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BREAKING: CBN Unveils New Minimum Capital Requirements For Banks …Gives Banks 24 months To Recapitalise

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…… This comes 20 years (2004) when a similar exercise of NGN25 billion was announced by the CBN under Governor Chukwuma Soludo.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has on Thursday, March 28, 2024, unveiled new minimum capital requirements for banks, pegging the minimum capital base for commercial banks with international authorisation at N500 Billion.

This comes days after urging Nigerian banks to expedite action on the recapitalisation of their capital base in order to strengthen the financial system.

Acting Director, Corporate Communications Department, Mrs. Hakama Sidi Ali confirmed the unveiling saying thaty the new minimum capital base for commercial banks with national authorisation is now N200 Billion, while the new requirement for those with regional authorization is N50 Billion.

Mrs. Sidi Ali also disclosed that the new minimum capital for merchant banks would be N50 Billion, while the new requirements for non-interest banks with national and regional authorisations are N20 Billion and N10 Billion, respectively.

A circular signed by the Director, Financial Policy and Regulation Department, Mr. Haruna Mustafa, to all commercial, merchant, and non-interest banks and promoters of proposed banks emphasized that all banks are required to meet the minimum capital requirement within 24 months commencing from April 1, 2024, and terminating on March 31, 2026

According to the circular, the move, initially disclosed by the CBN Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, in his address to the Annual Bankers’ Dinner in November 2023, was to enhance banks’ resilience, solvency, and capacity to continue supporting the growth of the Nigerian economy.  

To enable them to meet the minimum capital requirements, the CBN urged banks to consider inject fresh equity capital through private placements, rights issues and/or offers for subscription; Mergers and Acquisitions (M&As); and/or upgrade or downgrade of license authorisation.

Furthermore, the circular disclosed that the minimum capital shall comprise paid-up capital and share premium only. It stressed that the new capital requirement shall not be based on the Shareholders’ Fund.

“Additional Tier 1 (AT1) Capital shall not be eligible for meeting the new requirement. Notwithstanding the capital increase, banks are to ensure strict compliance with the minimum capital adequacy ratio (CAR) requirement applicable to their license authorisation. 

“In line with extant regulations, banks that breach the CAR requirement shall be required to inject fresh capital to regularise their position,” it added.

The CBN circular said the minimum capital requirement for proposed banks shall be paid-up capital, adding that the new minimum capital requirement shall apply to all new applications for banking licenses submitted after April 1, 2024.

It noted that the CBN would continue to process all pending applications for banking licenses for which a capital deposit had been made and/or an Approval-in-Principle (AIP) had been granted.

However, it said that the promoters of such proposed banks would make up the difference between the capital deposited with the CBN and the new capital requirement no later than March 31, 2026.


Meanwhile, the CBN said all banks are required to submit an implementation plan (clearly indicating the chosen option(s) for meeting the new capital requirement and various activities involved with their timelines) no later than April 30, 2024.

The CBN also disclosed that it would monitor and ensure compliance with the new requirements within the specified timeline. 

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Reps summon Dangote and NMDPRA over fuel imports feud

The lawmakers have formally invited both parties to provide detailed explanations, stressing that only a full understanding of the issues will allow the National Assembly to broker lasting solutions.

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The House of Representatives Joint Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream and Midstream) has intervened to halt rising tensions between the Dangote Refinery group and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).

The joint committee on Monday summoned Alhaji Aliko Dangote and the NMDPRA leadership to present their grievances before the committee, while both sides are ordered to cease all media hostilities pending a swift investigation.

The committees, jointly led by Hon. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere and Hon. Henry Okogie, convened an emergency meeting to address what they described as “growing tension” threatening the stability of the downstream petroleum sector.

Ugochinyere said that the intervention was necessary to prevent further escalation at a critical time when government and industry stakeholders are working to stabilise supply, pricing, and regulation in the post-subsidy era.

“The renewed tension in the downstream sector, stemming from allegations by Alhaji Aliko Dangote against the NMDPRA, demanded urgent attention,” he said.

“The committee is committed to protecting the stability achieved in the sector.”

The lawmakers have formally invited both parties to provide detailed explanations, stressing that only a full understanding of the issues will allow the National Assembly to broker lasting solutions.

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Dangote appoints ex-CBN director Mahmud Hassan, as chief economist

In his new role, Hassan will serve as the Group’s top adviser on economic strategy, market trends, and policy implications, reporting directly to the President of the Group, Aliko Dangote.

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The Dangote Group has appointed renowned economist and former Central Bank of Nigeria Director, Dr Mahmud Hassan, as its Group Chief Economist.

In a statement released on Monday, the Group said the appointment would strengthen its economic advisory capacity at a time of heightened global and domestic market volatility.

In his new role, Hassan will serve as the Group’s top adviser on economic strategy, market trends, and policy implications, reporting directly to the President of the Group, Aliko Dangote.

Dangote Group said Hassan brings more than 30 years of experience in economic policy formulation, financial sector regulation, and central banking to his new role.

During his long career at the CBN, he held several senior positions, including Director of the Trade and Exchange Department and Director of the Monetary Policy Department.

He also served as Secretary to the Monetary Policy Committee and as Special Assistant on Economic Policy and Research to the CBN Governor

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NBS says rebasing behind inflation’s dropping

NBS, in the report published on its website on Monday, headline inflation further declined to 14.45 percent compared with 16.05 percent recorded in October 2025.

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The National Bureau of Statistics (nbs) attributes the droppings in headline inflation to the rebasing exercise it carried out five months ago, with the new base year set at 2024 instead of 2009.

NBS, in the report published on its website on Monday, headline inflation further declined to 14.45 percent compared with 16.05 percent recorded in October 2025.

NBS said that the Consumer Price Index rose to 130.5 points in November 2025 from 128.9 points in October, reflecting a 1.6-point increase from the preceding month (128.9).“

Looking at the movement, the November 2025 Headline inflation rate showed a decrease of 1.6 per cent compared to the October 2025 Headline inflation rate,” the NBS report read.

On a month-on-month basis, headline inflation stood at 1.22 per cent in November, higher than the 0.93 per cent recorded in October, indicating that average prices still increased at a faster pace during the month despite the moderation in annual inflation.

The statistical agency noted that on a year-on-year basis, headline inflation in November 2025 was 20.15 percentage points lower than the 34.60 per cent recorded in November 2024, largely reflecting the effect of the rebasing exercise, with the new base year set at 2024 instead of 2009.

Data from the report showed that the average CPI for the twelve months ending November 2025 increased by 20.41 per cent compared with the average of the preceding twelve months, representing a sharp slowdown from the 32.77 per cent recorded in November 2024.

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