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Nigeria’s apex bank bans fintechs, banks from international forex transfer services

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Banks and financial technology businesses (fintechs) are no longer permitted to carry out foreign currency transfer services, according to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The directive was made in the updated guidelines for International Money Transfer Operations (IMTO).

“All banks are prohibited from operating International Money Transfer services but can act as agents… Also, Financial Technology Companies are not allowed to obtain approval for IMTO.”

“The provisions of BOFIA 2020 on the prohibition of employment of certain persons in banks shall also apply to IMTOS,” the directive stated.

The document states that in order for an IMTO to conduct business in Nigeria, they must provide the Director of the Trade and Exchange Department with the following documentation in addition to an application:

“A non-refundable application fee of N10,000,000.00 (Ten Million Naira only) or such other amount that the Bank may specify from time to time, payable to the CBN through electronic transfer or bank draft.

“Approval to operate in other jurisdictions or agency agreements (for all IMTOs).

“Evidence of tax clearance and incorporation documents in Nigeria (for indigenous IMTOS) to include Memorandum and Articles of Association (Certified True Copy), of which the primary object clause shall indicate provision of money transfer services.”

The CBN emphasises how crucial it is to follow these rules to the letter. The top bank says non-compliance will not be accepted and has threatened to immediately punish defaulters. This approach highlights the CBN’s desperation to rein in the naira, which is in free fall.

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Nigeria wants managers for proposed $10 billion diaspora fund

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A tender paper shows that Nigeria is looking for fund managers for a $10 billion diaspora fund to bring in dollars and foreign investment for the economy.

The fund wants to pool the billions of dollars that its people send back to the country every month so that they can be used for local investments in things like healthcare, education, and infrastructure.

The World Bank says that Nigeria got more than $20 billion in payments from people living outside of Nigeria last year.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade in Nigeria said in a public post that it was looking for “fund managers for the development and establishment of a multisectoral, multilateral private sector-led investment fund to form the $10 billion Nigeria Diaspora Fund.”

The tender paper said that the fund manager’s job is to plan and set up the fund’s legal, operational, financial, and administrative structures.

The investment is intended to last for three to five years, and then more money will be put in after that. The government said the fund would last for 10 years and could be used for an extra two years.

The trade ministry’s tender said that people who want to run the fund must have done business in Nigeria in the last five years and must have a track record of raising money and running big, profitable venture capital funds.

Anglo-American turned down BHP Group’s $39 billion takeover offer on Friday, saying it was way too low for the London-listed company and its future.

In a statement, Minister of Industry and Trade Doris Anite said that it was a “once-in-a-lifetime chance for our citizens in the diaspora to drive Nigeria’s economic growth.”

The naira is under pressure because of a lack of foreign currency because of lower crude oil exports. This has led companies and people to buy dollars on the black market.

Nigeria is going to issue migrant bonds later this year to bring in even more foreign currency.

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World Bank grants Malawi $57.6 million for food crisis

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As a response to its food crisis, the World Bank said on Friday that it would give Malawi $57.6 million in “quick release” grants.

“This support comes in the context of the severe food crisis the country is suffering due to El Niño conditions in the wider southern Africa region,” the World Bank said in a statement.

“A series of intense disaster events over the last few years has left almost no time for the country to recover and has resulted in a severe erosion of food security at the national level.”

Malawi is one of the least developed countries in the world. It is ranked 170 out of 187 countries in the 2010 Human Development Index. Almost 16 million people live there, and 90% of them make less than $2 a day. That’s 53% of the total population.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says that 46,000 children in Malawi are seriously malnourished. In 2023, UNICEF said that more than 500,000 Malawian children were at risk of not getting enough food.

Now, Malawi has a lot of programs in place to deal with things like poverty, and climate change, and to make the business and agriculture more diverse.

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