Nigerian borrowing falls by N780bn as interest costs soar

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Outstanding consumer credit in Nigeria fell by N780bn in one month to N3.03tn in February 2026, as high borrowing costs continued to weigh on household demand for loans despite improving macroeconomic conditions.

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The decline was contained in the Central Bank of Nigeria’s February 2026 Economic Report, obtained from the apex bank’s website on Friday, which showed that consumer credit dropped from N3.81tn in January to N3.03tn in February, driven by reductions in both personal and retail loans.

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The report, however, indicated that credit to the broader economy continued to expand during the review period. According to the CBN, “Total credit to the economy increased by 0.82 per cent to N57.88tn at end-February 2026, from N57.41tn in the preceding month, mirroring the gradual improvement in monetary conditions.”

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The apex bank noted that lending growth was largely driven by productive sectors of the economy. It stated, “The growth was broad-based, as indicated by increases in credit to the agriculture (2.70 per cent), industry (1.05 per cent), and services (0.46 per cent) sectors. The services sector maintained dominance, accounting for 56.78 per cent of total credit, followed by industry (36.64 per cent) and agriculture (6.58 per cent) sectors.”

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The contraction in consumer credit came even as monetary conditions showed signs of easing. The report said, “Monetary conditions eased in February, following the relaxation of the policy rate amid cooling inflation, with money supply (M3) declining for the second consecutive month.”

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Despite the moderation in monetary conditions, lending rates remained relatively high, limiting the appetite for household borrowing. The CBN also reported stronger liquidity across the banking system during the month.

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It stated, “The average liquidity in the banking system stood at N3.08tn, a 23.69 per cent increase from N2.49tn in January, driven largely by fiscal injections and maturing Nigerian Treasury Bills and Federal Government of Nigeria Bonds.”

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The report showed that the domestic economy continued to strengthen in February, supported by improved business activity and rising confidence. Business activity, measured by the composite Purchasing Managers’ Index, rose to 56.40 in February from 55.70 in January, signalling a faster pace of expansion across the industry, services and agriculture sectors.

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According to the report, “The expansion was driven by sustained activity in industry, services, and agriculture, underscoring stronger business sentiment and rising consumer confidence.”

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The CBN also said inflationary pressures continued to ease during the month. It stated, “The disinflationary trend in the economy was sustained in February, driven by prevailing monetary policy stance and stability in the foreign exchange market.”

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Headline inflation slowed marginally to 15.06 per cent in February from 15.10 per cent in January, although month-on-month inflation increased to 2.01 per cent from a contraction of 2.88 per cent in January due to higher energy costs and increased food demand associated with the Ramadan period.

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The report further showed that the banking sector remained stable during the review period, with key prudential indicators staying within regulatory thresholds, while stronger investor confidence, improved corporate earnings, rising foreign reserves and higher capital inflows supported broader economic activity.

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At the end of the 305th meeting of the CBN’s Monetary Policy Committee, the CBN Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, said credit to SMEs had begun to improve. According to him, new credit to the SME sector rose to about N199bn in April 2026 from N153bn in March, particularly at the retail end of the market. He said the general category accounted for 94.73 per cent of new credit facilities, while general commerce accounted for 2.46 per cent.

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He added that SME credit was not the sole responsibility of the CBN, noting that the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, the Bank of Industry, and fiscal authorities also had roles to play. The apex bank, he said, would act more as a catalyst by improving the lending ecosystem.

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This was as the MPC retained the benchmark interest rate at 26.5 per cent, citing rising external risks, renewed inflationary pressure, and the need to sustain exchange rate stability.

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The decision came after Nigeria’s headline inflation rose for the second consecutive month to 15.69 per cent in April 2026 from 15.38 per cent in March, according to a Consumer Price Index report released by the National Bureau of Statistics.

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Food inflation also increased to 16.06 per cent in April from 14.31 per cent in March, reflecting higher transportation and logistics costs as well as seasonal pressures, while core inflation moderated to 15.86 per cent from 16.21 per cent.

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However, the President of the Association of Small Business Owners of Nigeria, Dr Femi Egbesola, faulted the MPC decision and called for a reduction in rates at the next MPC meeting.

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“Many of us were very hopeful that the interest rate would come down. We believe that lowering the interest rate will go a long way to support more access to funding for SMEs and will also make it more affordable,” Egbesola said.

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He said the retention would worsen the challenges facing businesses and households already struggling with rising energy costs and inflation.

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