NOVEMBER 2014 Financial Industry AlertNovember 6, 2014 ALERT A Special Report on The Nigerian Contacts Stephen Phillips, banking System: The ripple Effects of Partner, London Lehman – A Tale of Sin And Alexander Janes, Partner, London redemption? Yewande Senbore, Senior Associate, This article focuses on the banking sector crisis which engulfed the Olaniwun Ajayi LP Nigerian financial sector from 2008 to 2011, and the steps taken by the +234 1 2702551 Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in restoring financial stability. We discuss
[email protected] the impact and the opportunities for international and domestic investors resulting from the crisis. Introduction In 2005, the CBN mandated all Nigerian banks to increase their capital base1 from ₦2 billion (c.US$12.5 million) to ₦25 billion (c. US$156.3 million) in order to improve their competitiveness on the international market and to increase profitability. Significant capital was raised and as a result, the banks were under pressure to realise greater profits and in turn, generate higher returns to shareholders. Nigerian banks became involved in securities trading, margin lending as well as huge oil and gas financings due to the increase in oil and gas prices at the time, thus fuelling a market bubble. When it hit in 2008, the global recession had a significant ripple effect on the Nigerian banking system. The result was that investors and traders in Nigeria had to liquidate their positions in profitable markets to fund their losses elsewhere. This led to huge exit of foreign investors from the Nigerian capital market and the attendant fall in share prices.