CBN/NDIC Set To Compile Report On MFBs

The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation has concluded what it called “target examination” of microfinance banks to ascertain their financial health, an official said on Monday.

The official, who pleaded anonymity, in Lagos said that the NDIC concluded target examination on 302 micrifinance banks across the country.

Though the Central Bank of Nigeria has a supervisory role over the micro-finance banks, the Governor of the CBN, Mr. Lamido Sanusi, had said that the job of overseeing more than 1,000 of such banks was too enormous for the regulatory body.The NDIC began the target examination in February.The official said the report on the examination would be published by the third week of July, adding that the CBN would soon conclude its own investigations into the remaining banks.

He said the target examination was to be conducted in three phases and the NDIC was currently working on the last stage.

According to him, “NDIC has concluded the first and second phases; the first phase was off site, involving the review of the monthly, quarterly and annual returns of the banks.

“During the second phase, we visited the microfinance banks physically to examine books and asked questions from officers on loans, advances, capital management and documentation.”

The third phase involves report writing and that necessitates that the NDIC should wait for the CBN that would soon conclude its own investigations on the same industry,” the official added.

He said the NDIC and CBN were set to adopt policies that would better resolve the challenges facing the microfinance banking sector.”

According to the source, the options include liquidation, inject of rescue funds and looking for new owners who can bring more in fresh capital,” he added.