Economy

CBN extends suspension of cash deposit fees to march 2025

Published

3 months ago

October 21, 2024

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has once again extended the suspension of processing fees on cash deposits above N500,000 for individuals and N3,000,000 for corporates until March 31st, 2025.

This latest decision allows individuals and corporate entities to continue depositing cash exceeding these thresholds without incurring additional charges until the end of the first quarter of next year.

Banks across Nigeria have started sending out notifications to their customers, informing them of the extended grace period. This is a continuation of the CBN’s efforts to ease the burden of transaction costs on large cash deposits, initially announced earlier this year.

The suspension of fees on large cash deposits dates back to May 2024 when the CBN announced that it was halting the application of the charges outlined in its “Guide to Charges by Banks, Other Financial Institutions and Non-Bank Financial Institutions,” originally issued in December 2019.

The processing fees, set at 2 percent for individual accounts and 3 percent for corporate accounts, were previously applied to any cash deposits exceeding N500,000 and N3,000,000, respectively.

However, after briefly reinstating these charges on May 1st, 2024, some confusion arose among bank customers, who were suddenly faced with fees on their large deposits. In response, the CBN swiftly issued a new circular on May 6th, 2024.

Signed by Adetona Adedeji, Director of Banking Supervision, the circular confirmed the suspension of these fees until September 30th, 2024, a timeline that has now been extended to March 31st, 2025.

Impact of the Fee Suspension

The CBN’s decision to extend the suspension has come at a critical time for Nigeria’s banking sector. The extension of the fee suspension is widely seen as a move to encourage customers to continue depositing large sums of cash into the banking system, thereby boosting liquidity.

In line with this, banks have urged their customers to take advantage of the extended suspension. Depositors who exceed the N500,000 threshold for individuals or the N3,000,000 threshold for corporate accounts will continue to avoid the 2 percent and 3 percent processing fees previously levied on such transactions. This is expected to provide a significant relief for large depositors and encourage them to keep their funds within the formal banking system.

The decision to extend the suspension comes against the backdrop of Nigeria’s ongoing economic reforms. The CBN has been working to stabilize the financial system amid inflationary pressures, exchange rate fluctuations, and other macroeconomic challenges.

By maintaining this suspension, the CBN aims to sustain confidence in the banking sector, ensuring that both individual and corporate customers feel secure in depositing their funds without incurring additional costs.

The move is also part of broader efforts to promote financial inclusion and digital transactions. By eliminating fees on large cash deposits, the CBN hopes to encourage more Nigerians to embrace the formal banking sector, reducing the reliance on cash-based transactions.

Economy

Customs exceeds 2024 target, rakes in N71.6bn

Published

9 hours ago

January 12, 2025

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, Murtala Muhammed International Airport Command, says it surpassed its revenue target for 2024, raking in a total of N71.6 billion.

The Customs Area Controller, CAC, Effiong Harrison, disclosed this in a statement on Friday, saying that its target for 2024 was N56.861 billion.

Harrison expressed delight over the record-breaking revenue achieved by the command.

The Customs Area Controller described the 2024 revenue as unprecedented, noting that it was the highest-ever generated in the history of the command.

“A detailed breakdown of the revenue underscores the remarkable achievement of the command in revenue generation.

“During a meeting with his management team, the area controller revealed that the command had exceeded its annual revenue target of N56,861,094,269.07 by generating N71,633,687,108.84.

“This represents a 20 per cent increase, amounting to N14,772,592,839.27,” he said.

According to him, July 2024, in particular, was a standout month, with the command recording its highest-ever monthly revenue of N12 billion.

Harrison, while comparing the command’s performance in 2023 and 2024, noted a significant revenue increase of N41.1 billion in 2024 when compared to the N30.5 billion generated in 2023, reflecting a 135 per cent growth.

He expressed profound gratitude to the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, and his management team for their unwavering support to the command.

Harrison extended appreciation to critical stakeholders and other government agencies, acknowledging them as invaluable partners in the command’s success in 2024.

He expressed optimism that the command would achieve even greater milestones in fulfilling its core mandates in 2025.

Economy

TikTok To Shut Down On January 19, Gives Reason

Published

1 day ago

January 11, 2025

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

TikTok has officially announced plans to cease its operations in the United States by January 19, 2025.

“Absent such relief, the Act will take effect on January 19, 2025,” TikTok said in a Dec. 9 legal filing. “That would shut down TikTok—one of the Nation’s most popular speech platforms for its more than 170 million domestic monthly users on the eve of a presidential inauguration.”

Last year, President Joe Biden signed into law, a legislation to remove TikTok from U.S. app stores and prohibit internet providers across the nation from allowing access to the platform if ByteDance cannot sell to an American company by Jan. 19.

The legislation was put in place amid concerns of China possibly using TikTok to spy on U.S. residents.

In response, TikTok filed an emergency motion for an injunction to stop the ban from taking effect, arguing that it violates the First Amendment and will generate “substantial losses,” per legal documents.

The Supreme Court is slated to hear oral arguments on Jan. 10 over whether or not the law should be upheld.

Meanwhile, several entrepreneurs have launched a bid to purchase TikTok, including Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary.

“This isn’t just about buying TikTok’s U.S. assets,” he wrote in a Jan. 6 message on X, formerly Twitter. “It’s about something much bigger: protecting the privacy of 170 million American users.”

O’Leary continued, “It’s about empowering creators and small businesses. And it’s about building a platform that prioritizes PEOPLE over algorithms. TikTok has immense potential, not just as a tool for creators but as a driver of meaningful economic and social impact.”

However, O’Leary said he’ll likely need an assist from President-elect Donald Trump, who will be sworn into office on Jan. 20.

“Trump will be who we have to work with to close the deal in the months ahead,” he explained during a Jan. 6 appearance on Fox News’ The Story with Martha MacCallum, per The Wrap. “So, I wanted to let him know—as well as others in his cabinet—that we’re doing this, and we’re going to need their help.”

Economy

SEE Black Market Dollar To Naira Exchange Rate Today 10 January 2025 Can Be Accessed Below

Published

2 days ago

January 10, 2025

Naijablitznews

The official naira black market exchange rate in Nigeria today including the Black Market rates, Bureau De Change (BDC), and CBN rates.

Please note that the exchange rate is subject to hourly fluctuations influenced by the supply and demand of dollars in the market.

As of now, you can purchase 1 dollar at a certain rate now, however, it’s important to remember that the rate can shift (either upwards or downwards) within hours.

What’s the dollar to naira black market today 9 January 2025?
The local currency (abokiFx) opened at ₦1,655.00 per $1 at the parallel market otherwise known as the black market, today, Friday, 10 January 2025, in Lagos Nigeria, after it closed at ₦1,645.00 per $1 on Thursday, 9 January 2025.

Dollar to Naira (USD to NGN) Black Market Exchange Rate Today
Buying Rate ₦1,645
Selling Rate ₦1,655
Please note that Nigeria’s black market dollar-to-naira exchange rate is typically higher than the official exchange rate because the Federal Government does not regulate it. The rates you buy or sell forex may differ from what is captured in this article because prices vary.

What’s the dollar-to-naira CBN exchange rate today?

1 USD = 1547.49 NGN
1 Dollars = 1547.49 Nigerian Naira
The USDNGN rate as of 10 Jan 2025