Banking
Jaiz Bank Designs Banking Products to Suit MSMEs, Investors, Individuals
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria’s foremost interest-free bank, Jaiz Bank Plc, has expressed its commitment to lessening the burden on micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and its customers. The lender showed this with the introduction of some of its unique banking propositions that have been tailored to meet the needs of every Nigerian.
The bank, known for its Islamic banking foundation, which experienced a very positive performance in the first nine months of this year, said it would not be resting on its oars as it hopes to penetrate the market deeper with its line up of unique services.
One of the services introduced by the financial institution is the Working Capital Financing, which the bank uses to finance the purchase of inventory of raw materials for its customers.
Jaiz Bank explained that it does this by appointing the customer as its agent to source for the goods the customer wishes to buy, negotiate price, quality and quantity, and communicate the outcome of the negotiation to the bank via presentation of a proforma invoice.
After the completion of this procedure, Jaiz Bank will proceed to purchase the goods by making payment to the supplier, while the agent takes delivery of the goods. As a result, the payment of cost, plus profit is made to the bank by customer at the agreed future date.
The bank noted that its services also cover import and export finances that are ideal for both individuals and businesses. Under its import finance, the bank says it issues a letter of credit in favour of a beneficiary (exporter) on behalf of the importer (applicant) and to ease the process, the bank said it commits and accepts to pay against trade documents drawn in compliance with the terms established in the letter of credit.
While under the export finance facility, the bank noted that it takes upon itself to extend the export finance facility to the customer to purchase goods/raw materials against receipt of the inward letter of credit from the importer.
As an investment driven bank, with the Jaiz Premium Savings Account, the bank says it invests the depositors’ monies into financially-profitable, socially-desirable and commercially-viable business ventures which are legal and Shariah compliant.
As a non-interest bank, the gross profit made from the investment is distributed at the end of every tenure based on a pre-agreed profit-sharing ratio
For business and individuals transactions, the bank revealed that with JaizPay, a secure web payment, this will facilitate payments online use of debit cards issued by Nigerian banks. It also plugs in seamlessly with the existing websites of customers and acts as a bridge between the customer’s website and the bank.
User of automobiles are not left out through the Jaiz Auto Finance package, which allows the bank to purchase vehicle and sell to the salary account customers with a reasonable markup. Payment for the vehicle sold to the customer is usually on a monthly basis from the customer’s salary for a period of 3 to 4 years.
With Jaiz Household Appliances Finance, household appliances ranging from refrigerators, freezers, furniture, kitchen appliances, laptop computer, TV set among others can be purchased with the flexibility of a monthly payment for a period of up to 24 months under the Murabaha (cost plus) plan. The bank purchases the appliances identified by the customer and sells the same to the customer at cost plus profit.
Consumers under the Jaiz General Consumer Finance can acquire building materials, consumable goods and real estate with the flexibility of a monthly payment plan up to 36 months with Jaiz purchasing the goods identified by the customer and sells the same to the customer at cost plus profit.
Jaiz Bank reiterated that it is on course with its strategic vision of becoming the leading non-interest bank in Sub-Saharan Africa by 2022.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
About N2 billion is expected to be used to finance renewable energy products for customers by the end of 2026 in an effort to accelerate Nigeria’s clean energy transition.
To meet this goal, Sterling Bank is launching Sterling Solar Financing Hubs inside StarTimes retail outlets to embed on-the-spot solar financing at the point of purchase.
From the N2 billion earmarked for this initiative, N600 million has already been used up.
Under this programme, customers can now walk into participating outlets, select their preferred solar solution, receive financial guidance from dedicated Sterling Solar Financing Advisors, and begin the financing process immediately, subject to the bank’s credit assessment.
The first phase of the rollout commenced this July with five Solar Financing Hubs across Lagos, located in Lekki, Ikeja, Festac, Surulere, and Victoria Island.
The network will expand rapidly to 46 StarTimes outlets nationwide before the end of the third quarter of 2026, with a view to extending the model to more than 200 StarTimes locations nationwide.
Both parties have promised to continue working together to democratise access to clean energy financing, empowering more Nigerians to solarise their homes and businesses while contributing to a greener future.
“Sterling exists to enrich lives, and we believe that access to clean, reliable energy should be within everyone’s reach. Through this partnership with StarTimes, we are democratising access to solar by bringing financing directly to the point of need, enabling more families and businesses to transition to sustainable energy without the burden of prohibitive upfront costs. This is about unlocking opportunity, improving livelihoods, and powering Nigeria’s future,” the Divisional Head of Renewable Energy and Mobility at Sterling Bank, Mr Darlington Nwankwo, said.
Also commenting, the Vice President of StarTimes Nigeria, Mr Eric Xiao, said, “With the rollout of the Sterling Solar Financing Hubs, we are doing more than just selling solar products; we are building a sustainable energy ecosystem. By integrating StarTimes’ extensive service network with Sterling Bank’s professional financial services, we are significantly lowering the barrier for Nigerian households and small businesses to access clean energy.
“Moving forward, we will continue to deepen this partnership, ensuring that more Nigerians can enjoy reliable, affordable, and smart energy solutions, ultimately turning our vision of energy accessibility into a reality for all.”
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Nigeria Business Summit Regional Tour of Stanbic IBTC Bank made a detour to Jogor Centre, Ibadan, Oyo State, on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, to empower Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
The event brought together business leaders, development partners and government representatives to discuss pathways for sustainable enterprise development across the South-West.
Participants engaged in practical masterclasses on export opportunities; access to finance and business growth strategies; gaining actionable insights into market expansion; trade documentation; credit readiness; financial record-keeping; and structured financing solutions designed to support long-term business success.
The Head of Enterprise Banking at Stanbic IBTC Bank, Ms Olajumoke Bello, informed participants that the programme is part of the lender’s commitments to supporting MSMEs through practical business education, strategic partnerships and improved access to growth opportunities.
The Executive Director of Business and Commercial Banking at Stanbic IBTC Bank, Mr Remy Osuagwu, on his part, said, “Our ambition is to be more than a financial institution to Nigerian businesses. We want to be a trusted growth partner, providing the financing, business insights and advisory support entrepreneurs need to build sustainable enterprises and unlock new opportunities.”
Similarly, the chief executive of Stanbic IBTC Bank, Mr Wole Adeniyi, who reinforced the company’s commitment to enterprise development, highlighted the importance of providing businesses with the right support structures to enable sustainable growth and long-term competitiveness.
“At Stanbic IBTC, we believe that sustainable economic growth depends on the success of small and growing businesses. That is why we are focused on providing access to finance, practical advisory support and the connections businesses need to move from ambition to scale,” he stated.
The Oyo State Commissioner for Investment, Trade, Cooperatives, and Industry, Professor Soliu Adelabu, said the initiative was designed to support businesses and strengthen the state’s entrepreneurship ecosystem, praising the bank for its support for traders, entrepreneurs, and artisans in the state.
The Permanent Secretary in the Oyo State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Inclusion, Mrs O.M. Shotonwa-Roagess, highlighted the importance of strategic partnerships in expanding economic opportunities for women and vulnerable groups across Oyo State. She noted that the ministry remains open to collaborating with organisations such as Stanbic IBTC, development partners and the private sector to drive financial inclusion, entrepreneurship and sustainable economic empowerment.
The Nigeria Business Summit Regional Tour forms part of Stanbic IBTC’s broader commitment to empowering entrepreneurs through capacity building, financial inclusion and strategic business support, helping enterprises unlock new opportunities for growth and long-term success.
The Ibadan leg built on the momentum of previous tour stops in Katsina and Aba.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Yemi Cardoso, says Nigeria anticipates remittances from citizens living abroad to increase by two-thirds in 2026 as it seeks to bolster its foreign-exchange reserves to $1 billion monthly.
“We are expecting that by the end of the year, we will hit about a billion Dollars a month from diaspora remittances,” he said at the 14th Annual BusinessDay CEO Forum in Lagos on Thursday, themed From Stability to Shared Prosperity.
Mr Cardoso said remittances are expected to be boosted from more than $600 million currently, banking on the CBN’s deliberate target at remittances to diversify reserve sources beyond oil earnings.
According to him, the apex bank engaged Nigerians abroad, banks and international partners to identify barriers to official remittance flows.
He said the lender subsequently reviewed policies to ensure easier movement of funds into and out of the country.
Mr Cardoso described the approach as providing free entry and free exit for foreign exchange.
He said the reforms helped double diaspora inflows within one year and exceeded initial expectations, also projecting annual remittances could reach about $8 billion if the current momentum was sustained, adding that the development reflected growing confidence in Nigeria’s financial system and foreign exchange market.
Mr Cardoso said reforms introduced by the apex bank had restored stability in the foreign exchange market and improved investors’ confidence.
He identified exchange rate unification as one of the central bank’s major achievements under the reforms programme.
According to him, replacing multiple exchange rate windows with a market-driven system eliminated distortions and improved transparency.
Mr Cardoso said improved foreign exchange liquidity and stronger reserves were among the gains from the reforms.
He said Nigeria’s net external reserves had risen from about $3 billion at the start of the reforms to above $40 billion currently, noting that gross external reserves had grown to about $52 billion, representing about 10 months of import cover.
According to him, the reserves are designed to shield the economy from external shocks and excessive market volatility.
He said the reserves were not meant for routine interventions or day-to-day exchange rate management.
