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CBN Gov, Atedo Peterside Clash Over Forex Policy

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Godwin Emefiele CBN - Investors King
  • CBN Gov, Atedo Peterside Clash Over Forex Policy

The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Godwin Emefiele; and the Chairman, Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc, Mr. Atedo Peterside, on Thursday disagreed over whether the flexible foreign exchange policy of the apex bank had been able to address the foreign exchange challenges in the country or not.

They both spoke in Abuja at the 14th Daily Trust Dialogue, which had as its theme: ‘Beyond recession: Towards a resilient economy’.

While Peterside claimed that the forex and interest rate policies of the apex bank had not achieved the needed impact owing to the fact that they were not market-determined, Emefiele said that the policies were not made in isolation.

The Stanbic IBTC chairman said that currently, there were 11 major steps that the government needed to take so as to address the current economic woes.

They steps, according to him, include correcting the imbalance in the foreign exchange policy, making peace with the Niger Delta militants, sale of some national assets, deregulation of the entire downstream petroleum sector, reduction of the bloated civil service, and making states economically viable.

Others are addressing deficit in infrastructure, improving the nation’s legal system, respect for rule of law by the government, restoring business confidence and appointment of directors to the boards of every regulatory agency of government.

He said, “I know that there are those who will criticise me for saying that the Federal Government’s economic policy direction remains unclear. My response to them is that the most significant economic reforms embraced so far by government came about rather reluctantly.

“The Central Bank of Nigeria should accept that its foreign exchange and demand management policies have failed. The more restrictions they have placed on forex repatriation, the less likely it has become that badly needed forex inflows from portfolio investors, foreign direct investors and Nigerians will pick up.”

He added, “The CBN has inadvertently created a siege mentality, thereby making privileged access to its forex allocations, which are reserved largely for the politically well-connected, the best investment game in town.

“Furthermore, the directive to banks to allocate 60 per cent of forex to manufacturers that account for only 10 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product has exacerbated an already bad supply situation.

“Forty per cent is too small to accommodate the rest of the economy and so all other sectors have been crippled, including the service sector, which accounts for over 50 per cent of the GDP.

“This has unleashed panic, thereby sending the parallel market to the high heavens. Forex inflows disappeared partly because of the uncertainty surrounding the ability to repatriate interest/dividends through an overly restrictive 40 per cent window.

“There is nothing magical about 60 per cent or 40 per cent. It has no scientific basis. Meanwhile, it has huge adverse distortionary implications on the supply side. The end result has been our mind-boggling and widely divergent multiple exchange rates, which have spooked investors who have taken fright and also taken flight.

“Sadly, we have effectively ‘shot ourselves in the foot’ by taking unsustainable actions that crippled both forex inflows and the service sector, whilst favouring even those manufacturers who own ‘zombie’ industries that are horribly import-dependent.”

Peterside restated his earlier position on the sale of some national assets, adding that they could generate between $15bn and $20bn in the next two years if their sale was planned carefully.

He said those advising the government to rely on debt alone to take the country out of the present low foreign exchange trap did not mean well for the nation, adding that such a move was a high risk strategy that should be rejected.

Peterside said, “Our economy is underperforming because, among other things, it is caught up in a low foreign exchange trap. Borrowing alone is not and can never be a panacea.

“Indeed, borrowing without instituting necessary and badly needed economic and structural reforms is akin to suicide. Those who are canvassing for more foreign debt simply because our debt to GDP ratio is low are overlooking the fact that our debt service ratios are already high.

“Our debt service ratios are high because our tax to GDP ratio at six per cent is exceedingly poor. Relying on debt alone to get us out of the present low foreign exchange trap is, therefore, a high risk strategy. I consider it to be ill-advised.”

Responding to the issues raised by Peterside, the CBN governor said the priority of the apex bank now was on Nigerians who wanted to import raw materials for the purpose of manufacturing.

Emefiele said, “Our priority today will be Nigerian masses, Nigerians and no other person. Within the limited resources at our disposal, we will continue to give emphasis to those who want to import raw materials.

“We will give emphasis to those who want to employ plants and equipment that will help this country. We will direct support and emphasis to those who are going into agriculture, who are importing agricultural raw materials and implements because we love our country.

“Mr. Atedo Peterside has raised 11 points, which I will say some are contestable and we disagree with some of them. But we will look at them, especially those that affect the central bank.”

The apex bank boss added, “But it is very important that when you stand and talk, it is always good for you to come from a standpoint where you ask those who have made the policies why they have made the policies.

“Policies are not made in isolation. They are made because certain things have happened and they are made because there is an objective in mind, and they are made to ensure that those objectives are achieved.”

Is the CEO and Founder of Investors King Limited. He is a seasoned foreign exchange research analyst and a published author on Yahoo Finance, Business Insider, Nasdaq, Entrepreneur.com, Investorplace, and other prominent platforms. With over two decades of experience in global financial markets, Olukoya is well-recognized in the industry.

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Banking Sector

Zenith Bank Commends Customers After Successfully Unveiling Upgraded Enhanced Tech infrastructure

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Zenith Bank - Investors King

Zenith Bank Plc has announced that it now boasts the best technology infrastructure in the banking industry, positioning itself to provide an exceptional customer experience and superior service delivery moving forward. This upgrade follows a recent comprehensive technology enhancement.

The bank expressed its heartfelt gratitude to customers for their support and patience throughout the upgrade process, while also extending apologies for any inconveniences experienced during this time.

This announcement was made in a social media post on Wednesday, signed by Dame Dr. Adaora Umeoji, OON, the Group Managing Director/CEO.

In her message, the GMD/CEO emphasized the bank’s commitment to delivering an unparalleled service experience, stating, “We undertook this upgrade to ensure we can offer our customers the best possible service.”

Umeoji pledged that Zenith Bank will continue to innovate, ensuring that customer needs are met swiftly, safely, and conveniently.

The post read in part: “On behalf of the Board, Management, and Staff of Zenith Bank PLC, I would like to thank you for your patience and support during our IT infrastructure migration to a new and more robust operating system.

“We are truly grateful for the trust and confidence you have placed in us. The primary reason for undertaking this extensive endeavor was to better position Zenith Bank PLC for improved service delivery to all our valued customers and to create memorable banking experiences at all our touchpoints.

“While I regret the inconveniences and challenges you faced during and immediately after our migration, I am pleased to inform you that Zenith Bank PLC now has the best technology infrastructure in the industry. We are committed to ensuring you experience superior service delivery going forward.

“Rest assured, you remain our top priority, and Zenith Bank will continue to innovate and offer value-added products and services to meet all your banking needs quickly, safely, and conveniently.”

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Finance

President Tinubu Orders Release of Minors Prosecuted for #BadGovernance Protests

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Following a recent viral video on the X app regarding the prosecution of minors who protested during the #BadGovernance movement, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered the immediate release of all prosecuted minors.

This was announced by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, in a statement to the State House Correspondents in Abuja.

In a show of concern over the detention of minors, President Tinubu directed the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction to investigate and ensure that the law is fully applied to law enforcement agents involved in the unlawful act.

It was noted that the arrests violated human rights and the Child Rights Act, as the 32 detainees are under 18 years old.

Activist organizations, including the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED), and Concerned Parents and Educators (CPE), condemned the actions and denounced the treason charges filed against the detained minors.

In a call to action, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) urged the president to instruct the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, to immediately and unconditionally release all protesters arrested during the #EndBadGovernance movement.

SERAP stated, “The immediate and unconditional release of all #EndBadGovernance protesters, including 32 hungry and malnourished children, is necessary.”

According to SERAP, for the peaceful exercise of fundamental human rights, including freedom of expression, assembly, and association without fear of persecution or undue restriction, all detained protesters should be released.

In response to the president’s directive, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi, commented that his office “will need to review the matter to enable me to make an informed decision.”

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Banking Sector

FBN Holdings To Invest N103.1bn In Corporate, Retail Businesses

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FBN Holdings

As part of means of actualizing its expectation of raising N150 billion from its existing shareholders by way of rights issue, the management of FBN Holdings said it has budgeted an estimated N103.1 billion for its corporate business and retail business lending segments of the market.

The Holdings recently held the signing ceremony to begin the rights issue offering of 5,982,548,799 ordinary shares of 50 kobo each at N25.00 per share to its existing shareholder on the basis of one new ordinary share for every six ordinary shares held as of October 18, 2024.

Extracts from the offer raising prospectus of the financial institution revealed that lending to the corporate business segment gets N77.34 billion, while lending to the retail business segment gets a budget of N25.78 billion.

This covers 68.95 per cent of the N150 billion proposed rights issue the management seeks to raise from existing shareholders.

Out of the N150 billion, a total of N29.46 billion was budgeted to support international business expansion and N14.73 billion for investment in automation and digital banking.

According to the financial institution, seamless and convenient banking experience for its customers would be guaranteed through its significant investment in automation and digital banking.

Through its mobile banking app, FirstMobile, and its internet banking platform, FirstOnline, the management of FBN Holdings said it has effectively acquired a broad cross-section of the target demography, with a clear proposition of owning bank accounts and utilising various financial services from the comfort of their locations.

It added that the bank plans to upgrade the FirstMobile and FirstOnline apps with additional features while driving customer adoption of the platforms, noting that the development is in line with First Bank’s commitment to providing customers with the best-in-class electronic banking experience.

The offer, however, is part of the company’s plan to recapitalise its commercial banking subsidiary, First Bank of Nigeria Limited,  with a view to increasing the bank’s capacity for business development and growth.

Chairman, FBN Holdings, Olufemi Otedola in a statement from the document urged shareholders to support the Rights issue by accepting their rights, stating that the company will be well positioned to achieve its strategic objectives and to deliver improved returns to all stakeholders.

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