Six Nigerian Banks have met the new CBN Capital thresholds ahead of March 2026 deadline.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that out of the 13 listed banks on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX), six have so far met the new capital requirements issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). These banks include Jaiz Bank, Wema Bank, Stanbic IBTC, GTBank, Zenith Bank, and Access Bank.
In March 2024, the CBN directed commercial banks with international authorization to increase their capital base to N500 billion, while banks with national licenses must raise N200 billion. Banks with regional authorization were required to reach a N50 billion capital floor, and non-interest banks with national and regional authorizations were asked to increase capital to N20 billion and N10 billion, respectively. The compliance deadline is March 2026.
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1. Jaiz Bank
Jaiz Bank, the only listed non-interest bank on the NGX, has surpassed its N20 billion recapitalization requirement. Its H1 2025 financials show share capital and premium of N28.67 billion, up from N18.62 billion in 2023, reflecting a N10.05 billion injection. Shares outstanding increased from 34.54 billion to 44.59 billion units, representing 10.05 billion new shares.
2. Wema Bank
Wema Bank confirmed compliance with the N200 billion requirement for national license banks in a September 10, 2025 press release. The bank raised about N199.573 billion through a rights issue, bringing its qualifying capital to N214.7 billion. Shares outstanding grew from 15.127 billion in 2023 to 23.699 billion following the rights issue.
3. Stanbic IBTC Bank
Stanbic IBTC met the recapitalization threshold for national banks after completing a N148.7 billion rights issue in June 2025. The injection increased its banking subsidiary’s capital from N109.26 billion to above N200 billion. Shares outstanding rose from 12.96 billion to 15.90 billion units, with 2.94 billion new shares issued. H1 2025 results are expected to fully reflect these changes.
4. GTBank (GTCO)
Guaranty Trust Bank, the flagship of GTCO, has also surpassed the N500 billion capital requirement. Its Q1 2025 statements showed share capital and premium at N346.3 billion, up from N138.19 billion in 2023. Following its capital injection, overall capital rose to N504.037 billion, with shares outstanding increasing from 29.431 billion to 36.426 billion, reflecting nearly 7 billion new shares. GTCO’s H1 2025 results will incorporate the full recapitalization.
5. Zenith Bank
Zenith Bank’s 2024 audited accounts show share capital and premium at N614.65 billion, comfortably above the N500 billion requirement for international license banks. Shares outstanding increased from 31.40 billion in 2023 to 41.07 billion in December 2024. Q1 2025 statements confirm these figures, with H1 2025 results awaited.
6. Access Bank
Access Bank was the first Tier-1 lender to meet the N500 billion threshold. Following a N351 billion rights issue in late 2024, the group’s share capital and premium rose to N594.90 billion from N251.81 billion in 2023. Shares outstanding increased from 35.55 billion to 53.318 billion units, reflecting the issuance of 17.773 billion new shares.
Collectively, these six banks have raised about N1.4 trillion in fresh capital and expanded their share base by over 55 billion units. Early movers like Access, Zenith, and GTBank have consolidated their Tier-1 status, while Wema, Stanbic IBTC, and Jaiz Bank secured compliance for national and non-interest banking requirements.
Other lenders are also on track to meet the CBN thresholds. For instance, UBA’s Chairman, Tony Elumelu, assured shareholders that the bank will achieve the N500 billion target before Q3 2025, with a private placement planned to cover the remaining capital needs.
