E-Financial
BVN Enabled Us in Timely Payment of 85 Percent of Heritage Bank Depositors — NDIC
Mr Bello Hassan, managing director/CEO, Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), has said that the use of Bank Verification Numbers (BVN) facilitated the successful reimbursement of 84.98 per cent of depositors from the defunct Heritage Bank.
Hassan made this announcement during the 21st edition of the NDIC Workshop for Business Editors and the Finance Correspondents Association of Nigeria (FICAN), held in Lagos.
The workshop, themed “Strengthening Nigeria’s Financial Safety-Net – The Role of Deposit Insurance,” was described as timely and pertinent, considering the rapidly changing dynamics of the global financial system and its impact on Nigeria.
He emphasized that the recent revocation of Heritage Bank’s license by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on June 3, 2024, serves as a clear demonstration of the NDIC’s critical role in protecting depositors and maintaining financial stability in the banking sector.
According to him, acting under the relevant provisions of the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act (BOFIA) 2020 and the NDIC Act 2023, the NDIC was appointed liquidator to manage the orderly resolution of the bank and oversee the payment of its depositors and other claimants.
He said in the discharge of this critical role of depositor reimbursement, the Corporation began the payment of the insured deposits of N5m maximum per depositor within a record time of four days of the bank’s closure.
This was achieved using Bank Verification Numbers (BVN) as a unique identifier to locate depositors’ alternate accounts in other banks without the need to fill out forms or visit the NDIC offices.
“This innovative approach has indeed, enabled the payment of 84.98% of depositors with BVN-linked accounts to date.
“The prompt payment of depositors, coming at a time when the Corporation had also recently increased the deposit insurance coverage from N500,000 to N5m in Deposit Money Banks, significantly cushioned the negative impact of bank failure, especially during the current challenging economic climate.
This achievement is consistent with the provisions of the International Association of Deposit Insurers (IADI) Core Principle 15, which emphasises timely payouts to depositors of failed banks,” he said.
Hassan said that having largely reimbursed depositors their insured deposits, the Corporation is committed to ensuring that depositors with balances exceeding N5m are also paid the balance of their deposits.
He stated that the uninsured deposits represent a significant portion of the total deposits in Heritage Bank.
According to him, in this regard, the Corporation is already working assiduously to ensure that, all depositors with amounts above the maximum insured amount of N5m are paid through liquidation dividends from the realisation of the defunct bank’s assets and recovery of debts.
“The Corporation has already initiated the process of debt recovery and realisation of investments and physical assets of the defunct bank to ensure timely payment of the uninsured deposits of the defunct bank.
“Additionally, the NDIC’s responsibilities extend to the creditors of the defunct bank, who will receive payments after all depositors have been fully reimbursed.
“This orderly process, based on asset realisation and priority of claims, is essential in maintaining public trust in the banking system and promoting financial stability.
“The handling of the Heritage Bank liquidation illustrates the broader role of the NDIC in ensuring that even in times of financial disruption, depositors can be rest assured that their funds are protected,” he said.
Hassan assured that as the Nigerian financial system continues to evolve and face new challenges, the NDIC remains steadfast in its mission to protect depositors and collaborate with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in ensuring the stability of the banking sector, which is critical to the growth and development of the economy.
He noted that confidence is key in the maintenance of financial system stability and the role of deposit insurance cannot be overemphasized.
“As one of the safety nets, it reassures depositors, thereby instilling trust in the banking system and preventing bank runs during times of uncertainty.
“ Over the years, the NDIC has been instrumental in promoting stability by ensuring that when banks fail, depositors are protected, and their funds are reimbursed promptly,” he said.
By 8 am on July 9, GTCO Holdings is set to commence trading on the London Stock Exchange.
As the group is set to list all its shares on the London Stock Exchange, becoming the first Nigerian banking entity to do so.
This is as the group launches a public offer of new ordinary shares to raise approximately $100 million on the London Stock Exchange.
The equity offering, which is an accelerated bookbuild and managed by Citigroup, began on July 2 and is to last until July 31.
On July 31, the group announced that it would cancel the listing of its Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs) on the UK Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) Official List.
It will also cancel their admission to trading on the London Stock Exchange (LSE)’s main market.
In place of the GDRs, the group will list all its ordinary shares directly.
aims to admit all its shares to the equity shares category for international commercial companies under a secondary listing on the FCA’s Official List.
The shares will also begin trading on the LSE’s main market for listed securities.
According to a regulatory filing on the London Stock Exchange, the net proceeds from the offering will be used to recapitalize GTBank Nigeria.
Based on the prevailing exchange rate of N1,540 to the US dollar, the targeted $100 million equates to approximately N154 billion.
This capital raise is expected to position the Group to fully meet the N500 billion minimum paid-up share capital required by regulators for banks with international licenses.
As of now, both Zenith Bank and Access Holdings have already met—and exceeded—this threshold.
The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) has handed over new licenses to SanlamAllianz Life and General Insurance Nigeria Ltd at brief ceremony held in Abuja.
Olusegun Omosehin, commissioner for Insurance emphasized the Commission’s commitment to supporting the growth of insurance entities in the country, while ensuring strict compliance with regulatory requirements. He urged the companies to prioritize good corporate governance, stability, and timely claims settlement processes.
The Commissioner reiterated NAICOM’s dedication to removing unnecessary bottlenecks and improving the insurance industry’s overall performance. He expressed confidence that the merger would enhance the companies’ capabilities and contribute to the industry’s growth.
SanlamAllianz recently launched its operations in Nigeria, marking a significant step in the company’s Pan-African expansion.
The launch follows the merger of Sanlam and Allianz’s Nigerian operations, creating a new entity named SanlamAllianz Nigeria.
This joint venture aims to transform the Nigerian insurance landscape by offering enhanced customer experiences, innovative solutions, and improved financial inclusion.
World Bank has approved an additional $65 million loan for Nigeria to support the Sustainable Procurement, Environmental, and Social Standards Enhancement (SPESSE) project, increasing the total financing for the initiative to $145 million.
The approval was granted on June 24, 2025, according to details posted on the World Bank’s website, which also indicates that the project’s status has moved to “active” following the approval.
The SPESSE project, initially launched with an $80 million loan approved in February 2020, aims to strengthen institutional capacity for managing procurement, environmental, and social standards in both the public and private sectors across Nigeria.
The World Bank described the project’s development objective as the establishment of sustainable capacity in these areas.
This latest approval is part of a broader wave of financing expected from the World Bank to Nigeria in 2025.
The bank is scheduled to approve loans totalling $1.61 billion over the coming months, supporting various development initiatives.
Among these is a $300 million loan for the ‘Solutions for the Internally Displaced and Host Communities Project,’ expected to be finalised by the end of July.
This project aims to improve access to basic services and economic opportunities for internally displaced persons (IDPs) and host communities in selected local government areas in northern Nigeria.
In September, the World Bank plans to approve four additional loans: a $10.5 million facility to support technical assistance for the Central Bank of Nigeria, a $300 million Health Security Program targeting Western and Central Africa (Nigeria – Phase IV), a $500 million project for building resilient digital infrastructure (BRIDGE), and a $500 million loan under the Nigeria Sustainable Agricultural Value-Chains for Growth project aimed at promoting sustainable growth and job creation within key agricultural sectors.
Earlier in March 2025, the bank approved three financing requests amounting to $1.13 billion.
These funds are directed towards projects focused on enhancing quality education, boosting household and community resilience, and improving nutrition.
Among the approved loans were $80 million for the Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria 2.0 project, $552 million for the HOPE for Quality Basic Education for All programme, and $500 million for the Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus Programme.
In February, the Nigerian government announced expectations of new World Bank loans totalling $2.2 billion for six different projects in 2025. This follows a $1.5 billion loan disbursed in 2024 aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s economic stability and resource mobilisation efforts.
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