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CBN Says Era of Naira Hoarding Ending as Residents Rush to Beat Deadline

Nigeria’s cash in circulation has more than doubled since 2015 to N3.23 trillion

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Godwin Emefiele - Investors King

The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Godwin Emefiele, has vowed to ensure that the country does not return to the era of hoarding naira notes.

Emefiele said the trend was wrecking the nation’s economy, stressing that by the time the old notes of N1000, N500 and N200 had been returned to various banks, the situation whereby some citizens store up cash in their personal custody would have been made difficult.

While updating journalists in Abuja, the nation’s capital on the ongoing cash return exercise across the country, Emefiele urged Nigerians who have hoarded money in their homes to return it to the banks.

While lamenting that Nigeria’s cash in circulation has more than doubled since 2015 to N3.23 trillion, Emefiele said the development attested to his disclosure that people are hoarding cash.

He added that people are keeping vaults in their homes and that the redesigned currency notes are parts of the means of disallowing them to continue owning banks in their homes.

The CBN Governor added that those who keep cash in their private residences don’t have the license to build bank vaults in their homes and urged them to take the money to banks.

Emefiele said their act was against the nation’s monetary policy, saying that they are keeping those monies to speculate against a currency, thus making the apex bank efforts more difficult.

Investors King had reported that the CBN had inaugurated a Cash Swap policy whereby agents are sent to rural communities for those without bank accounts to deposit the old notes with them.

The nation’s bank had added that those with limited access to formal financial services have the opportunity of exchanging a maximum N10,000 per person of the old notes through banks or agents without having to open an account.

The bank further noted that it was also working with about 1.4 million agents and lenders to reach citizens across the country to swap old notes for new ones or open bank accounts before the deadline.

For Emefiele, using representatives to penetrate the rural areas is a confirmation of its insistence that the January 31 deadline would not be shifted.

He maintained that Nigerians who couldn’t swap the old notes before next week Tuesday should consider them as “useless cash” in their hands.

Meanwhile, Nigerians have been rushing to beat the deadline.

Checks by Investors King on Wednesday revealed that the number of customers storming banks for exchange of notes has been increasing.

Emefiele said about N2 trillion ($4.3 billion) of cash is expected to be returned to banks by next week Tuesday.

Already, the governor said N1.5 trillion of the old notes had been returned as of last week, adding that the CBN hoped to get to N2 trillion by the Ned of the deadline.

A bank official who spoke with Investors King had said that banks are expected to return the old notes to CBN next week Tuesday, saying that Monday is the last day for customers to swap their old old notes.

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Banking Sector

Safaricom, Access Holdings Forge Partnership to Revolutionize Remittance Corridor in Africa

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Access bank

Safaricom, the leading telecommunications company in Kenya, has entered into a strategic partnership with Access Holdings, spearheaded by Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede.

The collaboration aims to revolutionize the remittance corridor between East and West Africa, marking a significant step towards enhancing financial inclusion and empowering millions of individuals across the continent.

The partnership comes on the heels of Access Holdings’ recent acquisition of the National Bank of Kenya Limited, signaling the company’s ambitious expansion into the East African market.

Leveraging Safaricom’s extensive network and expertise in mobile money through M-Pesa, which currently dominates the mobile money market in Kenya, the alliance seeks to create seamless and efficient channels for remittance transactions.

Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, the driving force behind Access Holdings, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration, highlighting its potential to transcend traditional boundaries and foster greater economic connectivity between East and West Africa.

He highlighted the fusion of collective expertise and resources between the two entities, underlining their shared commitment to driving financial inclusion and empowerment across the continent.

The partnership holds promise for addressing the challenges faced by millions of Africans in accessing affordable and reliable remittance services.

By connecting more than 60 million customers and 5 million businesses across eight countries, the collaboration aims to facilitate over $1 billion in daily transaction value, significantly boosting the flow of remittances within and outside Africa.

With the first phase of the collaboration focusing on key markets such as Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and Tanzania, stakeholders anticipate a transformative impact on the remittance landscape, paving the way for greater intracontinental trade and economic integration in line with the objectives of initiatives like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

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Banking Sector

EFCC Urged to Repatriate Recoveries to NDIC for Depositors’ Relief

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The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) has made a fervent plea to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to expedite the repatriation of recovered funds to its coffers to facilitate the timely reimbursement of depositors affected by bank failures.

During a recent meeting between the Managing Director of NDIC, Bello Hassan, and the Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, at the NDIC headquarters in Abuja, Hassan stressed the importance of enhanced collaboration between the two agencies in recovering depositors’ funds lost due to bank failures.

Hassan emphasized that the return of recoveries made by the EFCC on behalf of the NDIC would significantly contribute to the prompt reimbursement of affected depositors.

He commended the EFCC for its unwavering efforts in combating corruption and financial crimes, highlighting its crucial role as a key member of the Taskforce on Implementation of the Failed Banks Act chaired by the NDIC.

The NDIC boss also highlighted the existing partnership between the two organizations, which led to the establishment of the NDIC Help Desk at the EFCC in 2022.

He disclosed that several high-profile cases referred to the EFCC were currently under investigation.

In response, Olukoyede reiterated the EFCC’s commitment to collaborating closely with the NDIC to combat financial crimes and safeguard the integrity of the Nigerian banking sector.

He pledged to intensify efforts to repatriate recovered funds promptly, acknowledging the interconnectedness between criminal activities and bank failures.

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Banking Sector

FBN Holdings Announces Key Director Appointments

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Femi Otedola

FBN Holdings PLC, a leading financial services group in Nigeria, has disclosed significant appointments within its Board of Directors.

FBN Holdings Plc Appointments:

  1. Mr. Olusola Adeeyo – Non-Executive Director: With an illustrious career spanning over four decades in Corporate Banking, Treasury, Financial Advisory, and transformational leadership, Mr. Olusola Adeeyo brings a wealth of experience to his new role. He is currently the Chairman of Astral Waters Limited, a prominent water bottling and delivery company licensed by NAFDAC. Mr. Adeeyo’s extensive background includes founding management team involvement in building and nurturing Investment Banking & Trust Company Limited (IBTC), now Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc.
  2. Mr. Viswanathan Shankar – Independent Non-Executive Director: With over 44 years of global financial sector experience, Mr. Viswanathan Shankar brings a wealth of expertise to FBN Holdings. He is the Co-founder and CEO of Gateway Partners, a private equity and alternative investments manager focused on dynamic growth markets. Previously, Mr. Shankar served as CEO – Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Americas, and was a member of the global board of Standard Chartered Plc.

First Bank of Nigeria Limited (FirstBank) Appointments:

  1. Mrs. Remilekun Adetola Odunlami – Non-Executive Director: Mrs. Odunlami boasts over 30 years of extensive experience in enterprise risk management, compliance, and general management. She has held leadership positions at CitiBank Nigeria Limited and served as Executive Director, Chief Risk Officer at FirstBank.
  2. Mr. Anil Dua and Mrs. Fatima Ibrahim Ali – Independent Non-Executive Directors: Mr. Dua brings over 50 years of vast experience in portfolio and risk management, while Mrs. Ali has over 15 years of experience in strategic business planning, marketing communications, and socio-economic development.

These appointments underscore FBN Holdings’ commitment to strengthening its governance structure and positioning for sustained growth in Nigeria’s financial.

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