Banking
Afreximbank Grows Net Income to $87.3m in Q1 2021
By Adedapo Adesanya
The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has reported a net income of $87.3 million in the first quarter of the year, a statement issued on Thursday from its headquarters in Cairo, Egypt, disclosed.
In its unaudited financial statements for the period ended on March 31, the bank said the increase was achieved largely due to a 23 per cent growth in net interest income, showing strong and resilient growth ahead of 2020 results and in line with expectations.
It added that the increase in net interest income arose from a 41 per cent growth in net loans and advances and an 11 per cent decline in interest expense.
“Total assets grew year-on-year by 30 per cent to $19.25 billion as at March 31, primarily due to the implementation of the Pandemic Trade Impact Mitigation Facility (PATIMFA), with most of the facilities having been disbursed in the second half of 2020.
“Total assets decreased marginally from the balance of $19.31 billion as at December 31 primarily driven by slight decreases in Loans and Advances and Cash and cash equivalents,” the statement said.
The lender added that its shareholders’ funds increased by 2.64 per cent to $3.46 billion from $3.37 billion recorded in December 2020, reflecting the support from existing investors and strong internal capital generation capacity.
Speaking on the result, the president of the bank, Mr Benedict Oramah, said that the company was pleased to have reported year-on-year growth in Q1 2021 and closed the period in a healthy financial position with strong capital levels.
“Afreximbank has made significant progress in the implementation of its strategic initiatives and remains committed to promoting intra-African trade under the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) on the basis of which trading commenced on January 1.
“Regarding the bank’s interventions in tackling the pandemic, we are proactively and aggressively supporting the fight against COVID-19 in Africa to accelerate the return to normalcy.
“We are supporting vaccine procurement by African economies with a two billion dollars guarantee and financing facility.
“Through PATIMFA, Afreximbank disbursed over $6.5 billion in support of African sovereigns, central and commercial banks, as well as corporations and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs),” he said.
Mr Oramah added that overall, the bank was confident of its solid financial position, alongside the robust strategic measures put in place to proactively manage the effects of the pandemic.
He said it was also committed to providing a strong foundation for a resilient and growing business going forward and was confident that Africa would see a strong economic rebound in 2021.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
A collaboration to enable fast money transfers into Nigeria has been entered into between Flutterwave and Xoom, PayPal’s international digital money transfer service.
The partnership allows Xoom transfers to be converted by Flutterwave and settled locally in Naira, enabling quick transfers directly into recipients’ bank accounts at Access Bank, UBA, Zenith Bank, First Bank, GTBank, and additional participating banks across Nigeria.
The deal also enables Xoom’s global network with Flutterwave’s local payout infrastructure, allowing users globally to send funds directly into Nigerian bank accounts with improved speed and efficiency.
Nigeria is the leading remittance recipient in Sub-Saharan Africa, receiving over $20 billion in personal remittances in 2024. Despite this volume, receiving international payments has historically remained complex due to FX constraints and settlement delays. This collaboration helps address those challenges in a market of more than 232 million people, where the ICT sector is projected to contribute 21 per cent of GDP by 2027.
By combining Xoom’s expansive reach with Flutterwave’s local compliance and banking partnerships, the two companies are providing a more accessible financial corridor for the continent.
Xoom, a PayPal service, is a fast and secure international digital money transfer service that enables consumers to send money, pay bills, and reload phones for friends and family in approximately 160 markets globally.
As part of PayPal’s global payments ecosystem, Xoom leverages advanced fraud protection, compliance capabilities, and a trusted global network to help millions of customers move money quickly and securely across borders.
“We’re excited to have been chosen by Xoom for their Nigeria expansion. Millions of Nigerians rely on money from abroad to support everyday needs, whether it’s families receiving help from loved ones, freelancers getting paid for their work, or individuals earning income from the global economy. This helps make it easy and more reliable for people in Nigeria to receive funds and stay connected to opportunities beyond borders,” the chief executive of Flutterwave, Mr Olugbenga GB Agboola, stated.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
An initiative known as Nigeria Lightning Rounds, designed to expand funding opportunities for Nigerian startups and small businesses by connecting founders with local and international investors, has been launched by ProvidusUnity Bank, in partnership with US-based global venture firm and accelerator, gener8tor.
Scheduled to be held on July 15, 2026, Nigeria Lightning Rounds will feature carefully selected startups engaging with targeted investors who have expressed interest in supporting Nigerian innovation.
Participating founders will have the opportunity to pitch their businesses through focused 15-minute virtual sessions facilitated by gener8tor and ProvidusUnity Bank’s networks.
The program will focus on high-growth sectors including fintech, healthtech, manufacturing, sustainability, and AI, but welcomes SMEs from all industries, with intending participants urged to apply via https://www.gener8tor.com/lightning-rounds/nigeria.
“We recognise that access to capital remains one of the biggest challenges facing entrepreneurs in Nigeria. Through our partnership with gener8tor, we are creating a platform that connects promising Nigerian founders with investors who can provide the support required to scale their businesses,” the Head of Business Development at ProvidusUnity Bank, Mr Ernest Elue, stated.
“The partnership reinforces ProvidusUnity Bank’s commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by supporting innovation, enabling access to opportunities, and creating pathways for businesses with high-growth potential,” he added.
Also commenting, the Director of Lightning Rounds at gener8tor, Ms Elizabeth Larios, said, “gener8tor is thrilled to partner with ProvidusUnity Bank to extend the Lightning Rounds model into Nigeria.
“This collaboration reflects our commitment to building equitable ecosystems and driving capital to the most promising and underrepresented entrepreneurs.”
Lightning Rounds are a signature initiative of gener8tor’s investment platform, which has facilitated thousands of investor-startup meetings globally. The format is optimised to eliminate friction, reduce bias in early-stage fundraising, and help founders secure capital from investors aligned with their mission and stage. gener8tor’s previous Lightning Rounds for Nigerian Founders in 2025 featured 18 participating Investors and led to 50 investment meetings facilitated.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The verification of the depositors of the 46 microfinance banks, whose operating licenses were revoked by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) over a week ago, has commenced.
The exercise, aimed at refunding those whose funds were trapped in the small lenders, is being conducted by the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC).
In a statement on Thursday, the agency said its staff members have been positioned at the offices of the affected banks across the country to attend to depositors.
It was disclosed that depositors of the defunct banks, who had their Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs) linked to their accounts in the failed banks, will be paid through their alternative accounts in existing banks.
However, depositors whose BVNs were not linked to their accounts in the failed banks have been encouraged to visit the affected banks’ offices with proof of account ownership, a passport photograph, verifiable means of identification (Driver’s Licence, Permanent Voter’s Card, International Passport or National ID Card) and BVN.
NDIC also stated that depositors can alternatively file their claims online through its website: www.ndic.gov.ng, to complete the Pre-Verification Claims Form by clicking on the Search Bar, and typing Pre-Verification Claims Form; opening the Form and filling in their details. They can also do so by clicking the link: https://ndic.gov.ng/ndic-pre-verification-claims-form/ or by visiting any of the NDIC offices closest to them to file their claims.
For further enquiries, the corporation can be reached on any of the following lines: 09037273810, 09038197064, 08104220807, 09064657140.
