Banks

Deposit Money Banks borrowed the sum of N21.87tn from the Central Bank of Nigeria via the Standing Lending Facility window and Repurchase Lending platform in 2020, according to the CBN financial data. This represents a 260 per cent increase when compared to the N5.744tn recorded via the same windows in 2022. It, however, represents a 19.3 per cent decrease when compared to the N27.08tn the banks borrowed from the apex bank in 2021. The apex bank has two short-term lending windows for banks and merchant banks namely-Standing Lending Facility (SLF) and Repurchase (Repo) lending. While the CBN lends money to banks and merchant banks through the SLF at interest rate of 100 basis points above the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR), it also lends money to banks through Repo arrangement, which involves the purchase of banks’ securities with the agreement to sell back at a specific date and usually for a higher price. The financial data by the CBN revealed that borrowing by banks and merchant banks through the SLF in 2022 dropped by 14.25 per cent to N11.15tn as against N13.01tn in 2021.

Punch