The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Olayemi Cardoso, has urged African financial regulators to strengthen cooperation in managing cross-border risks.

He also restated the CBN’s commitment to entrenching robust corporate governance in Nigeria’s financial system.

Speaking at the fourth Annual IMF/AFRITAC West 2 High-Level Executive Forum for Financial Sector Regulation and Supervision held at the CBN headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, Cardoso explained that, as African banks and financial systems become increasingly interconnected, collaboration among regulators is not optional but essential to safeguard stability and ensure shared prosperity across the continent.

The CBN governor urged African regulators to deepen cooperation in managing cross-border risks, emphasising that regional financial integration is outpacing political coordination.

He called for the adoption of shared prudential principles tailored to Africa’s realities, noting that this framework would enable regulators to respond jointly and effectively to emerging vulnerabilities while supporting inclusive growth.

Building on this continental vision, the apex bank’s governor outlined how Nigeria’s regulatory and supervisory reforms exemplified proactive leadership.

He recalled that in 2024, the CBN anticipated upcoming challenges and launched the Banking Sector Recapitalisation Programme to strengthen the resilience of Nigerian banks.

This proactive policy, he noted, inspired similar reforms across Africa, adding that Nigerian banks, despite navigating subsidy removals and exchange rate reforms, attracted ₦4.61 trillion in new capital, nearly 27 per cent from foreign investors, while even expanding their footprint across African markets.

Cardoso reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to robust corporate governance, emphasising decisive measures such as ending years of regulatory leniency and restricting banking services to chronic defaulters.

“Our stance on corporate governance is unequivocal: zero tolerance for violations. By ending years of regulatory forbearance, we have reinforced accountability, tightened supervision, and elevated compliance standards across the sector,” he declared.

“In line with this, we have implemented a restriction of banking services to non‑performing large‑ticket obligors. This decisive step underscores our commitment to credit discipline, financial integrity, and accountability.

“By curbing access to banking services for chronic defaulters, we are reinforcing the culture of repayment, protecting depositors, and safeguarding the stability of the financial system,” Cardoso added.

On the policy front, he reiterated that the CBN remains firmly anchored in orthodox monetary policy, focused on restoring price stability, strengthening policy credibility, and anchoring expectations through discipline and consistency.

Speaking further on the transformative role of financial technology, the governor outlined the bank’s deliberate strategy to engage and regulate Fintechs in a way that balances innovation with stability.

He said the CBN’s Fintech Policy Report and structural reforms were part of ongoing efforts to build supervisory capacity for a fast-evolving digital financial ecosystem.

Cardoso stated that the forum should continue to serve as a platform for collective learning and action, where regulators can analyse shared challenges, exchange insights, and develop a cohesive African response to global financial trends.

He visualised a future where collaboration among African regulators becomes the continent’s strongest defence and greatest asset, transforming its financial systems into catalysts for sustainable growth and development.

In his opening remarks, the Director, IMF/AFRITAC West 2, Ivohasina Fizara Razafimahefa, said the gathering served as a platform for open dialogue between staff of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and national financial regulators, enabling the sharing of practical experience, technical insights, and policy innovations across participating countries.

According to him, the forum concentrated on emerging and rapidly evolving risks affecting financial stability, noting that this year’s discussions centred on collective strategies to tackle challenges arising from digital finance, fintech expansion, artificial intelligence (AI), and climate-related financial risks.

These issues, he observed, would demand regional coordination, proactive regulation, and ongoing dialogue among stakeholders to protect the resilience of Africa’s financial systems.

The IMF AFRITAC West 2 High-Level Executive Forum, which attracted senior representatives, including Central Bank Deputy Governors, from six member countries, reaffirmed its commitment to collaboration and shared learning in addressing the region’s evolving financial stability challenges.

As International Women’s Day [IWD] draws near, Wema Bank, Nigeria’s oldest indigenous bank, most innovative and pioneer of Africa’s first fully digital bank, ALAT, has announced its 2026 IWD Grand Event, scheduled to hold on March 4th, 2026.

Inspired by the global IWD 2026 theme “Give To Gain”, Wema Bank’s 2026 IWD event is centred on the topic “When Women Gain, We Grow”, spotlighting not only the importance of giving to women but also the impact of each effort towards this cause, with the ultimate goal of promoting a culture of supporting and celebrating women.

Announcing the event, Wema Bank’s MD/CEO, Moruf Oseni, reiterated the Bank’s commitment to continue pulling its weight in the promotion of women inclusion. According to him, “Wema Bank has never been one to pay lip service and when it comes to gender inclusion; we walk the talk with pride. A society where women are left out is one that is crippled, and as a Bank, we have made it a priority to never relent in providing tailored opportunities for women, celebrating their growth and supporting their journey, towards building a society where every woman can thrive. This was the idea behind the launch of our women-focused proposition, SARA by Wema, in 2019 and this is the inspiration behind all we do as a Bank towards promoting the 5th Sustainable Development Goal [SDG], gender equality”.

“This year’s IWD theme is quite personal to us because as a Bank that continues to give to women, we have seen firsthand the unique potential that lies within women both personally and professionally. As such, we have decided to dedicate this year’s celebration towards reminding the world of the countless ways we can give to women, and why it is not merely an option but a necessity. This year for us, is about impact—spotlighting, celebrating and encouraging it. Our goal is for every person that joins us for this grand event to be positively transformed in mindset and in action, in the hope that more priority will be given to supporting and giving to women both in the little things we do on a daily basis and in the large-scale efforts; as we collectively bridge the gap in gender equality”, Oseni concluded.

Wema Bank’s 2026 IWD event will convene top women across diverse industries and sectors, as well as “everyday” women still trying to navigate life in the face of prevailing realities, providing a platform for women from all walks of life to network, share valuable insights, access viable opportunities and assess shared versus contrasting realities, all towards showcasing how much impact is generated when individuals, institutions and societies give to women.

Among the highlights of Wema Bank’s upcoming IWD event are the SARA Gives to Empower Her Award which promises grants in support of women who have given and made impact on other women; the employee-focused He For She Award which recognises male employees of the Bank who have given to women beyond financial support; the Wema Knight Gives initiative through which the Bank’s staff will give back to women across Nigeria; and the launch of the Wema Bank Girl Child Journal, a reflective journal that collates real-life insights and words of advice for the girl-child from the perspectives of 80 key contributors across different spheres of life.

Anyone interested in attending the event physically or virtually is encouraged to register at wemabank.com/iwd.

Following the launch of “ALAT: The Evolution”, Wema Bank, Nigeria’s oldest indigenous bank, most innovative and pioneer of Africa’s first fully digital bank, ALAT, has launched its 2026 Valentine’s campaign tagged “Evolution of Love, powered by Wema Bank”.

Inspired by the “evolution” theme of its upgraded ALAT app, Wema Bank launched the “Evolution of Love” campaign with the goal of celebrating different forms of love experienced by customers, and how they have evolved over time. From self-love to friendship, romantic love to family, this campaign introduces a fresh twist to Valentine’s, decentralising romantic love and creating a space for every Wema Bank customer this season of love.

“Evolution of Love, powered by Wema Bank” calls on new and existing Wema Bank customers across 4 categories: Singles [self-love], friends [friendship], married couples and those getting married this February [romantic love]. While the gifts vary across each category, the requirement is the same—create a Love Goal on the ALAT App and submit a 1-minute video on any social media platform sharing how your love journey has evolved over the years, for access to gifts ranging from cash to spa vouchers, vacations and expense-paid getaways, and for one couple getting married in February, a special performance at the wedding from a celebrity artiste, courtesy of Wema Bank.

Announcing the campaign, Wema Bank’s MD/CEO, Moruf Oseni, gave further insights into the Bank’s approach to celebrating Valentine’s this year. According to him, “Love is central to the delivery of true customer-centric service, and as a Bank that prides itself on being customer-centric, this is reflected in the thought, intentionality and commitment we put into all we do at Wema Bank. It has always been clear how much we care about our customers and this year, we decided to celebrate the journey of love across different categories that reflect the different experiences and realities of our customers, from friends and couples who have grown together over the years to lovers taking the bold step of marriage and even singles because self-love is crucial”.

“This Valentine’s, we chose to acknowledge the beauty of every love journey, and we are inviting all new and existing customers who have a story to share. For the friends and singles, our goal is to promote true friendship and self-love. For families and married couples, our goal is to strengthen bonds by reminding them of how far they have come. For those intending to get married, we are adding one more memorable touch to their wedding with a special artiste performance. Our ultimate goal is for every Wema Bank customer to feel loved this season and beyond,” Oseni concluded.

Anyone interested in submitting their entry is encouraged to make a 1-minute video sharing their love journey and where applicable, feature the person with whom their love has evolved. All submissions are to be posted on any social media platforms using #ALATEvolutionofLove and tagging @alat_ng and @wemabank.

To be eligible, customers are expected to activate SAW, the Voice Banking virtual assistant on the upgraded ALAT App, create a personal or group goal on the app with the name “Love Goal”, fund the goal and transact with their ALAT/Wema card between February 1st – February 10th.

More details on qualification criteria are available at wemabank.com/love