Banking
Banks Begin Disbursement of N26.4b to SMEs
By Guardian
The Deposit Money Banks have begun the disbursement of the more than N26 billion enterprise development intervention fund under the Agriculture and Small and Medium Enterprises Investment Scheme (AGSMEIS) by the Bankers’ Committee.
The bankers at their yearly retreat in Lagos, last December, agreed to put the funds in the hands of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises’ across sectors starting January 1, 2018, regretting that such a huge amount pooled together since last year had remained idle.
The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, assured: “We are going to be disbursing small loans like N100,000; N200,000; and N500,000 at not more than five per cent.”
The disbursements, is targeted at small businesses owned by “weak and vulnerable” entrepreneurs who cannot kick off their bankable projects due to funding, include barbers, hairdressers and small agribusiness schemes.
The bankers also expanded the scheme to incorporate those who want to learn tiling, mason and house interior decorations, among others, offering to train and equip, as well as take them through the daily management of such enterprises.
The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, said the move to support artisans and increase their number, is targeted at creating about 100,000 jobs in the first quarter of this year.
The tenor of the facility is long enough for small businesses, with a minimum of seven years and moratorium, so that those who accessed the fund can do so at low pricing and at a tenor that would give them ample time to repay.
“We are going to get people who will train them in those various skills taking into consideration the various geo-political zones. After training them, like we do in Anchor Borrowers Programme, where we buy seedlings, fertilisers, herbicides for them, we will buy equipment and deliver to them.
“When we cost their project, we will also deliver to them some kind of working capital, in case they need to rent a store and those kind of things to make them operational,” he said.
On the part of the CBN, its entrepreneurial development centres across the six geo-political zones of the country may now serve as a training place for people that would benefit from the scheme.
To get banks committed fully to the initiative, the committee agreed that as it takes off this January, while it must be a non-profit maximisation goal, there must be professional and transparent management process, to give everybody comfort.
Meanwhile, other incentives that would serve as a morale booster for banks’ participation may soon be unveiled, to keep the agreements binding as the funding takes off.
These include risk sharing modal, involving the borrowers, the apex bank’s use of differential Cash Reserve Requirement and possible participation of Development Finance Institutions.
“Currently on the agriculture side, CBN has an institution known as the Nigeria Incentive-based Risk Sharing for Agricultural Lending. That is working, but the committee feels that CBN can create a Nigeria Incentive-based Risk Sharing for SME Lending still under the same NIRSAL.
“We give ourselves the target that once we resume in January, it is going to be all work to make sure that those who require credit and the help of the banking system to create jobs that would grow the economy, will get them seamlessly.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is considering the recapitalisation and restructuring of Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) to address the significant financing gap facing micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).
The Deputy Governor of the apex bank in charge of Economic Policy, Mr Muhammad Abdullahi, disclosed this during a panel session at the launch of the Nigeria Development Update by the World Bank in Abuja on Tuesday.
He explained that a recent review by the apex bank found that existing DFIs were too small to meet the credit needs of businesses.
DFIs are specialised, government-backed financial entities designed to promote economic growth by funding critical sectors like agriculture, infrastructure, and SMEs. Key institutions include the Bank of Industry (BOI), Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN), Nigeria Export Import Bank (NEXIM Bank), Bank of Agriculture (BOA), National Credit Guarantee Company Limited, and Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation, among others.
“We conducted a review last year of the development finance space. Across all the DFIs in Nigeria, the total asset base is slightly above N8 trillion, whereas what is required in development finance for MSMEs is over N130 trillion,” he said.
He said that simply injecting capital would not solve the problem.
“The only way to address this is not only through public sector capital injections into these institutions, but also by making them bankable and investable,” he said.
Abdullahi said the CBN and the Ministry of Finance are reviewing DFI structures to improve their efficiency and risk appetite.
“We are reviewing the entire sector to ensure that we can correct the incentives, improve risk appetite, and also strengthen capital levels,” the deputy governor added.
He also said the reforms aim to introduce stronger market-based principles.
“We are looking at the structure to see how more market fundamentals can be incorporated, because the way it has been done in the past has not delivered the desired results,” Mr Abdullahi said.
On the persistent financing challenge for MSMEs, he said lending to the real sector has always been one of the structural challenges “Nigeria’s economy faces in terms of ensuring that credit reaches businesses that require it”.
Business Post reports that the CBN recently concluded the recapitalisation of the Nigerian banking sector, while the insurance sector is ongoing.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The women-focused initiative by Sterling Bank, OneWoman, is already yielding positive results, especially in promoting financial inclusion and empowering female-led enterprises in Nigeria.
Business Post reports that the programme was created to support women through three key pillars of capital, capacity, and community.
In 2025, according to the Head of the OneWoman Initiative, Ms Ezinne Nwokafor, the initiative gave out N43.9 billion loans to 2,450 female entrepreneurs, trained 6,000 of them, served about 380,000 women across three sectors of career women, women in business and freshers, and their vision 2030 is to give out N500 billion loans to one million women across their three sectors.
She noted that a significant majority of Nigerian women remain excluded from formal credit, with only a small percentage able to access structured financing. Despite improvements in financial inclusion, women continue to face systemic barriers that limit their ability to secure funding.
Ms Nwokafor pointed out that women account for a substantial share of micro, small, and medium enterprises and contribute meaningfully to the economy, yet face a financing gap estimated at $42 billion annually, according to the International Finance Corporation.
She also referenced data showing that more than half of women-led businesses identify access to finance as a major constraint, while rejection rates for loan applications remain significantly higher for women than for men.
According to her, these challenges are often linked to structural issues such as gaps in asset ownership, social norms, and limited access to financial data and visibility.
“Sterling’s OneWoman initiative is positioned to bridge this gap by combining financial solutions, mentorship, capacity building, and community support for women across different stages of their journey,” she said at the Funding Her Future Breakfast Dialogue in Lagos.
The session brought together voices from across sectors for a focused and necessary conversation on how to unlock more inclusive and effective financing pathways for women-led businesses in Nigeria.
On his part, the chief executive of Sterling Bank, Mr Abubakar Suleiman, said, “Women-led businesses need the right support systems, the right networks, and the right ecosystem to grow with confidence and scale with resilience.”
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Alpha Morgan Bank has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting institutions that drive intellectual growth and national development.
The lender gave this reassurance at the commissioning of the Redeemer’s University Business School by Pastor (Mrs) Folu Adeboye, the wife of the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye.
Speaking at the event, the Managing Director of Alpha Morgan Bank, Mr Ade Buraimo, said the company was proud to be associated with the school, noting its commitment to education and institutional development.
As part of its broader focus on knowledge sharing and thought leadership, Alpha Morgan Bank will host its Economic Review Webinar in May 2026, bringing together experts to share insights on key economic trends and opportunities.
The commissioning of the business school was witnessed by distinguished guests, including the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Redeemers University, Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe; the Vice Chancellor, Professor Shadrach Olufemi Akindele; Mrs Bola Obasanjo; and other notable dignitaries.
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