Business
Why Banks Don’t Give Long Term Loans – Bank MD
The inability of commercial
banks to give long-term credit facilities is due to the non-availability of long-term-deposits by Nigerians, a financial expert, Mr Nnamdi Okonkwo has said. Okonkwo, also the Managing Director, Fidelity Bank Plc, made the remark at a conference organised by the Finance Correspondents Association of Nigeria (FICAN) in Lagos.
The theme of the conference was: “Nigeria beyond Oil, Financing Options for Non-Oil Exports’’.
He said that most depositors who had huge amounts to save, did it on short-term basis because of uncertainties of the economic policies.
Okonkwo wondered why banks were always condemned at every occasion for not lending long-term facilities to businessmen and farmers, whereas they traded mainly with short-term deposits.
The managing director insisted “that commercial banks do not have the kind of huge amount of money to lend out to those in businesses for long-term period’’.
The financial expert also listed lack of the right framework as being responsible for local banks not lending long-term to Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs). He said lack of infrastructure, such as power, among others had made the bank to generate private electricity for its operations. According to him, banks paid full interest on all deposits, while 25 per cent was taken as Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR), leaving banks with only 75 per cent of the amount to trade with. He said, “If as a bank, I know a secret place where I can get long-term funds to trade with, I will be the number one bank in Nigeria today because I can lend long-term.
“Bring me a depositor that will place N100 million today with me at 10 per cent.
“I will then give a loan at 15 per cent and pay the depositor’s interest on N100 million but I have to trade with N75 million because the Cash Reserve Ratio is deducted from the N100 million.
“For me to get access to five per cent of the money, I have to lend to a cocoa farmer. You have to lend for industrial production,’’ Okonkwo said.
The managing director said that banks paid three per cent as premium to Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) from all deposits.
“Not only that, the bank will also pay three per cent NDIC premium on the same N100 million deposit.
“Remember, I run my own power. In fact if you put together the voltage we produce in 248 branches of Fidelity Bank, it can power the whole of Lagos State,’’ Okonkwo said.
He said that it was difficult to get a Nigerian who will deposit money in the bank for one year, yet, people kept blaming the banks for not lending money for long-term projects. Okonkwo said that a lot of banks collapsed in the past because of assets mismatch. That is people who matched long-term assets with short-term funds.
“When there is a run in the system, the owners of the short-term funds will come for their money and you have to pay them.
“If you pay them, the people you gave long-term loans cannot pay up. Then you begin to have distress in the system”, he said.
The financial expert, however, said that the Nigerian Export Import Bank (NEXIM Bank) and Fidelity Bank Plc were taking measures to enhance non-oil exports and create wealth for Nigerians.
The managing director said the lender was always at the forefront of financial services solutions and lending, adding that supporting SMEs should go beyond funding. “This is what informed the Fidelity SME Radio Forum, a programme designed and sponsored by Fidelity Bank to educate, inform, advise and inspire budding entrepreneurs, that is aired on Inspiration FM Lagos,” he said.
The Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer, Heritage Bank Ltd., Mr Ifie Sekibo, said Nigeria had export potential in some agricultural commodities like cocoa, cashew, groundnut and fish. Others are: sesame seed, ginger, cassava, snails, tobacco, coffee, cotton lint, rubber, among others. He said Nigeria could export bitter leaf, plantain flour, melon, crayfish and maize.
Sekibo was represented by Mr Olugbenga Awe, Group Head, Agriculture Finance, Project and Development Finance Department of Heritage Bank. He said that the country could also export manufactured goods such as: cocoa cakes, butter, powder and liquor.The managing director said that others include: detergents, malt drinks, palm kernel cakes and oil, baby clothes and confectioneries.
In the category of handicraft, Sekibo said that Nigeria could export talking drums, calabash, wood carvings, raffia products, among others.
He said that the nation’s entertainment industry contents from the Nollywood artists could be exported to neighbouring countries.
Sekibo expressed regret that exporters from Nigeria were not competing enough, adding that some Nigerian exporters went to Cameroun to bring in products and blend them for exports.
In a concerted effort to tackle racketeering and reduce inflated transportation costs in the Nigeria’s seaports, Trucks Transit Parks Ltd. (TTP) has trained Licensed Customs Agents and Freight Forwarders on the use of its Ètò electronic call-up system.
The training was held recently at Customs Processing Centre (CPC) Auditorium, Apapa, Lagos, in collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and supported by the leadership of the Joint Association of Licensed Customs Agents and Freight Forwarders (JALCAFF), Apapa Command.
Speaking at the event, Comptroller Babatunde Olomu expressed appreciation to TTP for facilitating the training and emphasized the need for customs agents to take personal ownership of the Ètò booking process.
“I want to thank TTP for this impactful training. I encourage all customs agents to begin doing their own bookings directly. By doing so, they can take back power from the unscrupulous elements exploiting their lack of knowledge, selling tickets at highly inflated prices,” Olomu declared.
He noted that empowering agents with hands-on training was key to dismantling racketeering networks that have plagued access to the ports and frustrated efficient logistics processes.
Also speaking, the Chairman, Apapa Chapter of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Chief Emeka Chukwumalu, said the engagement was critical to the ongoing push to reduce cargo transportation costs and ease business operations at the Apapa Port.
According to a freight forwarder, “The training is basically for us to have awareness of the operations of the Ètò call-up system through TTP. We also want to brainstorm on ways to reduce the high cost of cargo transportation in Apapa Port.
“This training opened our eyes to how simple it is to book tickets ourselves. We now know the right steps to follow and how to avoid falling victim to fraudsters.”
Earlier, Head of Operations at TTP, Mr. Irabor Akonoman, talked on common misconceptions about ticket pricing, reaffirming that the cost of Ètò bookings had remained consistent since its inception.
“The official price remains the same since inception. What people are paying higher amounts for is the manipulation by racketeers”.
Towards strengthening small businesses and promoting a more supportive regulatory environment, the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) says it will hold the 2025 edition of its flagship MSMEs Fair on Tuesday (May 6, 2025).
The event, themed, “Galvanising MSMEs for Economic Growth and Stability”, will take place at NECA House in Lagos.
According to NECA’s Director-General, Mr Adewale Smatt Oyerinde, the fair seeks to provide micro, small, and medium enterprises with essential tools, resources, and strategic networks to thrive in Nigeria’s challenging business climate.
He emphasised the vital role MSMEs play in national development, describing them as the “lifeblood of Nigeria’s economy.”
Oyerinde noted that the fair is designed to offer entrepreneurs practical solutions to navigate economic uncertainties, regulatory hurdles, and business scalability issues.
A major attraction of this year’s event is the keynote address by the CEO of FATE Foundation, Mrs. Adenike Adeyemi, a prominent advocate for MSME development.
She is expected to share transformative insights on innovative strategies for sustaining and growing small businesses in Nigeria.
A unique feature of the fair will be interactive sessions with key regulatory bodies. Entrepreneurs will engage directly with agencies responsible for licensing, compliance, taxation, and business registration.
NECA said these sessions aim to demystify bureaucratic processes and foster a more enabling business environment.
It also said the fair will provide a platform for entrepreneurs to exhibit their products and services, connect with potential investors, and explore new markets.
It added that participants would gain critical knowledge on digital transformation, access to finance, and strategies for sustainable business growth.
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· NECA stressed that the fair aligns with its broader mission of promoting enterprise development and economic resilience.
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· “By empowering MSMEs with the right support and information, the organisation aims to stimulate job creation, innovation, and long-term economic stability”, NECA said.
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· The 2025 MSMEs Fair is expected to attract a wide range of stakeholders, including financiers, tech experts, regulators, and industry leaders, all united in advancing the growth of Nigeria’s MSME sector.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Transport, Mr Oluwaseun Osiyemi, says over two million passengers have been transported on the Blue Line Rail since its launch, while state-run buses move an average of 42,000 commuters daily.
Osiyemi, who disclosed this during the Year 2025 Ministerial press briefing held at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa, on Tuesday, noted that the Lagos State Transport Policy, launched in May 2024, was now in its implementation phase, focusing on inclusivity, safety, affordability, and sustainability.
“On rail development, Phase One of the Blue Line (Marina to Mile 2) has served over two million passengers, with Phase Two (Mile 2 to Okokomaiko) in progress.
“Phase One of the Red Line (Agbado to Oyingbo) is now operational with eight stations and additional rolling stocks procured, while Phase two (Oyingbo to link Blue Line at National Theatre) is underway”, he said.
The Commissioner said in the state-owned bus operations, over 60 million commuters have been served since 2019, with daily ridership exceeding 40,000.
He also said plans were on to deploy new buses with Quality Bus Corridors under construction, adding that the Abule=Egba Bus Terminal had also been commissioned.
“For water transport, 15 locally-built Omibus Ferries have been launched and are in operation, with the Ijegun Egba Terminal now open.
“The OMI EKO project, in partnership with the French Development Agency (AFD), will deliver 25 terminals and 78 electric ferries.
“Over 280,000 passengers have used ferry services in the past year, and 12 boats have been upgraded to meet safety standards”, he said.
On road infrastructure and traffic management, the Commissioner said 49 junction improvement projects had been completed, including ongoing ones at Ikorodu, Iju, as well as Allen-Opebi-Toyin axis.
He added that solar-powered Traffic Signal Lights, road markings covering 67.9km, new medians, laybys, and 3,941 parking lots had also been provided.
Additionally, Osiyemi announced that the deployed Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras had detected over 470,000 traffic violations and that the Vehicle Inspection Service issued over one million roadworthiness certificates.
He also said that the Lagos State Drivers’ Institute trained more than 32,000 drivers in the past 13 months.
The event marked the second anniversary of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s second term, showcasing major strides in the transport sector under the THEMES+ agenda.
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos