they directly interface with businesses at the grassroots level.
The Executive Director of COMCIN, Mr. Micheal Ogbaa who represented the Chairman, Dr. Iredele Oyedele (FCA, FCCA), said the initiative is designed to strengthen micro-lending institutions and expand access to finance for grassroots entrepreneurs, particularly women and youths in the informal sector.
Ogbaa explained that COMCIN does not lend directly to individuals but works through its network of microfinance and cooperative institutions, which in turn provide loans to end users.
“We came together to advocate for the microfinance ecosystem. Commercial banks often exclude people at the grassroots, but our members are positioned to reach them. This facility will empower them to do more,” he said.
He noted that the loan scheme offers low interest rates and flexible repayment plans, making it more accessible to small business owners.
According to him, about 90 percent of beneficiaries are expected to be women, who play a key role in sustaining families and driving economic activities at the local level.
“Our focus is on traders, service providers, and players in the informal sector. These are the real movers of the economy. By supporting them, we are strengthening families and contributing to national development,” he added.
Ogbaa disclosed that eligible SMEs with proven integrity and business track records could access up to N5 million each through participating micro-lending institutions. The rollout has commenced in Lagos and will extend to Abuja, Enugu, and other regions, including the South-West, South-East, and North-East.
He said 12 micro-lending institutions have already benefited from the scheme, while 85 applications are currently being processed under the pilot phase.
“Our target is to reach at least 100,000 SMEs nationwide. We are building a platform that connects funding partners with credible micro-lending institutions, creating a reliable channel for financial inclusion,” Ogbaa said.
He added that COMCIN is also working to attract larger funding pools from development finance institutions and private investors, noting that successful implementation of the pilot phase would boost confidence and unlock more capital for SMEs.
“We have seen encouraging testimonies from early beneficiaries. As we demonstrate transparency and efficiency, more institutions will be willing to channel funds through us,” he said.
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