Koko Maxwella 
ABUJA, Nigeria – Sixteen Nigerian banks have already met the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) capital requirements, with about 100 days remaining before the March 31, 2026, recapitalisation deadline.
In a statement on Saturday, the CBN confirms that compliant banks include Access Holdings, Zenith Bank, UBA, GTBank, Ecobank, Stanbic IBTC, Wema Bank, Jaiz Bank, Lotus Bank, Providus Bank, Greenwich Merchant Bank, PremiumTrust Bank, Sterling Bank, Globus Bank, Citibank Nigeria and Nova Bank.
The apex bank says other lenders, including Fidelity Bank and FCMB Group, remain at various stages of capital raising and regulatory verification.
CBN Governor Olayemi Cardoso, speaking earlier in Washington, D.C., describes the recapitalisation drive as Nigeria’s most significant banking reform in over a decade.
“This programme safeguards financial stability, expands lending capacity and positions banks to support economic transformation,” Cardoso says.
Stress tests, he adds, show the banking system remains sound and liquid, as analysts predict increased investor activity ahead of the deadline.
About the Author
Oluwatobi Adu 
Edino Chubiyo Cornelius 