Banking
Abolo to CBN: Focus More on Corporate Governance, Not Recapitalisation
**Says Standard of Corporate Governance in MfBanks Poor
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has been advised to consider paying more attention to standard of corporate governance at microfinance banks in the country than recapitalisation of the sector.
An expert in the banking industry, Dr Emmanuel Moore Abolo of the Risk Management Academy Limited, who gave this suggestion, said operating sound corporate governance for the banks and enforcing stringent compliance regime will go a long way in ensuring a standard environment for operation by microfinance banks in Nigeria.
Speaking at a seminar in Lagos on Thursday, Dr Abolo emphasised that the present standard of corporate governance in microfinance banks in Nigeria was poor.
“The standard of corporate governance in many microfinance banks in Nigeria is poor. Board members are known to misuse their positions to obtain facilities way above the regulatory limit for insider related loans and worse still with no intentions of repaying such facilities,” he noted.
Dr Abolo was a guest speaker at the forum organised by a top international investment banking firm, GTI Capital Limited, in conjunction with one of Nigeria’s business-oriented media platform, Business A.M. The joint finance and investment dialogue was on the recapitalization of microfinance banks in Nigeria.
Apart from Dr Abolo, others at the seminar were the Group Managing Director of GTI Capital Limited, Mr Abubakar Lawal; Chief Economist & Head, Corporate Transformation of GTI Capital Limited, Professor Martin Ike-Muonso amongst others.
During the lecture tagged: “Recapitalisation of Microfinance Banks: The Risks, The Opportunities”, Dr Abolo presented the pros and cons associated with the CBN’s recapitalisation scheme for all microfinance banks at unit, state, and national levels.
He said while recapitalisation might not be the effective answer to the multitude of problems encountered by microfinance banks, operating sound corporate governance for the banks and enforcing stringent compliance regime would go a long way in ensuring a standard environment for operation by microfinance banks in Nigeria.
He stressed that recapitalisation presents a lot of benefits and might prove crucial to the survival of some microfinance banks in the country., saying, “The emergence and prevalence of miracle or magic banks from time to time has done a lot of disservice to the image of microfinance banks.”
According to the chief speaker, microfinance institutions are plagued with copying, competing, and mimicking the practices of commercial banks while they are restricted by weak regulatory support and outdated technological support.
He identified that inadequate capital, poor service delivery, unfavourable and frequent changes in government policies associated with high risks and corruption prevent microfinance banks from performing at optimal level.
Dr. Abolo, from his wealth of experience in the finance world, suggested that there might be need for transformation of microfinance institutions into deposit-taking financial institutions.
“Transform microfinance providers into fully regulated deposit-taking financial institutions. These transformations have successfully taken place in Bolivia, Kenya, Uganda, Mongolia, Peru, and several other countries,” he said.
Dr. Abolo also called for the structuring of robust risk management architecture which will help cushion many microfinance banks against unexpected losses and systemic risks.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The chief executive of Wema Bank Plc, Mr Moruf Oseni, assured shareholders and other stakeholders that putting money in the company would not lead to biting of fingers.
Speaking ahead of the planned raising of about N200 billion in the second quarter of this year, he boasted that Wema Bank has everything to put smiles on the faces of investors.
The lender intends to commence its rights issue and special placement for about N200 billion on April 1, 2025, to complete the recapitalisation requirement of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Last year, in the first tranche, Wema Bank raised N40 billion, with the second phase expected to surpass the minimum capital base of the regulator.
“We stand strong today not just as Nigeria’s oldest indigenous bank but also as Nigeria’s leading innovative bank.
“Wema Bank turns 80 this year and I can safely tell you that we have never been more driven to excel. I am blessed to lead with the support of a team of determined and driven professionals who will leave no stone unturned in achieving our strategic aspirations.
“Indeed, we are building Wema Bank into a formidable force in the African financial services landscape.
“We remain dedicated to maintaining transparency throughout this process and will provide regular updates to all stakeholders and shareholders as we go forward.
“This capital raise will be a win-win for us all. You can trust as always that your investment in Wema Bank will produce exceeding returns. This is our promise to you,” Mr Oseni said.
With the deadline for CBN’s recapitalisation exercise set for March 31, 2026, this move by Wema Bank will undoubtedly ensure the bank retains its national banking license way ahead of the deadline
Reaffirming its stance as a bank committed to transparency and adherence to regulatory standards, Wema Bank is working to secure all necessary approvals from relevant regulatory authorities to ensure the process is conducted in full compliance with applicable guidelines.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Global financial payments giant, Visa, has made a strategic investment of $10 million in Nigerian fintech unicorn, Moniepoint, to expand its services and deepen financial inclusion on the African continent.
This development comes three months after Moniepoint raised $110 million in a Series C funding round that made the company a unicorn.
With the new play, Visa joins other investors, including Development Partners International, Google’s Africa Investment Fund, Verod Capital, Lightrock, QED Investors, Novastar Ventures, British International Investment (BII), FMO (the Dutch entrepreneurial development bank), Global Ventures and Endeavor Catalyst as equity partners.
This partnership will combine Moniepoint’s local expertise and innovative business model with Visa’s global resources and capabilities to offer payment solutions to businesses and entities.
Moniepoint provides banking and payment services to small and medium businesses and retail banking. It is one of the market leaders in Nigeria’s agent banking space, with over 300,000 POS agents and has processed billions of transactions since it was founded in 2015.
The new Visa’s investment will further help Moniepoint expand its services and deepen financial inclusion on a continent that still has a comparatively low rate of financial services adoption.
Moniepoint will leverage Visa’s Cybersource system to gain better visibility into transactions. Additionally, it plans to integrate with Visa Direct for remittances and money transfers as it looks to expand into markets within and outside Africa.
Speaking on the move, Mr Tosin Eniolorunda, Founder and Group CEO of Moniepoint said, “Visa’s backing is a strong endorsement of our vision to digitize and support African businesses at scale.
“We aim to deepen financial inclusion, enabling SMEs to access the tools and resources they need to thrive in an increasingly digital economy.”
On his part, Mr Andrew Torre, Regional President, Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa at Visa, noted that, “Moniepoint has built an impressive platform that directly addresses the needs of Africa’s SMEs, a critical segment in enabling economic development.
”By making financial services and digital payments more accessible and efficient, Moniepoint is helping transform how businesses operate in Nigeria and beyond.
“We are excited to support their next phase of growth and innovation,” he added.
By Dipo Olowookere
Efforts are being made by the management of a rapidly growing financial technology (fintech) company,
Bankit Microfinance Bank (MFB), to grow its loan and gaming services.
The firm said this is one of its targets for 2025 to solidify its position as a leading platform for comprehensive, simplified banking activities after it recorded remarkable growth in 2024 with different milestones as a result of its competitive edge and cutting-edge technology.
The digital financial services provider said it was already talking to its various partners on how to ensure customers get more access to credit facilities for different needs.
It said nothing would be spared to revolutionise digital banking in Nigeria, especially with a focus on innovation, customer protection, and financial inclusion.
Last year, Bankit MFB, within its first few weeks of operations, successfully registered over 50,000 users on its platform, a testament to its innovative simple banking approach to digital banking.
This year, the small lender has an ambitious plan to increase this by 900 per cent to a record 500,000 businesses in 2025.
Business Post gathered that in 2024, the financial institution recorded impressive transaction values, exceeding N100 million, with an impressive 90 per cent transaction success rate.
Since joining the business, it has introduced web banking and other innovative banking products, with more in development.
With the financial services sector not immune to fraud, Bankit MFB said it prioritises the protection of customers’ funds, expressing its commitment to diversifying its digital services to enhance customer experience.
Bankit MFB is a financial institution licenced to operate in the country by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), which is dedicated to providing innovative, customer-centric financial solutions to individuals and others.
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