E-Financial
CBN, States Sign MoU on MSMEs Fund

Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Executive Governors of Delta, Osun, Oyo, Akwa-Ibom and Bornu States among others on the operation and administration of the N220 billion Micro Small and Medium Enterprises Development (MSMEs) Fund which was launched last year.
It also emerged that the actual disbursement of the fund is expected to be performed by President Goodluck Jonathan during the forthcoming annual MSMEs conference schedule to hold in August.
Godwin Emefiele, governor of the apex bank, disclosed this in Abuja during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the bank and governors from 11 states.
The MoU, signed at the apex bank’s headquarters had in attendance governors from Delta, Akwa Ibom, Osun, Oyo, Bayelsa, Gombe, Zamfara, Enugu, Ondo and Benue states.
The CBN governor said the flag off of the disbursement would be done by President Goodluck Jonathan, noting that the fund would be given to Nigerians at a single digit interest rate of nine per cent.
Emefiele said that based on the guidelines of the fund, each state of the federation would be able to access the sum of N2bn which would be administered through Micro Finance Banks.
The governor, who put the funding gap of the sector at about N9.6tn as at 2010 said, “As a country, we don’t have a choice than to support the youth by taking actions to engage their energy positively by creating jobs for them.
“We would work with you to ensure that it gets to the beneficiaries directly at a maximum rate of nine per cent, 60 per cent of this money will go to women
“The disbursement of the loan will kickoff in August and we want the President to personally kickstart the process in August.”
He said the CBN fund would focus on resolving challenges such as access to collateral and enterprise development support.
The governor said since the country has a large proportion of youths, there is an urgent need to engage their energy positively in productive sectors that would create jobs and reduce poverty.
This, he added, underscored the need for the apex bank, in pursuit of its developmental mandate to release the fund at a single digit interest rate for the development MSMEs.
Emefiele said as part of measures aimed at ensuring inclusive growth for the economy, 60 per cent representing N132bn out of the fund had been set aside for women.
He said, “We are starting with N220bn and I can assure you that once this amount is fully applied we would seize opportunity to increase it.
“But the important thing is that we are saying that the fund is going to be applied towards supporting the financing needs of our people a the lowest level of the pyramid at dingle it rate.
“We believe that if properly applied, what you will find is that it would see to the transformation and economic development of Nigeria and that is what is uppermost in our minds so even if we have to do more after this, it would be worth it.”
He assured that all the bottlenecks that may affect the implementation of the program would be addressed by the apex bank.
Godswill Akpabio, governor of Akwa Ibom State, commended the governor for the initiative, noting that a lot of lives would be transformed with the intervention fund.
He, however, said since the sector has the potential to create jobs, there is need for the bank to increase the accessible amount by each state from the current N2bn to between N3.5bn and N4bn.
He also requested that all bottlenecks that would hinder the successful disbursement of the fund be removed so that those who should benefit for the fund should not be excluded.
He said, “There is need to increase the amount because Nigerians are in a hurry owing to see a reduction in poverty and unemployment rate.
“We can start with N3.5bn or N4bn for each state so that we can make great impact with the sector in creating jobs
“We should also remove some of the impediments that will affect the disbursement of this fund.
The state can even guarantee this money so that it can quickly get to the beneficiaries. The experience in the past is that many intervention funds are not easily accessed owing to bureaucratic bottlenecks and this need to be addressed.”
E-Financial
UBA Expands to More African Cities, Stamps Footprint in Saudi Arabia

United Bank for Africa (UBA) has announced strategic expansion into more African countries even as it plans to open a new office in Saudi Arabia, marking a significant milestone in its mission to connect Africa with key global markets.

Oliver Alawuba, GMD/CEO, UBA group,
This emerged during the Group’s Half Year Business Review held at its global headquarters in Lagos, where Oliver Alawuba, group managing director/CEO, UBA group, met with senior executives overseeing UBA’s 24-country footprint.
The meeting reaffirmed the bank’s pan-African strategy while outlining bold new steps into global markets.
Alawuba highlighted UBA’s continued growth outside Nigeria, with more than 51.7% of Group revenues now generated from its ex-Nigerian operations.
He described the Saudi expansion as a move that positions UBA to support cross-border trade, attract investment flows, and better serve the African diaspora.
“UBA’s vision is clear—we are building a truly global institution anchored in Africa, but serving customers across continents. Our entry into Saudi Arabia signals confidence in new opportunities and commitment to supporting economic connectivity between Africa and the Middle East,” he said.
The Saudi expansion adds to UBA’s international presence, which currently includes the United Kingdom, United States, France, and the United Arab Emirates. Alawuba also disclosed that the bank is upgrading its operating licence in France to further strengthen its European operations.
“In Europe, UBA has operations in the United Kingdom and is upgrading its licence in France, expanding its capacity to serve cross-border trade, investment flows, and the African diaspora, complementing our over 40-year presence in New York,” Alawuba noted.
Since launching its pan-African journey with an entry into Ghana in 2004, UBA has expanded rapidly across 20 African countries, establishing itself as a leading driver of financial inclusion, innovation, and regional integration.
E-Financial
Ecobank Plans to Raise $250m Capital Through Private Placement

Ecobank Transnational Incorporated announced its plan to raise up to $250m in Additional Tier 1 capital through a private placement of contingent convertible notes.
In a statement filed on the Nigerian Exchange Limited recently, the capital raise was approved by shareholders at the company’s Extraordinary General Meeting held in Lomé, Togo. The private placement offer was launched on July 9 and will run for ten days.
“Following the approval of the shareholders at its Extraordinary General Meeting held on May 28, 2025, in Lomé, Togo, to raise up to $250m in additional Tier 1 capital qualifying instruments via a private placement of contingent convertible notes, Ecobank Transnational Incorporated announces the launch of the AT1 effective July 9, 2025, for ten days. Renaissance Capital Africa has been appointed as the transaction adviser to ETI.”
The move is an initiative aimed at strengthening Ecobank’s capital adequacy, enhancing financial resilience, and supporting its long-term growth ambitions across its diversified pan-African banking platform.
Additionally, Madibinet Cisse, Ecobank’s Company Secretary, said, “This proposed capital raise represents a critical step in our efforts to fortify the bank’s financial foundation and support sustainable growth across Africa.”
It would be recalled that Ecobank Transnational Incorporated, the parent company of the Ecobank Group, has raised an additional $125m through a Eurobond tap, bringing the total size of its 2029 notes to $525m.
E-Financial
EFCC Recovers Funds Lost to CBEX Fraud

Ola Olukoyede, chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has announced that the body has recovered lost funds from the CBEX fraud scheme.
Olukoyede did not announce the amount recovered, but he assured Nigerians that the EFCC is taking action against the promoters of the scheme.
The EFCC Chairman emphasised that the suspects found are facing prosecution.
“We have found a lot of people culpable. Those who promoted that scheme are within our jurisdiction and have been arrested. So, at this moment, they are being prosecuted. And we can also say that money has been recovered, even though the process is still ongoing for us to finally forfeit it,” he said.
Olukoyede also urged Nigerians to exercise caution when investing their resources into online platforms.
“Ponzi schemes remain one of the most pervasive threats facing unsuspecting investors. The CBEX case is a clear example. We all remember the outcry that followed the collapse of the scheme, but these unfortunate situations are preventable. Nigerians must begin to conduct due diligence before committing their resources to such platforms,” Olukoyede said.
He also stressed that the body remains committed to fishing out the culprits and recovering the lost funds.
“It was only when the bubble burst that people wanted EFCC to perform magic and recover their money. In the case we investigated in Lagos, which we dubbed Operation Flush, we arrested a large number of foreigners involved in various cybercrimes, including CBEX. I want Nigerians to know that as of today, we have secured close to 150 convictions. Some of them are already serving their jail terms. And when they are through with that, we are going to send them back to where they came from. So we are monitoring them,” he added.
He urged the public to stay vigilant, assuring them that the body will see the case to the end.
“We are no longer the EFCC that drops cases halfway. Whatever we start, we will finish. Nigerians should trust us and believe in our capacity to do justice. Some of these cases are complex and may require cross-border investigations, but we are up to the task,” he said.
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