Godwin Emefiele
Governor
Central Bank of Nigeria
The Nigerian economy cannot enjoy sustainable growth unless banks begin to lend to operators in the real sector.
This was the position of Dr. Uche Olowu, President/Chairman of Council, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) while speaking at the 2020 Economic Outlook Forum organised by the Finance Correspondents Association of Nigeria (FICAN) in Lagos.
Olowu made it clear that no economy has grown without access to capital. He added that without access to capital, there is nothing that businesses could do to move forward. He expressed optimism however that banks will move the needle on lending in 2020.
“Banks are re-strategising and focusing on niche areas. They are ready to lend to those that are creative. They are galvanizing their credit portfolio and those with creative and innovative ideas will readily have access to credit.”
He equally expressed displeasure with the borrowing culture in Nigeria which he said contributes largely to the problem of Non-Performing Loans (NPLs) in the banking sector.
“Borrowing culture in Nigeria is bad and some government policies also caused the issue of NPLs but banks need to lend to the real sector.”
