As of January 6, 2026, nineteen Nigerian banks have met the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) new minimum capital requirements, putting them ahead of the March 31 compliance deadline.
The CBN’s recapitalisation exercise is aimed at strengthening the resilience of the banking sector, increasing banks’ capacity to absorb shocks, and aligning Nigerian banks with international standards.
The full list of banks that have met the new capital requirements is as follows:
Banks with international licences (N500 billion minimum):
Access Bank
Fidelity Bank
First Bank of Nigeria
Guaranty Trust Bank (GTCO)
United Bank for Africa (UBA)
Zenith Bank
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Banks with national licences (N200 billion minimum):
Citibank Nigeria
Ecobank Nigeria
Globus Bank
Stanbic IBTC Bank
Sterling Bank
Wema Bank
PremiumTrust Bank
Providus Bank
Merchant banks (N50 billion minimum):
FSDH Merchant Bank
Greenwich Merchant Bank
Nova Merchant Bank
Non-interest banks (N10–20 billion minimum):
Jaiz Bank
LOTUS Bank
Fidelity Bank was the most recent to meet the requirement, raising N250–N270 billion through a private placement in December 2025. Combined with its verified share capital and premium of around N306 billion, the bank now exceeds the N500 billion threshold for international banks.
Professor Uwaleke, a banking and finance expert, said: “The early compliance of these 19 banks signals confidence in the sector and strengthens overall financial stability. Remaining banks have clear options to meet the March deadline.”
The CBN has warned that banks failing to meet the capital requirements may face sanctions, including operational restrictions, while compliance can be achieved via equity injections, mergers, acquisitions, or licence downgrades.