RECAPITALIZATION OF COMMERCIAL BANKS: WHAT DOES THIS PORTEND FOR THE PENSION INDUSTRY?
Nigeria’s economic headwinds over the years have culminated in hyperinflation, macroeconomic variability, and instability in the exchange rate. As part of the approaches to tackle the economic instability bedevilling the country and bolster the country’s economy to be more resilient, solvent and in tune with the aspirations of the Federal Government of Nigeria , the Central Bank of Nigeria (“CBN”) issued a circular mandating commercial, merchant, and non-interest banks to shore up their capital base. This recapitalization exercise is backed by Section 9 of the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act, 2020 (“BOFIA”) which empowers the apex bank to, from time to time determine the minimum paid-up share capital requirement of each category of licensed banks operating in Nigeria.