In a strategic move to stabilise the financial sector, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has introduced time-sensitive measures for a select group of commercial banks still adjusting to post-pandemic regulatory reforms.
According to a press statement from Mrs. Hakama Sidi-Ali, Acting Director of the CBN’s Corporate Communications Department, the new guidelines are designed to support the phased implementation of Nigeria’s 2023 banking recapitalisation programme.
The regulator said that the recapitalisation effort had already triggered robust capital inflows and improved balance sheets across the banking industry. “Most financial institutions have either achieved or are on track to meet the revised capital thresholds well before the March 31, 2026 deadline,” she stated.
The temporary measures—affecting only a few institutions—include restrictions on capital distributions, such as the suspension of dividends and performance bonuses. This is aimed at encouraging capital retention and shoring up capital adequacy ratios.
“All impacted banks have been officially informed and are under close regulatory supervision,” the statement noted.
The CBN has also permitted limited, time-bound regulatory leeway to ensure a smooth transition, in alignment with global best practices. Sidi-Ali highlighted that Nigeria’s capital adequacy framework remains more stringent than the Basel III international minimum.
“These regulatory adjustments are not unprecedented. Similar transitional guidelines have been adopted in the U.S., European Union, and other advanced markets as part of wider post-crisis financial sector reforms,” she added.
The CBN reiterated its commitment to transparency and ongoing dialogue with stakeholders through platforms like the Bankers’ Committee, the Body of Bank CEOs, and other key forums.
“These latest measures reflect an orderly progression of the reform agenda,” the CBN assured. “They are no cause for alarm but rather evidence of the regulator’s proactive stance in ensuring that the banking system remains sound, solvent, and ready to support Nigeria’s economic growth trajectory.”
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