Business

No Nigerian Bank In Distress – CBN

Published

10 years ago

July 8, 2016

The Central Bank ofNigeria,
(CBN), has said on Wednesday that no bank in the country was distressed.
The acting Director, Corporate Communications, CBN, Mr. Isaac Okorafor, in a statement said the infusion of a new Board and management for Skye Bank Pic was a proactive step to ensure the bank remained strong.
According to the statement, “The attention of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has been drawn to malicious rumours and unfounded speculations that some banks in the country may have gone or may be going into distress.
“The CBN wishes to reiterate in the strongest terms that these rumours and speculations are untrue and do not reflect the actual health of the individual banks and, indeed, the entire banking industry.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the infusion of a new Board and Management for Skye Bank Plc is a proactive regulatory action meant to ensure that the bank does not continue to fail in its relevant prudential ratios.
“Neither Skye Bank nor any other bank in the industry is in distress.
“Therefore, the CBN would like to request the general public to ignore speculations or rumours to the contrary as they could only be the handiwork of mischief makers, who do not mean well for the Nigerian banking system and its economy.
“As the regulator of the industry, the CBN hereby reassures the banking and general public that their deposits remain safe in any Nigerian bank.
“There is, therefore, no need for panic withdrawals from any bank. Going by both the CBN’s Examination Reports as well as analysis from market watchers, International Credit Rating Agencies, and Development Finance Institutions, the Nigerian banking industry remains strong, in spite of the global economic challenges emanating from the collapse of global commodity prices.
“We, therefore, urge the banking public to remain calm and go about their normal businesses without panic. It is important that we do not create problems when none exists.”
Meanwhile, the position of the nation’s apex bank is sequel to the sacked Skye Bank Plc management following the bank’s inability to meet minimum capital adequacy ratio requirement.
CBN Governor Mr Godwin Emefiele, disclosed this at a news conference in Lagos while announcing the changes in the personnel and board of the bank.
He added that the decision also affected the two longest serving directors of the bank.
Emefiele said that the CBN had subsequently constituted a new management, led by Mr Muhammad Ahmad, as the Chairman and Mr Tokunbo Abiru as the new Managing Director of the bank.
Emefiele also said that CBN has also appointed two executive directors and five non-executive directors.
The Governor said that the new management would take over the bank till a buyer was gotten for the bank’s assets and liabilities.
“These proactive moves have become unavoidable in view of the persistent failure of Skye Bank Plc to meet minimum thresholds in critical prudential and adequacy ratios, which has culminated in the bank’s permanent presence at the CBN Lending Window.
“In particular, Skye Bank’s liquidity and non-performing loan Ratios have been below and above the required thresholds, respectively, for quite a while.
“To correct the anomalies in the bank, the CBN had several meetings with the management and board of Skye bank as part of our strategy of close engagement whenever a bank’s financial or governance situation poses potential threats to the overall stability of our financial system.
“Despite the expectation of relevant regulators, market watchers, financial analysts and interested stakeholders that Skye Bank should be doing much better than it is right now, we have seen about the opposite in reality, “ Emefiele said.
The CBN had said it would shut out the bank’s board of directors after the July 31 deadline given to the bank to recapitalise had expired.
He added that Skye Bank and some other banks have been threading in troubled region for a while.
According to him, the bank’s capital adequacy ratio is below the benchmark minimum of 10 per cent recommended by the CBN for all deposit money banks in Nigeria.
Emefiele noted that the bank’s liquidity was not also in good threshold as well as its non performing ratio.
The governor said the bank’s market value would be weakened but it did not translate to the bank being in distress.
He, however, assured the bank’s directors, shareholders and depositors of CBN’s assistance to the bank in order to bring it back to normalcy.
The Tide learnt that Ahmad, the new Chairman of the bank, is a seasoned public sector executive with over 35 years of distinguished experience.

Business

FG Begins South-West Tour To Promote New Cooperative Bank

Published

5 days ago

May 13, 2026

The Tide

The Federal Government has launched the South-West zonal engagement and ministerial advocacy tour on the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria share capital mobilisation, sensitisation and cooperative sector digitalisation.

Reports say the initiative was launched through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.

According to reports, the advocacy tour, organised by the ministry’s Federal Department of Cooperatives, began on Monday in Lagos.

Speaking at the event, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security and Supervising Minister of Cooperative Affairs, Dr Aliyu Abdullahi, said the initiative was part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Abdullahi described the exercise as a strategic effort to reposition the cooperative sector as a key driver of inclusive economic growth, financial inclusion, enterprise development, food security and national prosperity.

“Today represents a defining moment in our collective determination to reposition the cooperative sector as a major driver of inclusive economic growth, financial inclusion, enterprise development, food security and national prosperity,” he said.

The minister noted the modern cooperative movement in Nigeria originated in the South-West following the 1934 Strickland Report, which led to the enactment of the Cooperative Societies Ordinance of 1935.

According to him, the decision to commence the sensitisation and share capital mobilisation tour in the region is symbolic, as it marks a return to the roots of cooperative development in the country.

Abdullahi said the advocacy tour was a direct outcome of resolutions reached at the 8th Regular Meeting of the National Council on Cooperative Affairs held in Abuja in March 2026.

He said the council approved the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme, a comprehensive framework designed to strengthen the cooperative sector and align it with the administration’s goal of building a one-trillion-dollar economy.

“The reform programme focuses on seven strategic pillars, including governance reforms, cooperative financing and the establishment of the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria, digitalisation, capacity building, value chain development, inclusion of youths, women and persons with disabilities, and strategic partnerships,” he said.

He said the establishment of the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria and the digitalisation of the cooperative sector were the two major transformational initiatives under the programme.

“The Cooperative Bank of Nigeria is aimed at rebuilding a strong cooperative financial system capable of supporting cooperators, farmers, artisans, traders, SMEs, youths, women and persons with disabilities with accessible and affordable financial services,” he said.

Abdullahi emphasised that the proposed bank would be government-enabled but not government-funded.

“Government is not establishing the bank as an owner, nor will it rely on Treasury Single Account funds.

“The role of government through the FMAFS is to provide policy support, stakeholder coordination, regulatory facilitation and an enabling environment under the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme,” he said.

Also speaking, the Lagos State Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Mrs Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to cooperative sector transformation.

She described cooperatives as critical tools for promoting inclusive growth, grassroots productivity, food security, financial inclusion and community wealth creation.

Ambrose-Medebem said Lagos State would continue to support reforms and collaborate with stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme (2025–2030).

“Together, let us build a cooperative ecosystem that is modern, transparent, digitally enabled, financially inclusive and globally competitive.

“Let us build cooperatives that not only mobilise savings, but also mobilise prosperity,” she said.

Business

Customs Impound N2.35bn Cocaine, 15 Trailers of Rice

Published

5 days ago

May 13, 2026

The Tide

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’, Ikeja, has impound Cocaine Substance valued at ?2.35 billion alongside 15 trailer-loads of foreign rice and a wide range of contraband across the South-West.

This was disclosed to Newsmen during a press briefing in Lagos by Controller of the Unit, Comptroller Gambo Aliyu,

Aliyu revealed that the seizures were made over an eight-week period, underscoring intensified enforcement efforts.

According to him, operatives foiled 473 smuggling attempts within the period, leading to the confiscation of 8,794 bags of 50kg foreign rice, 22 used vehicles, 328 bales of used clothing, and 31,705 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).

He said other seized items include a Mercedes-Benz vehicle and various food products such as poultry, vegetable oil, spaghetti, and sugar.

Aliyu clarified that the rice displayed at the briefing represented cumulative interceptions made at different locations and times across the zone.

“All the rice you see here are accumulative of seizures carried out at different places, at different times, and through different interdictions,”

Beyond the economic implications, the Comptroller emphasized the social cost of drug trafficking, warning that narcotics continue to destroy families and fuel criminal activities.

“It may surprise you to know that many homes are broken due to drugs.

” Our mandate is to cut off the supply chain, and that is exactly what we are doing,”.

Similarly Customs operatives at the Gbaji outpost intercepted a 71 year-old suspect along the Lagos-Abidjan corridor with 6.35kg of cocaine concealed in a Toyota Highlander.

The drugs, comprising both powdered and crystalline forms, were valued at ?2.35 billion.

Under a special enforcement drive, codenamed “Operation Hawk,” the unit also seized 3,340 parcels of synthetic cannabis, popularly known as “Ghanaian loud,” weighing 1,540kg.

The substances, along with three suspects, have been handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further investigation and prosecution.

In a related operation, officers intercepted four cylinders of mercury hidden in a vehicle along the same corridor. Aliyu described the substance as hazardous and subject to international regulation.

Overall, the Duty Paid Value (DPV) of the seizures stands at approximately ?5.5 billion, reflecting the scale of enforcement activities.

Additionally, the unit recovered ?97.7 million through Demand Notices issued on under-declared consignments.

Aliyu reaffirmed the Service’s commitment to deploying modern technology—including geospatial intelligence, drone surveillance, and real-time tracking—to strengthen border security and clamp down on smuggling networks.

CHINEDU WOSU

Business

Dangote, Nicolai Tangen To Partner In strategic sectors

Published

5 days ago

May 13, 2026

The Tide

Chief Executive Officer of Norges Bank Investment Management, Nicolai Tangen ( manager of the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund) has expressed interest in partnering with Dangote Group to expand investments across Africa, particularly in strategic sectors such as power, energy, renewable energy, agriculture, fertiliser and cement.

This was made known during a meeting of Chief Executive of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote with Nicolai Tangen, the manager of Norwegian investment institution (with assets estimated at about $1.9 trillion) .

Also present at the meeting were Svein Tore Holsether, Chief Executive Officer of Yara International, and Terje Pilskog, Chief Executive Officer of Scatec, a global renewable energy company.

The engagement reflects growing international investor confidence in Africa’s industrial and infrastructure potential, as well as the increasing role of indigenous conglomerates such as Dangote Group in driving large-scale economic transformation across the continent.

Industry observers say the proposed collaboration could create significant opportunities for investments in critical sectors linked to energy transition, food security, industrialisation and infrastructure development.

The Norwegian sovereign wealth fund, regarded as one of the world’s leading institutional investors, has in recent years increased its focus on emerging markets, with Africa seen as a major frontier for long-term investment and value creation.

Analysts believe a partnership between Norges Bank Investment Management and Dangote Group could unlock substantial capital flows into infrastructure and industrial projects across Africa, helping to accelerate economic growth and regional integration.

Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos