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Banks Begin Disbursement of Creative Industry Intervention Fund

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  • Banks Begin Disbursement of Creative Industry Intervention Fund

The Bankers Committee of the Central Bank of Nigeria on Thursday said it was set to commence the disbursement of funds under the Creative Industry Financing Initiative

The decision to commence the disbursement of funds under the initiative was made at the end of the committee’s meeting held at the CBN headquarters in Abuja.

Present at the meeting were Chief Executives of all the Deposit Money Banks in Nigeria as well as other top officials of the apex bank.

The CBN had stated that under the CIFI loan initiative, beneficiaries could get up to N500m loans at nine per cent interest rate.

It noted that the creative industries that could apply were fashion, Information Technology, movie production, movie distribution, music and software engineering student loan.

Addressing journalists shortly after the meeting, the Director, Banking Supervision Department, CBN, Mr Ahmed Abdullahi, said that the decision to support the creative industry was borne out of the committee’s conviction that the sector held the key to job creation, poverty reduction and inclusive growth.

He was accompanied to the media briefing by the Managing Director, FBN Quest Merchant Bank, Kayode Akinkugbe; MD, Ecobank, Patrick Akinwuntan; MD, FSDH Merchant Bank, Hamda Ambah; Citibank MD, Akin Dawodu; and Director of Corporate Communications at the apex bank, Isaac Okorafor.

Other issues discussed at the meeting include consumer lending, mortgage financing and the need to encourage the culture of savings among Nigerians.

Providing more insights into the outcome of the meeting, Akinkugbe urged interested applicants in the creative industry to submit applications to their banks for approval and disbursement.

He also urged them to prepare the business plan or statement on how much they required for their businesses.

On real estate, he said the committee had decided to unlock the huge liquidity that various people had in the sector.

He added that this would enable the banks to boost their contribution to the real estate sector towards adding value to the consumers.

He said, “We have had good dialogue in the past and there is recognition in the Bankers’ Committee that it is time to execute a lot of the initiatives that have been considered by the various sub-committee and acted on immediately.

“Another initiative discussed is in the real sector, we want to release the trapped liquidity that various investments that people have in the real estate, in land or in property. Recognising that there are some obstacles but ultimately we must find a way to navigate through.”

Also speaking, Ambah, the FSDH Merchant Bank boss, stated that the committee also resolved that banks should support the pension industry to release up to 25 per cent of the N9tn Pension Fund Assets for the contributors of the fund to use as equity injection towards owing houses.

She said, “Twenty five per cent of N9tn is worth over N2tn and this fund can be used to stimulate demand for mortgage loans in our economy.”

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

CBN Assures Nigerians of Bank Deposits’ Safety Amid Online Disruptions

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Amid growing challenges of maintenance delays and internet disruptions being faced by many of the commercial banks in Nigeria, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has assured depositors and other clients that their money is intact.

Reassuring the public of its unwavering commitment to ensuring the stability and reliability of the Nigerian financial system, the apex bank asked Nigerians not to panic, stating that it remains dedicated to fostering a secure banking environment where depositors can be fully confident in the safety of their funds.

In a statement signed by Hakama Sidi Ali, Acting Director, Corporate Communications, CBN, the apex bank noted that it recognises the crucial role confidence plays in banking operations and wants to affirm that all deposits in Nigerian banks are secure.

Ali said the CBN is actively ensuring that banks adhere to established regulations and best practices to maintain the integrity of the nation’s financial system.

According to him, regular stress testing is conducted to identify potential vulnerabilities, helping to ensure that the financial institutions are resilient.

He added that the CBN has implemented Early Warning Systems that proactively detect and address emerging risks, allowing the bank to provide timely solutions to any foreseen issues.

The statement pointed out that the bank’s approach to Risk Based Supervision ensures that it focuses its regulatory efforts on institutions that may pose the highest risk to the financial system.

“This targeted strategy allows it to maintain a robust oversight mechanism while promoting the overall health of the banking sector,” it stated.

Ali disclosed that the CBN has established a Memoranda of Understanding with the various countries where Nigerian banks’ subsidiaries are located, adding that the collaboration enhances regulatory coordination and ensures that the nation’s banks operate within a safe and sound framework in accordance with banking regulations, both domestically and internationally.

He further assured bank customers that the CBN remains dedicated to fostering a secure banking environment where depositors can be fully confident in the safety of their funds.

The statement revealed CBN’s plans to continue to monitor and adapt strategies to safeguard the financial interests of all Nigerians and stakeholders in our financial system.

Investors King had reported that customers of Zenith Bank recently expressed their frustration over difficulties with online banking transactions.

Just like other banks, Zenith Bank witnessed online service disruptions and maintenance delays for hours as its customers experienced hitch in sending, receiving money and viewing their balance on their bank apps.

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Banking Sector

Unity Bank, CashToken Rewards Promo Produces New Millionaire

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A Unity Bank customer, Mr. Amadi Chinmenem Gift Chike, has emerged as the latest winner of One Million Naira in the ongoing Cash Rewards Promo by Unity Bank Plc and CashToken Rewards Africa.

CashToken Rewards Africa is a Cash-Reward-as-a-Service company that rewards customers for their patronage and loyalty.

Mr. Amadi, a customer from Unity Bank’s Aba Road Branch, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, won the cash prize after completing qualifying transactions on Unity Bank’s digital banking channels including Unifi, *7799#, and on his Unity Bank-issued Verve card. Through these transactions, he received CashTokens, which entered him into the weekly national consumer draw, where he was selected as the lucky winner of the N1 million prize.

The grand prize winner, Mr. Amadi is the second customer to claim the N1 million grand prize in the rewards promo, which commenced in November 2023. Since the launch, Unity Bank customers have collectively won over N6 million in cash rewards.

Unity Bank and CashToken Rewards promo offers guaranteed instant cash rewards and life-changing opportunities for loyal customers who transact on any of the Bank’s electronic payment platforms, including the Unifi mobile banking application and the *7799# USSD platform. Every card transaction earns customers CashTokens, which qualify them for the weekly national consumer draw, with prizes ranging from N5,000 to N100 million.

Presenting the cheque to the winner in Port Harcourt, Unity Bank’s Regional Manager for Port Harcourt/Uyo Region, Mr. Etop Ikpe, congratulated the winner and reiterated the Bank’s commitment to building a sustainable loyalty platform for customer engagement and satisfaction.

He said, “We are happy to see another one of our loyal customers win a substantial cash prize through the Unity Bank and CashToken Rewards Promo. This initiative aligns with our mission to reward customer loyalty while providing a seamless and rewarding banking experience. As we continue to innovate and enhance our digital banking platforms, we are committed to creating more opportunities for our customers to benefit from their relationship with Unity Bank.”

In his reaction, an elated Mr. Amadi said, “This is a reward for my steadfastness. I have been banking with Unity Bank for a long time and I am really happy to win the cash prize. I commend the bank for the initiative and Unity Bank has always come through in keeping their promises both in terms of service delivery and meeting expectations of customers.”

Also commenting on the development, Simi Adeoye, Chief Business Development Officer for CashToken Rewards Africa, added: “We are proud to partner with Unity Bank in bringing life-changing opportunities to their customers through our Cash-Reward-as-a-Service model. We aim to make every transaction meaningful by turning regular banking activities into chances for customers to win significant rewards. We congratulate Mr. Amadi on his win, and we look forward to creating more millionaires as the promo continues. Mr. Amadi just like other beneficiaries can easily cash out his win by dialling *6700#, following the prompt and transferring his wins directly to his Unity Bank account.”

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Banking Sector

Zenith Bank Enhances E-Channel Services for Customers

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Zenith Bank, one of Nigeria’s leading financial institutions, has restored improved services across its electronic transaction channels, ensuring customers have seamless access to banking services.

In a statement released on Thursday via its X handle, the bank confirmed that customers can now conveniently conduct transactions across various platforms following a recent upgrade. These enhancements follow temporary glitches caused by routine IT maintenance aimed at optimizing service delivery.

Zenith Bank reiterated its commitment to providing improved services and highlighted the various channels available for customer transactions, including:

– Zenith Bank Debit, Credit, and Prepaid Cards
– Automated Teller Machines (ATMs)
– Point of Sale (POS) Terminals
– Zenith Bank Mobile App
– Internet Banking Platform
– Zenith Agents nationwide for agent banking

Customers are also encouraged to visit any of the bank’s branches across the country for in-person transactions.

Zenith Bank reassured further improvements in service delivery following the IT infrastructure upgrade. Customers with bulk payments and salary requests are encouraged to present payment mandates at any Zenith Bank branch nationwide for expedited processing.

Zenith Bank remains dedicated to enhancing customer experience and ensuring reliable banking services across all platforms.

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