Credit ratings agency, Agusto and Co. have projected that up to N4 trillion of inflow is expected by banks to meet the Central Bank’s new capital requirements if the apex bank could resist pressure to include retained earnings or shareholders’ funds when calculating banks’ new capital.
The agency in its perspectives on the new rule introduced by the CBN stated that if banks could exert pressure on the CBN to allow shareholders to fund or retain earnings in calculating their capital base, the expected inflow would be less than N1.5 trillion.
It stated, “Thus, we anticipate an inflow of circa ₦4 trillion to meet the new capital regulation. We anticipate significant pressure on the CBN to use the total shareholders’ funds for the computation of regulatory capital or at least to include retained earnings. Should the retained earnings be used for the computation, we expect a reduction in the capital inflow to circa ₦1.5 trillion.”
The rating agency further stated that the depreciation in the value of the naira coupled with the increase in the number of banks resulting in a breach of the single obligor limit of 20% serves as enough reason for the proposed recapitalisation exercise.
Further, the firm projected a paradigm shift in the banking industry the likes of those witnessed during the last recapitalisation exercise in 2004. It noted that the strong performance of banks together with the low valuation could lead to institutional investors flooding the sector.
However, the report did not rule out Mergers and Acquisition (M&A) for banks that could find it difficult to meet the apex bank’s capital requirement.
On March 28, 2024, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) reviewed the capital requirements for Nigeria’s commercial, merchant, and non-interest banks.
The CBN asserts that this recapitalisation is crucial for strengthening the banks’ stability, solvency, and operational capacity to sustain support for Nigeria’s economic expansion in the face of current macroeconomic trials.
