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Why CBN Disqualified FCMB, Wema Bank, Four Others from $876m FX Sales

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By Aduragbemi Omiyale

Last week, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) sold foreign exchange (FX) to some banks in the country through the Retail Dutch Auction System (rDAS).

According to a statement issued by the Director of the Financial Markets Department at the CBN, Ms Omolara Duke, about $876.26 million bids were cleared at the exercise, which took place on Tuesday, August 6, 2024.

The apex bank received bids valued at $1.19 billion from banks in anticipation that the forex would be allocated to their end users, who requested FX through authorised dealer banks.

In the statement, Ms Duke disclosed that bids worth $279 million from six commercial banks were not settled by the banking sector regulator.

She listed the affected lenders as First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Wema Bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA), Stanbic IBTC Bank, SunTrust Bank, and Rand Merchant Bank (RMB).

Explaining the rationale behind their exclusion from the exercise, the CBN employee said the banks did not adhere strictly to the submission guidelines, stressing the importance of this condition laid out by the central bank.

Ms Duke said apart from having the bids submitted between 9:00 am and 3:00 pm on auction days, they must comply with the approved template to be valid.

“The call for bids was in naira/US dollar (N/US$) Currency pair for unmet Fx demand backed by verifiable Forms A and M only.

 “All bids were password protected and submitted through the dedicated email address provided by CBN between 09:00 am and 3:00 pm.

“Bids received after 3:000m were disqualified. Passwords for the bids were sent after the auction closed. The total bids received were valued at $1,191,071,651.59.

“After the collation, the Committee of Governors of the Central Bank of Nigeria approved a cut-off bid of N1495.00/$ with the total successful bids of $815,362,006.30,” the statement read.

Business Post gathered that the CBN cleared bids from 26 financial institutions led by Zenith Bank at over $267 million of the successful $876.26 million.

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Banking

VeendHQ Recoups N69m Overdue Loans Via Vida AI

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By Aduragbemi Omiyale

The artificial intelligence (AI)-powered credit platform designed by VeendHQ, Vida AI, has been used to recoup about N69 million from a N172.5 million portfolio of loans that were more than 90 days overdue.

This feat was achieved through the platform in a pilot that highlights the growing role of technology in loan recovery and portfolio management.

VeendHQ disclosed that the pilot delivered a 40 per cent recovery rate on the overdue loan portfolio, boasting that this significantly outperformed traditional recovery benchmarks, where a 5 per cent recovery rate on a similar loan book would amount to about N8.6 million.

This achievement comes at a time when lenders are under increasing pressure to improve recovery outcomes while managing the cost, reputational risk, and operational burden associated with overdue loans.

For many credit providers, the challenge is no longer only how quickly loans can be approved, but how effectively repayment can be monitored and delinquent loans can be recovered after disbursement.

VeendHQ said the pilot demonstrates how Vida AI can support lenders beyond credit assessment, extending into repayment monitoring, collections, and recovery.

“Credit access is only one side of lending. The bigger challenge for many lenders is what happens after disbursement.

“Vida AI helps lenders make smarter decisions across the credit lifecycle, from approval to repayment and recovery,” the chief executive of VeendHQ, Mr Olufemi Olanipekun, stated.

VeendHQ said Vida AI’s recovery workflow enables lenders to upload overdue loan records, verify borrower information, assess repayment capacity, and trigger automated recovery actions. This gives lenders better visibility after disbursement and allows recovery teams to prioritise overdue portfolios more effectively.

“If lenders cannot recover efficiently, they become more conservative with lending. That affects consumers, small businesses, and the wider credit market. Better recovery infrastructure gives lenders more confidence to lend, manage risk, and keep credit flowing,” Mr Olanipekun added.

VeendHQ, a Nigerian fintech company building digital credit infrastructure, developed Vida AI as an AI -powered platform for lenders, merchants, and financial institutions. The platform supports credit assessment, identity verification, repayment collections, and loan management workflows.

With the recovery pilot, the company is positioning Vida AI beyond loan origination, as a tool for lenders seeking to improve repayment performance and manage overdue portfolios more efficiently.

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Banking

273 Wema Bank Customers Win N17.96m in 5 for 5 Rewards Promo

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By Modupe Gbadeyanka

The sum of N17.97 million has been won by at least 273 customers of Wema Bank Plc through its 5 for 5 Rewards campaign launched on May 2, 2026.

At the activation of the promo at Ikeja City Mall, Lagos, 81 customers were given N81,000 each, resulting in N6.56 million in rewards on launch day. Since then, the campaign has continued to reward customers through daily and monthly draws, with an additional 192 winners emerging within the first month.

Across the Youth segment, 37 students have received rewards worth N4.4 million, including 20 students who got N50,000 PocketMoni rewards and 17 university students who received N200,000 each in Tuition Support.

The Women segment also recorded strong participation, with 12 customers receiving N150,000 each through the #SelfCare category, while the Mass Market segment recorded the highest number of winners.

Within the first month, 120 customers received daily cash rewards, and 23 customers won N200,000 each in the monthly draw, bringing total rewards in the category to N5.2 million.

These have demonstrated the strong early impact of its refreshed customer rewards platform and reinforced its commitment to rewarding everyday banking.

“At Wema Bank, we believe loyalty should be rewarded in ways that are meaningful, transparent and accessible.

“The response to Season 5 of the 5 for 5 Rewards campaign has been encouraging, and seeing hundreds of customers benefit within just one month reinforces our belief that everyday banking should create everyday opportunities,” the chief executive of Wema Bank, Mr Moruf Oseni, stated.

“Beyond rewarding transactions, we are encouraging positive financial habits while delivering real value to our customers.

“This is only the beginning. With more reward categories, more winners and more opportunities still ahead, we remain committed to creating meaningful impact for our customers and ensuring more Nigerians experience the value of banking with Wema,” he added.

Customers can participate by opening or reactivating a Wema Bank account, funding it with a minimum of N5,000, maintaining an average monthly balance of N5,000, and completing at least five transactions every month using the ALAT app, Wema or ALAT cards, or *945#.

With over N170 million earmarked for rewards between May and December 2026, thousands more customers are expected to benefit as the campaign continues, reaffirming Wema Bank’s commitment to rewarding loyalty, promoting positive financial behaviour and delivering value beyond banking.

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Banking

AG Mortgage Bank N3.97bn Commercial Paper Closes June 18

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By Aduragbemi Omiyale

The N3.97 billion commercial paper issuance of AG Mortgage Bank Plc will close on Thursday, June 18, 2026.

The sale of the debt instrument by the real estate lender commenced on Wednesday, June 10, 2026.

It is under the N5 billion commercial paper issuance programme of the lending firm aimed to support its short-term working capital and funding requirements.

The company is selling the papers in two series, with Series 2 offered at a discounted rate of 19.2895 per cent for 270 days, and Series 3 at a discounted rate of 19.3651 per cent for 364 days.

The minimum subscription is N5 million, and subsequent additions of N1 million.

AG Mortgage Bank is a leading primary mortgage bank in Nigeria with over two decades of experience in providing affordable mortgage financing and housing finance solutions.

The bank has grown its asset base to over N33 billion and remains a key participant in major housing intervention programmes, including the National Housing Fund Scheme and other government-backed mortgage initiatives.

Supported by a diversified product offering, strong institutional credibility, and an experienced management team, AG Mortgage Bank continues to deliver solid financial performance.

For FY 2025, interest income increased by 28.1 per cent to N3.65 billion, while profit after tax rose by 130.0 per cent to N1.05 billion, reflecting strong earnings growth, operational efficiency, and prudent risk management.

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