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Nigerian banking sector attracts $15.7 billion foreign investments in 5 years

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Nigeria recorded $68.87 billion in foreign inflows between 2017 and 2021.

Lagos financial district

The Nigerian banking sector is one of the viable destinations for foreign investors in the country as it attracted over $15.7 billion in foreign investments in the past 5 years, representing one of the most attractive sectors in the Nigerian economy.

This is based on analysis carried out by Nairalytics, the research arm of Nairametrics from data obtained from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

According to the data, Nigeria recorded $68.87 billion in foreign inflows between 2017 and 2021, with the banking sector accounting for over 22.8% of the total capital imported, which was only bested by the local equities market.

The Nigerian banking sector has been growing in leaps and bounds over the years, with several tech start-ups springing up in the space. A number of these firms have raised significant amounts since they launched operations in the country while some have hit unicorn status (valued above $1 billion).

The emergence of financial technology firms in the country, all competing for market share while disrupting conventional banking methods has increased the level of activities as investors have come to identify the sector as a profitable one.

A further look at the breakdown of Nigeria’s gross domestic product shows that the financial sector has also expanded all through the five-year period under review. Notably, the sector grew by 10.53% in real terms in 2020, which is lower than the 13.34% annual growth recorded in the previous year.

However, the growth recorded in the past two years, outweigh the preceding years. For example, the banking sector recorded real GDP growth of 2.4%, 1.41%, and 1.92% in 2019, 2018, and 2017 respectively. This shows that the sector traction grew significantly in the last two years.

Fintech startups with notable fundraise

A brief glance at the Nairametrics deals book tracker, which collates deals consummated by Nigerian companies across various sectors, shows worth noting deals by Nigerian financial technology firms.

  • In August 2021, Nigerian fintech firm, Opay raised a sum of $400 million in a financing round led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2, which valued the company at $2 billion. The fund raised in 2021 is following a $120 million Series B raised in 2019.
  • Earlier in the year, African-focused payment company, Flutterwave, announced the close of a $170 million Series C round, which raised the company’s valuation to $1 billion and saw it attain unicorn status.
  • In the same year, Nigerian fintech startup, FairMoney also $42 million from a Series B round led by US hedge funds and Investment firm, Tiger Global.
  • Amongst others on the list of fintechs that have raised notable funding from foreign companies and investors in the past five years include, Chipper Cash, Mono, Joovlin, Sendbox, TeamApt etc.

Top 10 sectors with the highest foreign inflow

In the past five years, between 2017 and 2021, Nigeria received a sum of $68.87 billion as capital inflows (FDI, FPI, and loans). However, the shares sector accounts for a large chunk of these inflows, with $23.37 billion, representing 33.9% of the total fund.

This is not out of the ordinary, as foreign investors often time go to the Nigerian equities market and other mutual funds to invest.

According to the NGX domestic and foreign portfolio investment report as of February 2022, foreign investments in the local equities market accounted for 24.75% of the total transactions, with a sum of N38.96 billion recorded as foreign inflows between January and February 2022.

The banking sector followed on the list with $15.74 billion, financing with $11.09 billion, while the manufacturing sector received $4.52 billion in foreign inflows in the period under review.

Bubbling under

  • Servicing – $3.37 billion
  • Hotels – $3.36 billion
  • Telecommunications – $2.69 billion
  • Trade – $1.59 billion
  • Agriculture – $1.36 billion
  • Oil & gas – $668.7 million

Source : Samuel Oyekanmi nairametrics.com

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FG commissions Abuja Market plaza in Cameroon

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The Consul-General of Nigeria to Douala, the Republic of Cameroon, Ambassador (HRM) Queen Efe A. Clark-Omeru has commissioned the multimillion-naira Abuja Market plaza built in Douala, Cameroon by eminent Nigerian Alhaji Abba Mustafa.

The Consul General, who commissioned the projects in Douala, commended the Nigerian-Adamawa philanthropist for investing in such a massive project in a neighboring country like Cameroon which has over five million Nigerian migrants.

According to the Nigerian Diplomat, the facility is expected to create numerous business opportunities by generating revenue rents and creating job opportunities for both Nigerians and Cameroonians. Additionally, it will enhance the beauty of Douala city, attracting more tourists and strengthening Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

The Nigerian Diplomat expressed hopes that the new building would further help strengthen the relationship between Cameroon and Nigeria, extending a hand of prayers during the commissioning ceremony.

“Alhaji Abba, you are a great man, it takes a great heart to think beyond yourself and invest in the huge facility, not just for you but for the people of Adamawa state, the whole Nigeria, and Cameroon, history will not forget you,” said Amb. Clark -Omeru

“This is a good day for Nigerians, for Cameroonians and for the people of Adamawa State in Nigeria, I am happy to be here and to be part of this joy of today, Nigerians are happy, Cameroonians are happy as well as the Adamawa indigenes,” she said.

“Our dear Father, Abba Mustafa, you have done very well with this massive building, may the Almighty God continue to bless you, may he continue to reward you abundantly and may he continue to keep you for the good of mankind.”

The Consul General praised the Cameroon authorities for fostering a spirit of brotherhood between Nigeria and Cameroon by offering a great opportunity to the distinguished Nigerian, Alhaji Abba.

She continued: “As we are celebrating this great achievement, the fact still remains that this facility is a representation of close collaboration and one cordial relationship between Alhaji Abba Mustafa and our host authorities which provided a friendly environment and gradually the opportunity for him to purchase the land. If not for the good reputation and integrity that Alhaji Mustafa is recognized for, there is no way the host authorities would have given him the opportunity to mark this great landmark. I am appealing to every Nigerian in Cameroon to be a good ambassador,” she concluded.

Alhaji Abba Mustafa thanked the Nigeria Consul General for honoring the invitation and supporting Nigerians in Cameroon ultimately.
“On behalf of my humble self and the people of Adamawa State Union Douala, I want to thank the Consul-General of Nigeria to Douala, the Republic of Cameroon, Ambassador (HRM) Queen Efe A. Clark-Omeru for making time to honor this great occasion. I am also using this opportunity to thank the President and members of the Nigerian Community in Douala and the royal fathers who came as well as everybody who grace this day, May you all return home safely, thank you very much.

Meanwhile, Ismaila Adegbola, the Chief Executive Officer ND Group, has praised Alhaji Abba for investing in Cameroon and building such an impressive structure that would provide employment opportunities to many. Adegbola has also urged the Nigerian government to recognize Alhaji Abba’s contributions to the country by including him in the nation’s historical book.

“This is a milestone achievement for Nigeria as a country, We are calling on the Federal Government to decorate this great man with a national award for bringing smiles and success into the lives of over five million Nigerians in Cameroon. »

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UBA GROUP MANAGING DIRECTOR VISITS CAMEROON

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The Group Managing Director of United Bank for Africa (UBA), Oliver Alawuba, visited Cameroon for two days from November 3 to 4, 2022. He met on November 4 with the Minister of State, Secretary General of the Presidency of the Republic, Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh.

The day before, he had the honour to be received at the Star Building by the Prime Minister, Head of Government, Dr. Joseph Dion Ngute. After assuming office on August 1 at the helm of the pan-African banking group, the new CEO is on a tour of African countries where the bank has subsidiaries.

The Prime Minister’s guest expressed satisfaction with the efforts made by the President of the Republic, Paul Biya and the Cameroonian government to create an environment conducive to the smooth development of UBA’s activities for the past 15 years.

The bank is currently expanding its network to cover all the 10 regions of the country, in order to provide the population with innovative banking products and services.

Oliver Alawuba stressed that UBA Plc was a reliable partner of the Cameroonian State and remained ready to support the government, its branches, decentralized local authorities, and other private sector actors. The ambition is to increase the Group’s contribution to the socio-economic development of the country, within the framework of a public-private partnership encouraged by President Paul Biya.

Oliver Alawuba also took the opportunity of this trip to pay a courtesy call to some of the bank’s clients, regulators and partners to thank them for their constant support. He also toured some UBA branches in Yaounde and Douala to assess the activities on the ground. He encouraged the top management and staff to consolidate its leadership in the area of customer care and treatment. 

During his visit to Cameroon, the UBA Group CEO had along his side Amie Ndiaye Sow, UBA’s Regional Director for the CEMAC zone, Ebenezer Essoka, Chairman of the Board of Directors of UBA-Cameroon, and Jude Anele, Managing Director of UBA-Cameroon.

The pan-African bank operates in 20 African countries, Britain, France, the United States and the United Arab Emirates.

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UBA Cameroon launches free mobile money service!

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The new product, M2U Money, offers innovative, secured, fast, user-friendly electronic-wallet financial service
solution to users, with or without bank accounts, through online platform based on web & mobile technologies

Leading Pan-African financial institution, United Bank for
Africa, UBA Cameroon, now offers free Mobile Money services,
aimed at facilitating electronic transactions for its ever-growing clientele in the country. The new product dubbed M2U Money, was officially launched in Yaounde yesterday. M2U Money, it should be said, is a Mobile Money transfer and e-wallet
solution offering secure, fast financial services through a user-friendly and easy-to-use online platform based both on web and mobile technologies. Speaking at the ceremony, the Managing Director/CEO of UBA Cameroon, Jude Anele, said M2U Money comes in as fulfilment of their pledge to champion retail banking services in Cameroon. M2U Money, Anele added, is launched as an efficient and cost-effective solution to provide retail banking to the population. “We took our time to come up with a
solution that will help penetrate both the urban and rural areas and facilitate payment both in Cameroon and across the CEMAC region,” Anele said. M2U Money to solve financial inclusion
challenges On her part, the Deputy Managing Director of UBA Cameroon, Marguerite Fonkwen, while expressing gratitude to all and sundry for taking time off their busy schedule to witness the launch, said M2U Money would help resolve the problem of financial inclusion which still remains a preoccupation to government.
Fonkwen reiterated that M2U Money is a secured, rapid and innovative money transfer solution that uses mobile transactions and electronic wallet which permits
users to do all types of transactions. She used the opportunity to thank all UBA Cameroon partners for supporting the financial institution to realise the product. Fonkwen appreciated government’s multifaceted support to and pledged that the bank remains ready and always available to serve. She also thanked the banking regulator, the Central Bank, for permitting them and authorising the launching of the product. The Deputy Managing Director said the bank still plans not only to open many more branches in the country but to continue providing customer-friendly
and innovative services and digital financial solutions to its increasing customers. UBA Cameroon, Fonkwen told her hearers, has been in Cameroon for 15 years with over 20 branches created, over 500 youths employed with over 850, 000 customers from all walks of
life and age brackets. UBA Cameroon Board encourages team
The representative of the President of the UBA Cameroon Board of Directors, for his part, hailed the team for coming up with the solution to money transfer and urged them not to relent in offering
the best banking services to Cameroonians. He said they are confident M2U Money will be a huge success, thanks to
the crack team that is in place to market it to Cameroonians.
Country Head explains how M2U Money works The Country Head of M2U Money, Willy Ngangue, said the UBA-powered
product, created in partnership with OSSIX Technologies, is an innovative solution that would take their services to the doorsteps of Cameroonians; especially as Mobile Money services have fast become part and parcel of the daily lives of citizens. This, he added, is because electronic wallets and mobile bank accounts which allow for phone-controlled payments
and transactions are increasingly being used more than traditional bank
accounts. Ngangue said M2U Money brings in a wealth of practical innovative solutions, through cutting-edge services to the
Cameroon population with deposits, transfers, withdrawals and payments done free of charge but for the 0.2% government tax on electronic money transactions.
The UBA official added that M2U Money equally provides an e-commerce
environment, where merchants and purchasers of goods and services meet convivially, in a totally secured without space and easily carry out their online purchases from their providers of goods
and services. He said with the M2U Money service, users can send and receive money directly into their bank accounts, irrespective of the bank where the account is domiciled in Cameroon and other
electronic money transfer services.Ngangue furthered that M2U Money allows users with or without a bank account, living in rural or urban areas,salaried or not, young or old, natural orlegal entity, to perform all financial transactions.How to creating
M2U Money account Ngangue explained that after downloading
the application, users can follow the procedures and create an account with their ID card, passport and phone number. The user, he added, has to create a 6 digit confidential PIN code to secure his account. He said M2U Money also allows users to link their UBA accounts and do wallet to wallet money transfer, credit their wallet from PayPal and prepaid card, deposit and withdraw funds, pay for goods and services etc. Ngangue said money can also be sent
and withdrawn by a third party in a cash point without a card from an ATM and
micro-credit.
M2U also has a platform respond to
complaints from customers.
Transactions between M2U Money and
bank accounts are free and with possibility
to send money using other mobile
money services.
Youth leader hails initiative
Speaking at the ceremony, the
President of Cameroon’s Emerging and
Republican Youth, Cathy Meba, lauded
UBA Cameroon creating M2U Money
which she said comes as solution to
fight high cost of living and improve living
standards. She said the M2U Money
will help support those in informal sector,
the economy and create jobs and
fight unemployment among youths.
“For my part, UBA is a republican
company. Its activities are in line with
the will and objectives of the Head of
State, H.E Paul Biya, for an emerging
Cameroon,” Meba said, while urging
youth to massively subscribe to M2U
Money which tends to get Africa out of
the yoke of neo-colonialism.
The ceremony was attended by representatives
of various government structures
charged with banking sector

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