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CBN raises capital base for mega banks to N500bn, gives compliance deadline

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CBN Governor Olayemi Cardoso
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Barely 48 hours after restating the need to increase the capital base of Deposit Money Banks for improved productivity, the Central Bank of Nigeria has announced new guidelines on its recapitalisation policy for banks in the country.

The new guidelines were disclosed in a statement signed by its Acting Director, Corporate Communications, Sidi Ali, in Abuja on Thursday.

She said the apex bank had directed commercial banks with international authorisation to increase their capital base to N500bn and national banks to N200bn.

According to the acting CBN director, commercial banks with national licences must meet a N200bn threshold, while those with regional authorisation are expected to achieve a N50bn capital floor.

Similarly, non-interest banks with national and regional authorisations will need to increase their capital to N20bn and N10bn, respectively.

The CBN’s move came two days after the Monetary Policy Committee hinted that it would change the capital base of the nation’s banks.

At the press briefing that followed the 294th MPC meeting on Tuesday, the CBN Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, urged DMBs to expedite actions to increase their capital base to strengthen the financial system against potential risk.

In its meeting, the committee noted that to guard against risk, commercial banks in the country should accelerate their recapitalisation efforts.

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Cardoso said, “The MPC also reviewed developments in the banking system and noted that the industry remains safe, sound, and stable. The committee thus called on the bank to sustain its surveillance and ensure compliance of banks with existing regulatory and macro-potential guidelines.

“The MPC also enjoined the banks to expedite actions on recapitalisation to strengthen the system against potential risks in an increasingly globalised world.”

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However, the latest CBN policy directive specifies that commercial banks with international authorisation are now required to shore up their capital base to N500bn.

The current capital base is stratified based on the type of banking licence – banks with regional, national, and international licences are currently expected to maintain the minimum capital bases.

The proposed increase in the capital base comes nearly two decades after the CBN’s 2004 banking reform, which increased the then-prevailing capital base from N2bn to N25bn.

The 2004 banking reform was characterised by massive mergers and acquisition activities, ultimately reducing the number of banks in the country from 89 to 25.

Recall that in November 2023, Cardoso, at the 58th Annual Bankers’ Dinner organised by the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, announced plans by the apex bank to carry out a fresh round of banking recapitalisation for the Deposit Money Banks.

He said the policy was part of its efforts to strengthen its capacity to support Nigeria’s drive to become a $1tn economy by 2026.

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At the dinner, Cardoso said, “Despite the challenging global and local economic environment, Nigeria’s financial sector has demonstrated resilience in 2023 with key indications of financial soundness largely meeting regulatory benchmarks.

“Stress test conducted on the banking industry also indicates its strength under mild to moderate scenario on sustained economic and financial stress. Although there is room for further strengthening and enhancing resilience to shocks.

“Therefore, there is still much to be done in fortifying the industry for future challenges. The economic agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s mandate has set an ambitious goal of achieving a GDP of $1tn over the next seven years.

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“Attaining this target necessitates sustainable and inclusive economic growth at a significantly higher pace than current levels. It is crucial to evaluate the adequacy of our banking industry to serve the envisioned larger economy. It is not just about its current stability. We need to ask ourselves, can Nigerian banks have sufficient capital relative to the finance system needed in servicing a $1tn economy in the near future, in my opinion, the answer is no, unless we take action. As a first test, the central bank will direct banks to increase their capital.”

Earlier in March, a report by Ernst and Young indicated that at least 17 out of the existing 24 Deposit Money Banks might be unable to meet the Central Bank of Nigeria’s capital requirement if it is increased from its current N25bn.

The new report, titled ‘Navigating the Horizon: Charting the Course for Banks amid Plans for Recapitalisation’ noted some banks might depend on different recapitalisation options, which include mergers and acquisitions, initial public offerings, placements and/or right issues and undistributed profit (retained earnings) despite the fact that financial soundness indicators show that Nigerian banks were largely safe and resilient as of 2023.

“On this basis, a worst-case scenario given a 15x capital multiplier for 24 banks will be considered based on the type of banking licenses held. We have benchmarked the current capital of these banks against the current capital requirement and four recapitalization scenarios,” it noted.

In spite of the possible disruption, the apex bank has gone ahead with it’s drastic move.

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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 emphasised that all banks were required to meet the minimum capital requirement within 24 months commencing from April 1, 2024, and terminating on March 31, 2026.

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To enable them to meet the minimum capital requirements, the CBN urged banks to consider injecting fresh equity capital through private placements, rights issues and/or offers for subscription, Mergers and Acquisitions, 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 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 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 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.

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Pinnacle proffers solution to petrol supply disruptions, seeks market-based pricing

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…Says 13-year pipeline interconnection deal with Dangote intact

To tackle challenges around petrol supply disruptions in Nigeria, the management of Pinnacle Oil and Gas Limited has advised that Dangote Refinery should allow a working pipeline products interconnection and terminals near large demand areas in order to keep prices at market levels.

The Managing Director of the oil firm, Mr. Robert Dickerman, stated this while addressing misconceptions raised by Dangote Refinery, which had alleged the company’s involvement in the blending and distribution of substandard petroleum products.

He also pointed out that this strategy would help the entire industry avert price fluctuations.

He clarified that there was no intention or necessity to establish a distribution network where every truck is required to load from a single point for the entire nation.

Dickerman disclosed further that the Nigerian system of distribution could be more efficient with such structure in place.

He also revealed that the company has a 13-year pipeline agreement with Dangote Refinery.

He explained that, in a bid to improve distribution efficiency, the company proposed and invested in pipelines to transport petroleum products from the Dangote Refinery.

This method, he noted, is significantly more economical than distributing via ship or trucking across the country.

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“When we proposed this project to Dangote, they wholeheartedly agreed and signed a 13-year interconnection agreement with us. In addition, Dangote facilitated our process of achieving regulatory approval by writing two Letters of No Objection to the regulator to enable our project to proceed”, he stated.

The Pinnacle CEO expressed disappointment and deep concern over the press release issued by Dangote Refinery on November 5, highlighting that it contained several defamatory, inaccurate and intentionally misleading statements.

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The firm expressed concern that Dangote Refinery’s press release promoted a national policy that could inflict severe economic harm on Nigerians, driving up petrol prices beyond global market levels and exceeding current costs.

He added that, it is Pinnacle’s firm position, as well as the position of any educated economist or market watcher, that the optimal solution to Nigeria’s energy insecurity and pricing is a market-based solution that encourages all sources of supply, be they from local refineries, imports or any other source.

“These suppliers must adhere to the strict specifications of the market and product must be handled safely. But the consumer should be indifferent to the source of supply, as long as the product is good quality, and the price is the lowest attainable. This solution demands competition.”

He further explained that the sector in Nigeria employs over 100,000 people, who manage vessels serving every operational port, run storage terminals, drive trucks to fueling stations, operate retail outlets, and deliver customer service.

“Pinnacle Oil & Gas built a revolutionary terminal in the Lekki Free Zone at great expense for the benefit of far greater efficiency in the distribution of petroleum products throughout Nigeria. Prior to the Pinnacle terminal, all imported cargo had to be transferred to smaller vessels due to the shallow draft restrictions across Nigerian ports.

“This extra vessel charter, along with the associated costs of delay, has been inflating the delivered cost for many years. “With the Pinnacle terminal, full cargoes can offload in less than 40 hours and sail away without any ship-to-ship transfer or delays. This has been working extremely well for the country since operations began in 2021.

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“It is Pinnacle’s firm position, as well as the position of any educated economist or market watcher, that the optimal solution to Nigeria’s energy security and pricing is a market-based solution that encourages all sources of supply, be they from local refineries, imports or any other source.

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“These suppliers must adhere to the strict specifications of the market and product must be handled safely. But the consumer should be indifferent to the source of supply, as long as the product is good quality,and the price is the lowest attainable. This solution demands competition,’’

He maintained that Pinnacle Oil had earlier made it clear that imports do not equate to substandard or off-spec products, adding that there is no reason to believe that products refined in other countries would be of any lower quality than those refined here.

He assured that the regulator and all market participants work in tandem to ensure that no substandard product is ever delivered to customers.

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FG approves Dangote refinery as sole supplier of jet fuel to Nigerian airlines

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FG approves Dangote refinery as sole supplier of jet fuel to Nigerian airlines
• Dangote Refinery
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The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced that the Dangote Refinery has been granted exclusive authorization to supply jet fuel, or Jet A1, to all aircraft operating in the country.

This was revealed by the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, during an interview on Channels TV on Tuesday.

Keyamo explained that the airline operators have agreed to make the 650,000 barrels-per-day refinery their sole supplier of jet fuel, with his endorsement and support.

“The airline operators just met recently. With my blessing, it’s a decision from the airline operators in Nigeria that they should only buy from Dangote refinery Jet A1.

“You can see that yesterday we started a naira-for-crude purchase with Dangote. It’s all Naira, no Dollar component,” Keyamo said.

“You can see that yesterday we started a naira-for-crude purchase with Dangote. It’s all Naira, no Dollar component,” Keyamo said.

He explained that the timing is good as Dangote and the federal government recently put the naira-for-crude agreement into effect.

Keyamo stressed that this arrangement would lessen the strain on foreign currency.

“The price will no longer be subjected to the varying factors of the international market, nor the headwinds of oil price in the international market. It will be in local currency so we can be clear as to the cost of it. We will buy in naira. I’m sure we are going to have access to cheaper Jet A1 fuel,” Keyamo said.

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SEE ALSO:  We’re not greedy, just rich – Remi Tinubu tells hurting Nigerians, By Ikeddy ISIGUZO
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Half Year: UBA Grows Earnings by 40% to N1.37 trillion, Declares Interim Dividend of N2.00 per share

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UBA’s Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Oliver Alawuba
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• Total Assets up by 37.2% to N28.3 trillion

• Customer Deposits hits N23.2 trillion, climbs 34%

• Makes Profit Before Tax of N401.6bn

Africa’s Global Bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc has released its audited financial results for the half year ended June 30, 2024, showing impressive performance across some key financial indicators.

The audited financials released to the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) on Monday, showed that the bank recorded double-digit growth in its gross earnings and operating incomes.

At the end of the first two quarters of the year, and despite the tough global macroeconomic climate in Nigeria as well as the geo-political environment challenges across major countries in Africa where the bank has subsidiaries, UBA recorded a 39.6 per cent increase in its gross earnings, which rose from N981.77 billion in 2023 to N1.371 trillion in June 2024.

Interest income also increased by 134.3 per cent to N1.003 trillion up from N428.2 billion recorded in June last year, while total assets went up by 37.2 per cent from N20.6 trillion in December 2023 to close at N28.3 trillion. Customer deposits, also leapt by 33.7 per cent in the same period to close at N23.2 trillion up from N17.3 trillion recorded at the end of 2023.

The results filed showed that profit before tax(PBT) which stood at N403 billion in June 2023, closed the half year at N402 billion, while profit after tax(PAT)dropped slightly from N378 billion to N316 billion in the year under consideration. However, the banks’ shareholders funds increased by 47 per cent from N2.03 trillion in December 2023, to N2.99 trillion.

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In line with the bank’s culture of paying both interim and final cash dividend, the Board of Directors of UBA Plc has declared an interim dividend of N2.00 per share for every ordinary share of N0.50 each held by its shareholders, representing 300% increase compared to the N0.50 declared in the similar period of 2023.

UBA’s Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Oliver Alawuba, while commenting on the results underscored the bank’s commitment to consistently deliver value to its shareholders.

He said, “UBA Group has continued to deliver strong double-digit growth in high quality and sustainable banking revenue streams, driven by a focused growth in balance sheet, transaction and digital banking businesses across geographies in line with our strategic goals.”

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Continuing, the GMD said, “The Group’s performance has been buoyed by consistent strong growth in all core and sustainable banking income lines. Our intermediation business showed strong growth with net interest income expanding by 143% YoY to N675billion”.

On the plans for the rest of the year, Alawuba said, “As the Group intensifies its customer acquisition drive, we are making significant investments in technology, data analytics, product research and innovation to enhance our value proposition and customer experience.”

The Executive Director Finance & Risk, Ugo Nwaghodoh, expressed delight at the milestone achieved by the bank in driving operational efficiency, as reflected in cost-to-income ratio normalizing around the 50% range.

“Our cost optimization provides scope for further moderation, as we explore options towards a drastic reduction of our foreign currency denominated cost components, robotizing and automation of processes and application of artificial intelligence to our operations,” he stated.

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He disclosed that the Group will focus on effectively managing the heightened credit, operational, cyber and information security risks, as it continues to conduct its business within the tenets of our moderate risk appetite in alignment with our sustainability goals.

“The Group has made significant progress and is on course to shore up its share capital to support its medium to long term aspirations, whilst aligning with the recent regulatory requirement in Nigeria and other jurisdictions. that we operate in,” Nwaghodoh further explained.

United Bank for Africa Plc is a leading Pan-African financial institution, offering banking services to more than thirty-five million customers, across 1,000 business offices and customer touch points in 20 African countries.

With presence in New York, London, Paris and Dubai, UBA is connecting people and businesses across Africa through retail, commercial and corporate banking, innovative cross-border payments and remittances, trade finance and ancillary banking services.

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