By Adedapo Adesanya

The chief executive of Access Bank Plc, Mr Roosevelt Ogbonna, has called for stronger collaboration among policymakers, financiers and businesses to accelerate trade within Africa and unlock the continent’s economic potential.

Mr Ogbonna made the call at the Access Bank Africa Trade Conference (ATC 2026) held in South Africa, where he said Africa must address structural barriers that continue to limit the growth of intra-continental commerce despite its vast market opportunities.

Speaking during his opening remarks, the Access Bank chief noted that the conference was convened to continue conversations which started at the inaugural edition in 2025 on how Africa can expand trade within the continent while strengthening its participation in global markets.

He noted that Africa’s share of global trade remains relatively small, stressing that fragmented trade corridors and structural bottlenecks continue to hinder the growth of commerce across the continent.

“The reality is that Africa still controls a small share of global trade. The corridors are still fragmented and more aspirational than functional, and too many small businesses that aspire to trade across Africa remain constrained”.

Further speaking, Mr Ogbonna explained that stakeholders at last year’s conference agreed on three key priorities for transforming Africa’s trade landscape. The priorities he listed include breaking down silos between policymakers, financial institutions and businesses, building a trade ecosystem driven by reliable data and analytics, and developing systems that support both large corporations and smaller businesses seeking to expand across borders.

He noted that the 2026 edition of the conference is not a fresh start but a continuation of efforts to drive meaningful progress in intra-African trade. According to him, since the last edition of the conference, some progress has been made across key sectors of the economy.

“We have seen value chains emerging across agriculture, manufacturing and services, and we are seeing African brands crossing borders and building a global presence,” he said.

Mr Ogbonna also pointed to the growing role of technology platforms in reducing friction in areas such as payments, logistics and market access. He, however, acknowledged that the gains remain uneven across the continent, with progress concentrated in a few markets and specific trade corridors.

The Access Bank Chief urged stakeholders across the continent to move beyond dialogue and take concrete steps that will strengthen trade relationships among African countries, emphasising that Africa’s economic transformation would depend largely on the willingness of businesses and institutions to collaborate more effectively.

“This conference must not end as another talking shop. It must become the birthplace of a movement that contributes to transforming intra-African trade,” he urged.

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Fintech Association of Nigeria has backed the recent slew of regulatory measures by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), saying it will strengthen banking security, curb fraud and boost trust.

Mr Oluwaseun Adesanya, National Treasurer of the association, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos over the weekend, said the policies, including restricting banking applications to a single device, were designed to safeguard the financial ecosystem.

He said the regulator introduced the measures to improve security, protect customers and strengthen confidence in digital banking platforms.

Mr Adesanya, speaking on the sidelines of an induction and award ceremony organised by the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), said improved security will enhance convenience for customers and reinforce trust in financial institutions.

Mr Adesanya added the reforms would also help banks reduce losses from non-performing loans by strengthening credit facility frameworks.

“This will bring more sanity into the financial system and help banks avoid making provisions for loans that are no longer performing,” he said.

He noted that the regulatory initiatives were aimed at creating a safer environment for stakeholders across the financial services industry.

Last week, the CBN made some fresh regulatory moves aimed at strengthening the Nigerian banking ecosystem, including the announcement of new baseline standards requiring financial institutions to deploy automated anti-money laundering (AML) systems.

The new framework sets minimum standards for automated anti-money laundering solutions designed to strengthen the detection and reporting of financial crimes within Nigeria’s rapidly digitising financial ecosystem.

The CBN explained that the guidelines establish a baseline structure for financial institutions to deploy advanced monitoring tools capable of flagging suspicious financial activities instantly.

Also, it directed Nigerian banks to flag suspected fraud Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs) after a 24-hour watchlist from May 1, as well as updates on phone numbers linked to a BVN shall be allowed only once in a lifetime.

By Adedapo Adesanya

NOVA Bank Limited has announced the appointment of Jude Anele as its chief executive, following the approval of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The appointment comes at a pivotal moment in the bank’s evolution, following its transition from merchant banking to commercial banking and the successful completion of its recapitalisation programme ahead of the March 31, 2026, regulatory deadline.

Mr Anele, according to a statement over the weekend, brings more than 33 years of banking experience across West and Central Africa, with deep expertise in retail/commercial banking, corporate banking, risk management, institutional transformation and executive leadership.

Over the course of his career, he has led complex banking operations, strengthened governance frameworks, delivered sustainable revenue growth and built high-performance teams.

The appointment reflects the board’s strategic commitment to consolidating NOVA Bank’s commercial banking platform while accelerating growth across its Corporate, Commercial and Retail segments, as well as priority markets.

Speaking on his appointment, Mr Anele said he was honoured to assume leadership of the Bank at a defining stage of its growth. “Nova Bank has built a strong institutional foundation defined by regulatory compliance, capital strength, disciplined governance and a clear commercial mandate.

“Our focus now is execution — deepening customer relationships, expanding responsibly across priority markets, strengthening risk discipline and delivering sustainable value to our shareholders,” he said.

On his part, the Bank’s Chairman, Mr Phillips Oduoza, also expressed confidence in the new leadership.

“The board is pleased to welcome Mr Jude Anele as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer. His depth of experience, strategic clarity and proven leadership record align strongly with NOVA Bank’s growth ambitions,” Mr Oduoza said.

He added that with recapitalisation completed ahead of the regulatory timeline, the Bank is entering a new phase defined by scale, stability and structured expansion.

NOVA Bank also confirmed that it had met the recapitalisation requirements set by the CBN ahead of the regulatory deadline, reinforcing its capital adequacy and long-term financial stability.

The capital raise, supported by new and existing shareholders, further strengthens the Bank’s balance sheet and positions it for disciplined growth.

NOVA Bank currently maintains operations in Lagos, Abuja, Owerri and Port Harcourt, with plans to open eight additional branches across key commercial hubs in 2026 as part of its expansion strategy.