A new round of recapitalisation for Nigerian Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) may be in the offing as the Central Banks gears up to achieve the $1.0 trillion economy target of the present administration.
The CBN Governor, Mr Olayemi Cardoso, made this know at the 58th Annual Bankers’ Dinner organised by the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) on Friday night in Lagos.
The planned recapitalisation means that DMBs will be required to raise additional capital to meet the demands of Nigeria’s economy.
Cardoso noted that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in his Policy Advisory Council report on the national economy, had set an ambitious goal of achieving a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of one trillion dollars by 2030, with clearly defined priority areas and strategies.
According to him, it is important that banks have a role to play in the anticipated one trillion dollars economy by 2030.
Cardoso said going by the huge developmental role the apex bank would want the banks to play in the next seven years, it had become imperative to demand their recapitalisation.
To achieve the target, Cardoso said that Nigeria needed to experience a more rapid and inclusive economic expansion.
“The administration has already commenced this journey through fiscal reforms, including the removal of petrol subsidies and the unification of the foreign exchange market rate.
“Considering the policy imperatives and the projected economic growth, it is crucial for us to evaluate the adequacy of our banking industry to serve the envisioned larger economy.
“It is not just about the stability of the financial system in the present moment, as we have already established that the current assessment shows stability.
“However, we need to ask ourselves: Will Nigerian banks have sufficient capital relative to the financial system’s needs in servicing a $1.0 trillion economy in the near future? In my opinion, the answer is “No!” unless we take action.
“Therefore, we must make difficult decisions regarding capital adequacy. As a first step, we will be directing banks to increase their capital,’’ he said.
