By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has completed the sale of Polaris Bank Limited to Strategic Capital Investment Limited (SCIL).
In September 2018, the CBN revoked the operating licence of Skye Bank Plc and nationalised it to Polaris Bank. The financial institution was then transferred to the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON).
After over four years, the apex bank has now announced a new core investor of the bank. The new owners will operate the financial institution.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Director of Corporate Communications at the CBN, Mr Osita Nwanisobi, disclosed that SCIL had acquired a 100 per cent equity stake in Polaris Bank.
“SCIL has paid an upfront consideration of N50 billion to acquire 100% of the equity of Polaris Bank and has accepted the terms of the agreement, which include the full repayment of the sum of N1.305 trillion, being the consideration bonds injected.
“The CBN thus received an immediate return for the value it has created in Polaris Bank during the stabilisation period, as well as ensuring that all funds originally provided to support the intervention are recovered.
“The sale was coordinated by a Divestment Committee comprising representatives of the CBN and AMCON and advised by legal and financial consultants. The Committee conducted a sale process by ‘private treaty’, as provided in Section 34(5) of the AMCON Act to avoid negative speculations, retain value and preserve financial system stability.
“In the process, parties who had formally expressed an interest in acquiring Polaris Bank subsequent to the CBN intervention in 2018 were invited to submit financial and technical proposals. Invitations to submit proposals were sent to 25 pre-qualified interested parties, out of which three (3) parties eventually submitted final purchase proposals following technical evaluation.
“All submissions were subject to a rigorous transaction process from which SCIL emerged as the preferred bidder, having presented the most comprehensive technical/financial purchase proposal as well as the highest rated growth plans for Polaris Bank,” the statement said.
In his reaction to the sale of Polaris Bank, the Governor of the CBN, Mr Godwin Emefiele, said, “This sale marks the completion of a landmark intervention in a strategic institution in the Nigerian banking sector by the CBN and AMCON.
“We commend the outgoing board and management for their vital role since the bridge bank was established; in stabilising the Bank’s operations, its balance sheet and implementing strong governance structures to address the issues that led to the intervention.
“This process has provided the CBN with an unprecedented opportunity to recover its intervention funds in full and promote financial stability and inclusive growth.
“We wish SCIL well as they implement growth plans to build the bank from the strong foundations that have been established.”
Aduragbemi Omiyale