Business
China’s Imports From Nigeria Rise 22.5% In Q3’23 – Chinese Consul General
The People’s Republic of China imports from Nigeria rose by 25 percent in the third quarter of 2023.
This according to stakeholders is an indication of positive bilateral trade between both countries.
This came even as the Chinese Consul General in Lagos, Ms. Yan Yuqing, reinstated that China’s firmly supports African countries in exploring development paths, and cooperation in poverty reduction, and promotion of modernization of agriculture.
In a statement made available to Vanguard, Yuqing said: “China and Nigeria have built nice cooperation mechanism, broad cooperation platform, while practical cooperation in various fields are deepening and expanding.
Exciting results have been achieved in economic and trade cooperation.
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“In the first three quarters of 2023, China-Nigeria bilateral trade reached USD 17.25 billion, and China’s imports from Nigeria increased by 22.5 per cent.
“With the opening of Lekki Deep Sea Port and the first phase of Lagos Blue Line Light Railway constructed by Chinese enterprises, economic and social development in Nigeria is being promoted.”
She noted that the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Lagos, would like to extend sincere New Year wishes to friends from all walks of life in the consular area at this wonderful moment.
She said: “I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to you all for great contributions to the development of China-Africa, and China-Nigeria relations!
“2023 bears historical significance for the development of China-Africa relations, marking the 10th anniversary of President Xi Jinping’s proposal to promote the concept of building a Global Community of Shared Future, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and the principles guiding China’s Africa policy, including sincerity, real results, amity and good faith.
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“We work together with our African friends and draw strength from the China-Africa friendship and cooperation.
“Since 2013, China has helped construct more than 6,000 km of railways, 6,000km of roads and 80 large-scale power facilities in Africa. A series of landmark projects keep emerging one after another, such as the Mombasa–Nairobi Railway, Nigeria’s Lekki Deep Sea Port and the headquarters of the African Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“Chinese enterprises have built more than half of the wireless stations and high-speed mobile broadband networks in Africa, laying more than 200,000 km of optical fiber and serving more than 900 million African people.
“China is Africa’s largest trading partner, contributing more than 20 percent to Africa’s economic growth, by 2022, China-Africa trade reached $282 billion, accounting for 20 percent of Africa’s total foreign trade.
“China’s FDI stock in Africa exceeds $47 billion, 1.8 times the 2013 figure.
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“China firmly supports African countries in exploring development paths suited to their own conditions, cooperates with African countries in poverty reduction, and promotes the modernization of African agriculture. China has built more than a dozen of Luban workshops in Africa, vigorously promoting the development and innovation of vocational education in Africa.
“China has built 25 economic and trade cooperation zones with Nigeria and other African countries to promote industrialization in Africa. China also supports Africa in implementing the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, works for a synergy between the BRI and Agenda 2063 of the African Union and the development strategies of various countries.
“These efforts bring us into a new phase of building a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future. 2023 is a year of in-depth development of China-Nigeria relationship.”
Business
Fourteen Nigerian Banks Yet To Meet CBN’s Recapitalisation Ahead Of Deadline
No fewer than 14 Nigerian commercial banks are yet to meet the Central Bank of Nigeria’s recapitalisation requirement as the 31st March 2026 deadline inches closer.
This follows CBN Governor, Olayemi Cardoso’s announcement on Tuesday that sixteen Nigerian banks have met their recapitalisation requirement ahead of the apex bank’s March 2026 deadline.
DAILY POST reports that Cardoso disclosed this in a statement after the bank’s 303rd Monetary Policy Committee in Abuja.
According to Cardoso, the development indicates that there is financial soundness in the country’s financial banking system.
READ ALSO:CBN Retains Interest Rate At 27%
MPC had been urged by banks to ensure a successful implementation of the recapitalisation process.
“The committee noted with satisfaction the sustained resilience of the banking system, with most financial soundness indicators remaining within regulatory thresholds,” Cardoso said.
“Acknowledged the substantial progress in the ongoing recapitalisation programme, with 16 banks achieving full compliance with the revised capital requirements.
“The committee thus urged the Bank to ensure a successful implementation and conclusion of the programme, among other domestic developments,” Cardoso said.
READ ALSO:Account For N3tn Or Face Legal Action, SERAP Tells CBN
This means that two additional Nigerian banks have been added to the list of banks which have complied with the apex bank recapitalisation requirement in the last two months.
Recall that Cardoso, in the 302nd MPC meeting, announced that only fourteen banks have met the recapitalisation requirement.
CBN records as of 2024 showed that the country has thirteen commercial banks, five merchant banks and seven financial holdings companies.
Earlier, a report emerged that Access Bank, Zenith Bank, GTBank, Wema Bank, Jaiz Bank, Stanbic IBTC, and others have already met CBN’s recapitalisation requirement.
CBN in March directed commercial banks with international authorisation to increase their capital base to N500 billion, while those with national licences must raise to N200 billion.
Business
CBN Retains Interest Rate At 27%
The Monetary Policy Committee of the Central Bank of Nigeria has voted to retain the benchmark interest rate at 27 per cent.
CBN Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, announced the decision on Tuesday following the apex bank’s 303rd MPC meeting in Abuja.
Cardoso stated that the committee also resolved to keep all other monetary policy indicators unchanged.
READ ALSO:CBN Issues Directive Clarifying Holding Companies’ Minimum Capital
He noted that the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) remains at 45 per cent for commercial banks and 16 per cent for merchant banks, while the 75 per cent CRR on non-TSA public sector deposits was equally maintained.
Cardoso added that the Liquidity Ratio was retained at 30 per cent, and the Standing Facilities Corridor was adjusted to +50/-450 basis points around the Monetary Policy Rate.
The decision comes as Nigeria records its seventh consecutive month of declining inflation, which eased to 16.05 per cent in September 2025.
Business
CBN Issues Directive Clarifying Holding Companies’ Minimum Capital
The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has issued a definitive directive detailing how financial holding companies should calculate their minimum paid-up capital, following weeks of confusion that delayed the release of some banks’ half-year and nine-month financial statements.
In a circular dated November 14, 2025, the apex bank acknowledged “divergent interpretations” of the term minimum paid-up capital as stated in Section 7.1 of the 2014 Guidelines for Licensing and Regulation of Financial Holding Companies.
To eliminate ambiguity, the CBN ruled that minimum paid-up capital must be computed strictly as the par value of issued shares plus any share premium arising from their issuance.
READ ALSO:CBN Sets POS Maximum Transactions In Fresh Guidelines
“All Financial Holding Companies are required to apply this definition in computing their minimum capital requirement—without exception for subsidiaries,” the circular stated.
The regulator added that the directive takes immediate effect, noting that any previous interpretation that does not align with the new clarification “should be discontinued forthwith.”
The move is expected to calm market anxiety and provide clarity for lenders navigating ongoing regulatory capital requirements.
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