Economy
Another Economic Crisis Looms over CBN “Reckless Funding of FG”
By Premium Times
Just when Nigerians are celebrating the exit of the economy from recession, a report has warned that another trouble is lurking around the corner.
According to Premium Times, a massive and clearly illegal multi-source funding of the federal government by the CBN could drag the Nigerian economy to its knees, experts familiar with domestic monetary conditions and current happenings at the CBN have warned.
The central bank had, in the last one year, pumped trillions of naira into illegally financing the federal government under different guises: from mass purchase of treasury bills to humongous direct financing of the government through the “window account”.
Insiders say the apex bank is “creating money” to “finance a government that is broke and which does not have economic vision,” in what one of them called a “desperate move by the central bank governor, Godwin Emefiele, to remain in office”.
A former governor of the CBN and a former deputy governor of the bank who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES were both alarmed by the long-term implications of such “direct and reckless financing of government” on inflation and other economic indices, including crowding-out the private sector from the domestic credit creation process.
The Alarming Transactions
The warning whistle was first blown at the last meeting of the CBN’s Monetary Policy Committee, held between July 24 and 25.
In the communiqué of the meeting published on Tuesday, members of the policy advisory committee expressed “concern over the increasing fiscal deficit estimated at N2.51 trillion in the first half of 2017 and the crowding out effect of high government borrowing.”
Some members of the committee, in their respective submissions captured in the 50-page report of the meeting, expressed reservations over the apex bank’s handling of key monetary and fiscal issues that may plunge the economy into a ditch.
However, it was an external member of the committee, Adedoyin Salami, who directly painted a gloomy picture of the extent of the government’s financing by the apex bank and other irregularities.
Mr Salami, an economist and faculty member with the Lagos Business School, literary took the CBN to the cleaners in his assessment of its monetary policy which, he warned, was pushing the country towards a serious economic crisis.
He criticised CBN’s “massive injections of cash” to the government, accusing the bank of serving as a “piggy bank” for the government, against its own rules.
“Monetary data shows a sharp rise in the extent of CBN financing of the government deficit,” he said.
From December 2016, according to the economist, the CBN had variously made cash available to the federal government running into trillions, mostly beyond legal thresholds.
He said the CBN’s claims on the federal government under the period amounts to N814bn, which is “twentyfold higher” than what the law permits.
Ironically, the claim of commercial banks, he said, “rose marginally by 0.4% to N4.6 trillion”.
Another route through which the CBN pumped money to the government, Mr Salami said, was via the bank’s N454 billion spending on purchase of government’s treasury bills, which he said, had risen by 30 percent.
The government’s overdrafts from the apex bank also rose to N2.8 trillion within the period, representing a five percent increase.
But the sharpest rise in the figures, according to Mr Salami, was in the government’s “mirror account” liabilities, which rose “from N3 billion at the end of 2016 to N1.5 trillion in April 2017”.
Authorities at the CBN are yet to contradict Mr Salami’s claims.
Illegalities
A look at the CBN Act 2007 show that the huge direct financing of the federal government is in direct contravention of clear provisions of the Act.
Although Section 38 (1) of the Act empowers the bank to grant “temporary advances to the Federal Government in respect of temporary deficiency of budget revenue” subsection 2 of the same section stipulates, “the amount of such advances outstanding shall not at any time exceed five per cent of the previous year’s actual revenue of the Federal Government”.
Additionally, subsection three of the section provides that such advances should be paid “as soon as possible and shall in any event be repayable by the end of the Federal Government financial year in which they are granted and if such advances remain unpaid at the end of the year, the power of the Bank to grant such further advances in any subsequent years shall not be exercisable, unless the outstanding advances have been repaid”.
By the estimated N6 trillion earned by the government last year, the CBN should have only granted advances to the federal government not exceeding N300 billion, representing five percent of the earnings.
Contracting Private Sector
The conduct of the government and the CBN, according to the economist, may, by limiting the organised private sector’s access to credit, have contributed to the dire straits in which the sector currently finds itself.
“We thus find ourselves at a point where government borrowing from the CBN is neutralised by raising the CRR of banks, thereby limiting private-sector access to credit,” he said.
“In other words, the private sector is deliberately “crowded-out”. It is ironic that the government, in need of tax revenues – having in the 1st half of the year accumulated its full-year deficit – is constraining the private sector from which the sorely needed revenues are to be derived.”
Sounding perplexed and perhaps frustrated, Mr Salami said, “Whilst I still wonder what the underlying economics is – I sincerely hopes it works!”
Desperate Measures
To cushion the impact of these mass and illegal financing of the federal government, experts say, the CBN has been scrambling to evolve policies that would counter the destructive effects of its actions.
Some of these measures, PREMIUM TIMES understands, include the regular pumping of forex into the foreign exchange market to cater for high demand due to the attendant rise in naira liquidity.
The apex bank, Mr Salami said, also carries out “special auctions” to help normalise banks’ Cash Reserve Ratios (CRR).
“To prevent the effect of continuous and massive injections of cash to fund the Federal Government showing up in sharply higher inflation and currency weakness, the Central Bank now applies “special auctions” Mr Salami said.
Apart from raising the CRR beyond the 22.5 percent approved rate, Mr Salami said, “the format of these “auctions” recall the dark days of “stabilisation securities”.
Mr Salami also flayed the bank’s “seeming haste to declare “victory” for “fragile” improvements in forex and inflationary statistics, saying the country is far from being out of the woods in some of those areas.
He lamented that “the most challenging of the present characteristics of the economy in Nigeria is the adoption of a quantitative easing stance by the management of the Central Bank”.
Another member of the MPC, Abdul-Ganiyu Garba, also faulted CBN’s monetary policies, accusing it of causing “contradiction or inconsistency problem”.
“The coexistence of high interest rate and growth in money supply are unnatural. Indeed, it generates a contradiction or inconsistency problem. Strong growth in money supply in all countries that adopted quantitative easing pushed down interest rates almost to zero,” he said.
Mr Garba, a professor, also indicted the bank for the significant distortions in “the forex market, the money market, the stock market and domestic prices” due to “strong growth in money supply in 2015 and 2016”.
A former deputy governor of the CBN and well-regarded economist who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES on condition of anonymity described the actions of the apex bank as “reckless” and beyond the parameters set by law.
He accused Mr Emefiele of “hauling cash” to the government in contravention of the set rules and statues of the apex bank.
“CBN governor is a banker and adviser to the government,” he said. “The bank is a monetary authority, not financial authority. Their role does not mean reckless lending to government,” he said.
According to him, the government and the CBN “are setting the economy for a big fall”.
He said both the government and the bank “need to take policy adjustment measures” if they want to change the position of things, otherwise “they will continue to create money which will lead to serious inflation”.
More Troubles
Apart from the huge advances it is illegally taking from the CBN, the federal government has also been ramping up a raft of local and foreign loans.
Another MPC member, Suleiman Barau, also sounded a note of warning on the implication of the payment of N760 billion as Paris Club refunds to states.
Mr Barau, a deputy governor of the CBN, added that the possibility of payment of more money to states in the name of the refunds could further complicate economic recovery.
“The whole idea underlying the deployment of the fund is not completely bad as it could stimulate growth in output in the long run.
“The reality, however, is that the impact of this type of injection on aggregate demand tends to precede the influence on aggregate supply and invariably stoke inflation in the short run. Besides, there is evidence of growing liquidity surfeit in the banking industry in the face of sluggish growth in credit particularly to the private sector.
“It is not unlikely that the current injection may complicate the liquidity surge with potential adverse impact to the foreign exchange markets,” he explained.
CBN Responds
This reporter’s efforts to reach CBN’s acting director of corporate communication, Isaac Okoroafor, for comments, on Sunday, were unsuccessful.
He also did not answer or return calls Monday morning. He however sent a text message requesting an SMS enquiry.
But as at the time of publishing this story, at 10 am on Monday, Mr Okoroafor was yet to respond to the text message enquiry sent to him.
He however responded about an hour later, asking rhetorically; “is it illegal for CBN to fund government activities?”
Reminded that such funding were far off the legal boundaries, he responded: “I can’t respond to rumours or speculation. All I want to say is that there’s no illegality in the advances CBN has made to the Federal Government.”
Optimistic Emefiele
However, in his personal statement contained in the MPC meeting report, the CBN governor, who is also chairman of the committee expressed cautious optimism on the economy.
He also acknowledged the effect of the government’s undue mopping of money from the system, although in a subtle and passing manner.
Mr Emefiele noted: “The growth in government credits due to expanded fiscal operations evokes the crowding-out of productive private sector in the short-run.
He however expressed optimism that “if the government succeeds in reducing the infrastructure deficit through its fiscal operation, I expect a favourable crowding-in of the private sector in the medium- to long-term.”
The CBN governor also blamed inflation and foreign exchange crisis on other factors other than he and the CBN’s roles.
“As I had noted earlier, the underlying deterrents include: foreign exchange scarcity (due to low crude oil receipts and inadequately diversified economy); constrained fiscal space; infrastructural bottlenecks; high energy prices; and depressed domestic demand (partly attributable to sizeable salary arrears owed to some civil servants),” he said.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The planned implementation of the new tax laws from Thursday, January 1, 2026, will not be reversed, the federal government has emphasised.
This emphasis was made amid controversies over discrepancies in the harmonised and gazetted copies of the laws.
A lawmaker in the House of Representatives, Mr Abdussamad Dasuki, raised this alarm last week during plenary.
He said parts of the laws passed by the National Assembly were different from the gazetted, calling on the leadership to look into this.
In June 2025, President Bola Tinubu signed the four tax-related bills in law as part of his government’s reform programme
The new tax laws are the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, the Joint Revenue Board of Nigeria (Establishment) Act, the Nigeria Tax Act, and the Nigeria Tax Administration Act.
Addressing newsmen after a meeting with Mr Tinubu in Lagos on Friday, the Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Mr Taiwo Oyedele, stressed there were no plans to suspend the implementation of the laws from next Thursday, despite calls for this.
However, he welcomed the decision of the House of Representatives to investigate the matter, stressing that the federal government is ready to work with the National Assembly if any action becomes necessary, but maintained that the reform timeline remains unchanged.
Mr Oyedele explained that the reforms are aimed at providing relief to Nigerians and stimulating economic growth rather than generating immediate revenue, noting about 98 per cent of workers would either pay no personal income tax or pay less, while 97 per cent of small businesses would be exempted from corporate income tax and VAT withholding tax.
He added that large businesses would also benefit from lower effective tax rates, noting that the reforms are designed to promote inclusivity, shared prosperity and improved tax compliance.
The tax expert said preparations for the reforms began in October 2024 when the bills were first submitted to the National Assembly and have continued through capacity building, system upgrades and stakeholder sensitisation since the laws were signed in June 2025.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The oil market depreciated by more than 2 per cent on Friday as investors weighed a looming global supply glut, while also keeping an eye on a potential Ukraine peace deal.
Brent crude futures lost $1.60 or 2.57 per cent to trade at $60.64 per barrel and the US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures crumbled by $1.61 or 2.76 per cent to $56.74 a barrel.
The global oil supply next year will exceed demand by 3.84 million barrels per day, according to figures from the International Energy Administration (IEA) in its December oil market report.
Supply rose sharply this year boosted by output hikes from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies (OPEC+) as well as growth in the United States and other producers. The group also paused output increases for the first quarter of 2026.
Meanwhile, OPEC kept its global demand growth forecast for year next unchanged in its monthly report, with its data indicating that world oil supply will match demand closely in 2026, in contrast to the IEA’s view.
While supply disruptions have helped oil prices rebound in recent sessions from their near five-year low, they are on track for their steepest annual decline since 2020. Brent and WTI are down 19 per cent and 21 per cent respectively on the year, as rising crude output caused concerns of an oil glut heading into next year.
Investors are watching for developments in the Russia-Ukraine peace process ahead of talks this weekend between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and US President Donald Trump.
They will be focusing on the possible impact on future oil prices as a peace agreement could lead to the removal of international sanctions against Russia’s oil sector.
The Ukrainian president has said he would be willing to call a referendum on an agreed peace framework if Russia agrees to a ceasefire.
In Venezuela, the White House ordered the US military forces to focus on a “quarantine” of Venezuelan oil for at least the next two months, indicating the Trump administration is currently more interested in using economic rather than military means to pressure the South American OPEC member.
During the week, the American Petroleum Institute (API) estimated that crude oil inventories in the United States saw a build of 2.4 million barrels in the week ending December 19. Crude oil inventories data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) will be released next week due to the Christmas holidays.
Finance may be the single most essential element when it comes to the progress and sustainability of businesses in Nigeria. The level of funding available to businesses, small and big, determines their ability to function, grow, and compete. The Nigerian business environment, due to the interplay between the local economy, financial institutions, government, and private investors, offers multiple financing opportunities. The dynamics of these financing opportunities helps business owners and managers make the right decisions that best respond to their objectives and the level of risk they are willing to take.
Start your Livescorebet registration and discover more as this article analyzes the different sources of business finance in Nigeria in a systematic and detailed manner. It defines and explains internal and external financing options and the criteria relevant businesses may use in their search for the best financing instrument.
Understanding Sources of Business Finance
Before one can delve into the different options of business financing available, it is important to define business finances and categorize it. The objective of this is to establish a foundation for understanding the extent to which some options may be more appropriate for different businesses than others.
What Are Sources of Finance?
Sources of finance are how a business acquires funds to begin activities, settle daily operations, or pay for additional business activities like acquisitions, expansions, and long-term projects. Businesses may need to finance the purchase of new equipment, hire and pay additional staff, manage business cash flow, develop new products, or finance the expenses required to enter or compete in new markets.
In Nigeria, the Sources of finance are determined by interest rates, availability of bank services, regulations, and the growth stage of capital markets, among other things. A business may use its own cash resources, borrow from a financial institution, receive funds from an investor, or receive a government grant or other government-funded assistance program. Each of these also offers different-related costs, obligations, and levels of control.
Types of Finance: Major Categories
Business finance is typically subdivided into two larger subsets: internal finance, and external finance. Internal finance is from the business and its resources; external finance is from third parties.
The classification of finance by time is also an option. Short-term finance is used for the working capital needs like inventory and operational expenses. Medium-term finance is used for the purchase of an asset like a machine. Long-term finance is used for significant investments like expansion or infrastructure. These classifications often overlap with internal and external sources and help a business structure their financing efficiently.
Key Principles and Examples
Cost is the most influential principle when it comes to the choice and method of utilizing finance. Aspects like interest and dividends affect profitability. Additionally, other opportunity costs must also be focused on. Another principle is risk. Increased borrowing equates to an increase in financial obligations. Control and flexibility are also essential, especially in terms of the original decision makers.
For instance, a small retail shop could potentially rely on the profits previously obtained to purchase stock and restock their shelf. On the other hand, a manufacturing business may need to obtain a bank loan in addition to leasing an arrangement in order to get the needed equipment. These principles must be understood so that finance can be used to support the objectives of the company.
Internal Sources of Business Finance
Internal sources of finance are the finance obtained within a business without the need of external lenders or investors. These sources are often preferred as with them, the business relies a minimal amount on external parties to minimize financial risk.
Retained Earnings
Profits that a company reinvests rather than giving out to owners or stockholders is called retained earnings. Within Nigeria, retained earnings is a common type of financing for SMEs that do not have access to external funding.
This type of financing is cost effective as it does not incur interest or have repayment schedules. Retained earnings financing ensures owners have complete operational control. However, retained earnings depend on profitability, meaning they can be limited or unavailable for new businesses or those that are struggling. Overreliance on retained earnings can also slow expansion if significant capital is needed for growth.
Ordinary (Equity) Shares
For incorporated businesses, it is understood that issuing ordinary shares is considered an internal source if funding is collected from existing owners/shareholders. When an owner nets additional funding, they are strengthening the business’ finances without taking on additional debt.
Equity shares do not have to be paid back, relieving some pressure from cash outflows. This does mean that ownership and profit rights, in the form of dividends, will be repealed. Equity financing in Nigeria is more prevalent in larger businesses and startups with growth potential, especially those that are preparing for future investment rounds or new public listings.
Other Internal Sources
The other internal sources include the streamlining of cash flows, the sale of unused assets, and the reduction of working capital. For instance, a business might dispose of old vehicles or equipment to obtain cash for more productive investments. Likewise, enhanced control of inventories and the speedy collection of receivables can liberate cash for other operational uses.
The techniques described here are often undervalued, especially since they provide short-term relief without incurring external liabilities. Nevertheless, the main limitation of these techniques is scale. They are unlikely to provide the necessary funds to sustain larger projects.
External Sources of Business Finance
External sources imply sourcing funds from outside the business. These sources are particularly necessary for new ventures and rapidly expanding businesses as well as for capital intensive industries.
Bank Lending
Bank lending is, and continues to be, a major source of business finance in Nigeria. Commercial banks, microfinance banks, and development finance institutions all grant businesses loans, overdrafts, and other credit facilities.
Bank loans are easier to obtain and can provide in a short time big amounts of money, making them more attractive for funding major business expansions and for acquisition of new assets. However, such loans are usually associated with a range of challenges such as high-interest rates and demands for strict repayment periods and collateral. Many Nigerian SMEs do not easily gain access to such bank credit due to their limited credit history and insufficient collateral.
Loan Stock
Loan stock is a long-term debt financial instrument provided by companies to obtain funding from customers and pays a fixed interest and is repaid after a determined time. In Nigeria debt stock is more prevalent with large established companies.
A loan stock has the benefit of providing long-term financing without losing partial company control. But the financial risk of the company rising during poor economic times increases, as loan interest rates must always be paid.
Venture Capital
Venture capital, funds provided by the investors of a business with the potential of high growth, is in exchange for equity. Venture capital in Nigeria is more common in technology, fintech, and agri-business.
Venture capitalists do not just provide funding; they also provide their experience in the field, their connections, as well as their planning and do-adding-knowledge, making it highly beneficial for new companies. However, these investors more often than not expect the high amounts of profit; therefore, a greater stake of their ownership of the valuable business is lost.
Leasing and Hire Purchase
Hire purchase and leasing, in asset financing, provide the means for firms to use equipment without the need to make the full payment for the equipment up front. Leasing allows the renting of a fixed-term asset, while hire purchase enables the attainment of the full ownership of the asset after making a series of payment installments.
These techniques are common in Nigeria for acquiring college textbooks, vehicles, office technology, etc. These techniques allow one to maintain positive cash flow, while avoiding large capital expenses. The main disadvantage is the total expenditure is higher than buying the item outright.
Government Assistance and Grants
The government of Nigeria, through its various agencies, has a wide range of funding programs aimed at supporting businesses, particularly for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and start-ups, which come in the form of grants, subsidised loans, and intervention funds.
When it comes to government assistance, there are lower interest rates for longer periods of time, more flexibility for the beneficiary. However, the availability of such assistance is often restricted, which is often accompanied by complex application procedures and lengthy delays. At the end of the day, although there is a lack of availability, government funding is still a major contributor to the country’s entrepreneurship base development and the economy’s overall growth.
Franchising
From a financing standpoint, franchising is a business model where an entrepreneur receives the right to operate a business under a specified brand for a fee or royalty. While it is not a direct cash resource, the model helps startup a business with lower risk and reduces the financing needed as it comes with brand recognition and an established business system.
In Nigeria, franchising is an approach that is widely adopted, particularly in the food services and hospitality industries. It is especially helpful to startups, as they do not need to build a business model from scratch, and if they need it, the franchising becomes a solid base for acquiring additional funds.
How to Choose the Right Source of Finance
How to choose the right Source of Finance will need balancing what the business needs, how much money is available, and the other goals they want to accomplish over time, since finance refers to how a business entity plans to raise funds from various sources of finance to support business operations and long-term business development.
Step-by-Step Approach to Choosing a Source of Finance
The first thing to do is say what the finance will go towards. Will it be designed to go towards working capital, purchasing raw materials, buying new assets like a new factory, or is it going to be used for expanding into new markets and securing capital for growth? After that, the company decides how much money it will need and how long it will need it for. This helps clarify whether the required sources of funds fall under short-term sources, often needed within one year, or long-term sources used to finance strategic investments.
The 3rd thing to do is to look at the advantages and disadvantages of each funding option, including risks and costs. Some of these will be interest payments, specific repayment terms, and whether financing involves debt or equity financing, which may dilute ownership or preserve the owner’s control. The business must assess if it will rely on borrowed funds, a secured loan, or equity capital, and whether it can manage repayment with interest, including principal and interest, without risking default or bankruptcy. In the end, the business should look at what it will be able to do and whether it should mix together a few main sources from various sources of finance to meet different business needs.
Factors Affecting the Need for Finance
There is a range of different reasons, that can affect the decisions that are made. Things like how big the business and what point in its lifecycle it’s at, which sector it’s in, and how stable its cash flow is. A new business is likely to need finance in the form of equity and government programs while an older company will likely go for a bank loan or use the money that is already in the company.
The economic climate will also have an influence on the cost and availability of finance in a certain country. Things like inflation and interest rates can make it more difficult to get finance in a certain country. Also the absence of certain regulations and the rules that have to be followed will affect what kind of external finance can be used or what type of external finance will be available.
Comparing Major Sources at a Glance
Internal sources lack scale but are less risky and cheaper. External sources are costly and more risky but can provide larger amounts. Equity financing is less risky in terms of repayments but ownership is diluted, while in debt financing, control is maintained but the risk is higher. Businesses need to understand these trade-offs to incorporate financing into their business strategy.
Conclusion
There are several sources of business finance in Nigeria, and these continue diversifying with the progress of the economy and the financial sector. Each of these sources, from internal such as retained earnings, to external like bank lending, government programs, and venture capital, are tailored to address specific business requirements.
This understanding enables entrepreneurs, managers to make accurate and timely decisions, mitigate risks, and facilitate growth. The optimal level of financing is more than a simple matter of availability as is often the case with entrepreneurs, but ensuring the financial architecture of the business is coherent with its objectives in the long term.
FAQs
What is the difference between internal and external sources of finance?
Internal sources are from the business itself like retained earnings and selling of assets, while external sources are from outside the business like banks, investors and government programs. Internal finance poses less risk, but external finance allows access to much larger funds.
How can startups access venture capital in Nigeria?
Accessing venture capital entails constructing sound business models, designing robust business plans, and then forming relationships with investors through incubators, accelerators, and other platforms. A clear organizational structure and the ability to catalyze substantial interest are invaluable.
What are the advantages of retained earnings as a source of finance?
The cost of retained earnings as a source of finance is low, as money does not need to be repaid. Furthermore, the business owner does not need to share control over the company. Retained earnings are also complementary to the financial position of the business. On the downside, retained earnings can only be used if a business is profitable, and may restrict growth if insufficient profits are generated.
How does leasing differ from hire purchase?
When leasing, a company can use an asset for a specified period of time, but ownership stays with the original owner. In hire purchase agreements, a business can use an asset for a specified time but takes ownership after making the required payment. A leasing agreement is flexible but hire purchase agreements are better for a purchase where an ownership is intended.
What government programs are available for business funding in Nigeria?
The Nigerian government, through its development finance institutions and government agencies, provides a wide range of activities, including lending to small and medium enterprises, offering intervention funds, as well as providing grants. These activities aim to support entrepreneurial activities, stimulate job creation, and develop specific sectors.
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