Private Sector Loans Reaches All-Time High of N37.13 trillion in April – CBN says

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has said credit to the private sector rose to N37.13tn as of April 2022 as banks increase lending to the real sector to create jobs and expand the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The apex bank disclosed in its ‘Money and Credit Statistics’ report. From the year to date, credit to the private sector rose by 5.53% or N1.95 trillion from N35.18 trillion reported in January 2022.

In 2021, credit to the private sector jumped by N5.58 trillion to a record N35.73 trillion.

In the latest report from the central bank, credit to the private sector rose from N35.99 trillion in February to N36.37 trillion in March 2022, representing an increase of 1.07%.

The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) attributed the growth in private sector lending to the increase in industry funding base and compliance with the 65 percent Loans to Deposit Ratio (LDR) directive.

The CBN also disclosed that it had reviewed the performance of its various interventions to stimulate productivity in manufacturing, industry, agriculture, energy, infrastructure, healthcare, and micro, small and medium enterprises.

The governor of CBN, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, in his statement at the end of March MPC, noted that the growth reflected the continued growth of banking system credits to the private sector supported by the sustained drive of the apex bank to increase lending to high-impact real sector ventures. 

He had disclosed that gross credit maintained its upward trajectory since 2019, with an N4.13tn or 19.53 percent growth in industry credit between February 2021 and 2022.

Deputy Governor of Financial System Stability of the CBN, Aisha Ahmad, at the MPC meeting of March 2022 in Abuja, said, “The continued credit growth, particularly to output enhancing sectors, is expected to support economic recovery further. However, sustained regulatory vigilance is required to mitigate any potential crystallization of credit risk in the financial system from lingering macroeconomic risks.”