Revealed! Five Nigerian banks exceed new CBN requirements

• As of mid-2025, 5 banks—Lotus Bank, Jaiz Bank, Ecobank Nigeria, Zenith Bank, and Access Bank—have met the Central Bank of Nigeria's revised superior requirements
• Access Bank led with a stock superior summation to N600 billion, surpassing the N500 cardinal benchmark, followed by Zenith Bank, which raised N350.4 cardinal to scope N614.65 billion
• Ecobank and Lotus Bank besides complied with the caller regulations, with Ecobank readying further superior raises, portion the CBN's recapitalisation deadline is acceptable for March 31, 2026

Legit.ng writer Zainab Iwayemi has 5-year-experience covering the Economy, Technology, and Capital Market.

At slightest 5 banks person complied with the Central Bank of Nigeria's revised superior requirements arsenic of the extremity of the archetypal fractional of 2025. These see Lotus Bank, Jaiz Bank, Ecobank Nigeria, Zenith Bank, and Access Bank.

Photo Credit: Access Bank
Source: Getty Images

The CBN's caller superior criterion of N500 cardinal for banks with planetary authorization was archetypal met by Access Bank, a tier-1 lender. In precocious December, Access Holdings, its genitor company, announced that its N351 cardinal rights contented had been approved by regulators.

According to the Holdco, the bank's stock superior would emergence to N600 cardinal arsenic a effect of this achievement, which is N100 cardinal much than the ineligible minimum. This milestone allowed Access Bank to surpass the benchmark successful the aforesaid twelvemonth arsenic the CBN directive.

Zenith Bank Plc followed, raising N350.4 cardinal done its nationalist offering and rights issuance to transcend the benchmark. The bank's stock superior increased to N614.65 cardinal with this further raise, surpassing the ineligible minimum request by N114.65 billion.

Next came Ecobank Nigeria, a nationalist slope that, according to Fitch Ratings, had already complied with the request and lone needed a insignificant superior infusion. The lender has further capital-raising plans to bring it backmost into afloat compliance, but it calculated that it was inactive beneath the 10% full superior adequacy ratio threshold.

Ecobank Transnational Incorporated, the genitor institution of the bank, was capable to efficaciously pat its $400 cardinal successful 10.125 percent notes owed connected October 15, 2029, for an further $125 cardinal successful May 2025.

Lotus Bank, a non-interest bank, disclosed that its superior basal already surpassed the N20 cardinal needed to suffice arsenic a nationalist non-interest bank.

Speaking astatine a media parley successful 2024, an enforcement manager astatine the bank, Isiaka Ajani-Lawal, who represented the Managing Director, Mrs. Kafilat Araoye, said, “Even earlier the CBN announced the caller minimum superior base, we already had it arsenic a nationalist bank.”

Photo Crredit: Contributor
Source: Getty Images

Recapitalisation drives merger fever

Legit.ng reported that the Central Bank of Nigeria's (CBN) recapitalisation people is acceptable to significantly reshape the country's banking landscape, peculiarly impacting smaller banks.

The deadline for gathering the caller superior requirements is March 31, 2026.

According to reports, 2 Nigerian banks, 1 with a determination licence and different with a nationalist licence, person begun merger talks, which whitethorn beryllium finalised successful the coming months.

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Source: Legit.ng