Demand for corporate and secured loans strengthened significantly in the second quarter of 2026 as improving economic conditions, stronger banking sector liquidity and increased lender confidence encouraged Nigerian banks to expand credit to businesses and households, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has said. The bank disclosed this in […]
Category: Money Market
Money Market
Otedola’s First HoldCo Stake Hits N1.47trn After N222bn Acquisition
Chairman of First HoldCo Plc, Femi Otedola, has increased his ownership stake in the financial services group to 25.87 per cent following the acquisition of an additional 1.779 billion ordinary shares valued at approximately N222.2bn, further strengthening his position as the company’s largest individual shareholder. The […]
Access Bank Partners FG to Scale MSMEs Through Artificial Intelligence
Access Bank Plc has partnered with the Federal Government to accelerate the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) among Nigeria’s Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), unveiling a new digital platform aimed at helping entrepreneurs improve productivity, expand market access and strengthen business sustainability as the country pursues its ambition of […]
United Capital assets surpass ₦2trn, targets deeper Africa expansion
L-R: Dr. Gbadebo Aderenle, Managing Director, United Capital Investment Banking; Adetola Fasuyi, Managing Director, United Capital Wealth Management; Dr. Odiri Oginni, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, United Capital Asset Management; Peter Ashade, Group Chief Executive Officer, United Capital Plc; Esther Adeola-Balogun, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, UCEE Microfinance Bank; and […]
Access Bank to Host Maiden MSME Conference, Launches SME App
Access Bank is set to host the maiden edition of its MSME Conference on Friday, July 24, 2026, at its Head Office in Victoria Island, Lagos. The conference, themed “AI for SMEs: Scaling Through Digital Tools,” will bring together entrepreneurs, business leaders, policymakers, and technology experts to explore […]
N68.32tn Budget Faces Credibility Test as Deficit Hits N31.45tn — BudgIT ……Says Budget Ambitious But Unrealistic, Warns of Pre-Election Spending Risks ……..Only 54% of Budget Backed by Revenue
Civic technology organisation, BudgIT, has raised concerns over the Federal Government’s N68.32tn 2026 budget, describing it as ambitious but largely unrealistic given the country’s weak revenue base, widening fiscal deficit and growing debt obligations. In a analysis of the approved fiscal plan, BudgIT warned that the […]
Wema Bank Clarifies Position On Gulf Bank Asset Transactions
Wema Bank Plc has dismissed as false and misleading recent reports alleging impropriety in the sale of certain Banana Island properties linked to the defunct Gulf Bank Plc, insisting that its actions were lawful recovery efforts tied to a long-standing debt obligation. The bank said in a […]
Access Holdings Clarifies Dividend Position Amid Strong 2025 Earnings
Access Holdings Plc has reaffirmed its commitment to long‑term shareholder value and sustainable returns, following a strong performance in the 2025 financial year, while providing clarity on the rationale for the non‑payment of dividends for the year ended December 31, 2025. The clarification was provided during the Group’s Full […]
DataPro Warns Rising Debt Costs, Fiscal Strain Threaten Sovereign Credit Ratings
A new report by DataPro has warned that mounting fiscal constraints, rising debt servicing costs, and external vulnerabilities are increasingly putting pressure on sovereign credit ratings, particularly in emerging and commodity-dependent economies. In its latest monthly publication titled “Unlocking Sovereign Rating Factors,” the firm said while sovereign credit […]
Africa’s $2trn Assets Fail To Boost Infrastructure Investment — Report
Africa’s institutional capital pool rose sharply to more than $2trn in 2025, but the continent continues to struggle to channel these funds into critical infrastructure and industrial development, according to a new report by the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC). The findings, published in the AFC’s latest State […]