CBN recapitalisation banks update as 16 Nigerian lenders meet new capital requirements ahead of the March 2026 deadline
Sixteen Nigerian banks have met the Central Bank of Nigeria recapitalisation requirements ahead of the March 31, 2026 deadline, according to data drawn from the apex bank and shared by data and artificial intelligence platform, StatiSense, on December 23, 2025, in Lagos.
The CBN recapitalisation banks list includes major commercial lenders, merchant banks and non interest institutions that have already scaled the new capital thresholds introduced by the regulator earlier this year.
Leading the compliant institutions are United Bank for Africa, United Bank for Africa, Access Holdings and Zenith Bank.
Others that have met the requirements include Ecobank Nigeria, 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 recapitalisation exercise was introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria to strengthen the resilience of the banking sector amid inflationary pressures, currency volatility and global financial uncertainties.
Under the framework, international banks are required to maintain a minimum capital base of ₦500 billion, national banks ₦200 billion, regional and merchant banks ₦50 billion, while non interest banks must hold between ₦10 billion and ₦20 billion depending on their licence category.
StatiSense’s disclosure, which attracted widespread attention on social media platform X, triggered debate among users who questioned the absence of some long established banks from the list.
Several commentators expressed concern over the status of institutions such as First Bank, Fidelity Bank and Union Bank, reflecting growing public sensitivity around bank stability and depositor confidence.
Financial analysts say the absence of some lenders does not necessarily signal distress, noting that several banks are believed to be in advanced stages of capital raising through rights issues, mergers and private placements. With more than three months remaining before the deadline, industry watchers expect additional banks to meet the requirements.
The Central Bank of Nigeria has previously warned that failure to comply with the recapitalisation directive could result in licence downgrades or withdrawal, reinforcing the seriousness of the reform.
The early compliance by the listed institutions is seen as a confidence boosting signal for the financial system and a crucial step toward safeguarding Nigeria’s economy at a time when stability remains a decisive factor for investment and growth.
Ojelabi, the publisher of Freelanews, is an award winning and professionally trained mass communicator and a recipient of the D9112 Superstar Icon Award, who writes ruthlessly about pop culture, religion, politics and entertainment.
