Business
BREAKING: CBN to mop up dormant accounts, unclaimed balances in banks

BREAKING: CBN to mop up dormant accounts, unclaimed balances in banks
The Central Bank of Nigeria has said that it will mop up all dormant account balances and unclaimed balances in banks into a designated account it has created.
The apex bank said the balances will be invested in government securities and would be returned to the beneficiaries not later than ten days of notice.
This was disclosed in the Exposure draft of the Guidelines on the Management of Dormant Accounts drafted in April 2023.
The document repeals October 7, 2015, Guidelines on the Management of Dormant Accounts and Other Unclaimed Balances by Banks and Other Financial Institutions in Nigeria.
CBN said, “The Central Bank of Nigeria shall open and maintain an account earmarked for the purpose of warehousing unclaimed balances in eligible accounts. The account shall be called “Unclaimed Balances Trust Fund Pool Account”
The apex bank said eligible accounts are dormant accounts balances that have remained with the FIs for a period of 10 years and beyond.
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The eligible accounts and financial assets are: Current, Savings and Term deposits in local currency; Domiciliary accounts; Deposits towards the purchase of shares and Mutual Investments; Prepaid card accounts and wallets; Proceeds of uncleared and unpresented financial instruments belonging to customers or non-customers of FIs; Unclaimed salaries and wages, commissions, and bonuses.
Others are: Proceeds of stale local and/or foreign currency drafts not presented for payment by beneficiaries; Funds received from a correspondent bank without sufficient details as to the rightful beneficiary and/or a recall of funds made to the remitting bank to which the Nigerian bank’s account had not been debited and A judgment debt for which the judgment creditor has not claimed the amount of judgment award.
According to the CBN, Financial Institutions shall treat accounts and financial assets that have become dormant as follows:
“i. Formulate policies for the recognition and management of dormant accounts and financial assets that are consistent with this guideline and other extant regulations; ii. Establish effective controls to ensure surveillance and second-level authorization on reactivation of dormant accounts, among other measures;
“iii. Maintain a register of dormant accounts balances; iv. Transfer balances that have remained in the dormant account register for up to ten years to the ‘UBTF Pool Account; and v. Require customers seeking to reactivate dormant accounts to provide evidence of account ownership, valid means of identification, evidence of the present place of residence, and affidavit on the accuracy of the information to reactivate the account.
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CBN said when it receives the unclaimed balances the apex bank will, “i. Open and maintain the ‘Unclaimed Balances Trust Fund Pool Account’; ii. Maintain records of the beneficiaries of the unclaimed balances warehoused in the UBTF Pool Account; iii. Invest the funds in Nigerian treasury bills (NTBs) and other securities as may be approved by the ‘Unclaimed Balances Management
Committee’;
“iv. Refund the unclaimed funds to the beneficiaries not later than ten (10) working days from the date of receipt of the request. v. Where it is imperative to extend the timeline, a notice of extension shall be communicated to the requesting FI stating reasons for the extension.”
The Central Bank said any bank or financial institution that contravenes any provision of the new guidelines would attract a penalty of not less than N2,000,000.
It added that failure to comply with CBN’s directive in respect of any infraction will attract a further penalty of N200,000 daily until the directive is complied with or as may be determined by CBN.
The Whistler
Business
I’m honoured, excited over World Bank’s appointment – Dangote

I’m honoured, excited over World Bank’s appointment – Dangote
President and CEO of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has expressed gratitude following his appointment to the World Bank’s Private Sector Investment Lab, a global initiative aimed at accelerating private investment and job creation in emerging economies.
In a statement confirming the development, Dangote described the appointment as both an honour and a reflection of his long-standing commitment to economic development through private enterprise.
“I am both honoured and excited to accept my appointment to the World Bank’s Private Sector Investment Lab, dedicated to advancing investment and employment in emerging economies,” Dangote said.
“This opportunity aligns with my long-standing commitment to sustainable development and unlocking the potential of developing economies.”
He referenced the successes of the so-called Asian Tigers, economies that experienced rapid growth through strategic investment, as a source of inspiration for advancing similar outcomes in other parts of the world.
The World Bank announced Dangote’s inclusion on Wednesday as part of a broader expansion of the Lab, which enters a new phase focused on scaling up solutions that attract private capital and generate employment in developing countries.
Other newly appointed members include Bill Anderson, CEO of Bayer AG; Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman of Bharti Enterprises; and Mark Hoplamazian, President and CEO of Hyatt Hotels Corporation.
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World Bank Group President Ajay Banga noted that the expanded membership underscores the institution’s focus on integrating private-sector leadership into its strategy for global job creation.
“With the expanded membership, we are mainstreaming this work across our operations and tying it directly to the jobs agenda that is driving our strategy,” Banga said.
“This isn’t about altruism—it’s about helping the private sector see a path to investments that will deliver returns, and lift people and economies alike. It’s central to our mandate.”
The lab, which was co-chaired in 2023 by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, previously sought to mobilise £1 trillion in sustainable investment, particularly targeting energy transition projects in emerging markets.
Aviation
Air Peace suspends flights nationwide over NiMet strike

Air Peace suspends flights nationwide over NiMet strike
Air Peace has suspended all its flight operations across the country due to the ongoing strike by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet).
The airline said in a statement on Wednesday that it was also suspending operations due to the unavailability of QNH (hazardous weather) reports required for safe landings.
“Due to the ongoing NiMet strike and the unavailability of QNH (hazardous weather) reports required for safe landings, Air Peace has suspended all flight operations nationwide until the strike is over,” Air Peace said.
“Your safety is our top priority. We appreciate your understanding and will share updates as the situation unfolds.”
The airline had earlier announced that the NiMet strike could lead to flight delays and cancellations across its network.
Air Peace added that it was monitoring the situation and working with relevant stakeholders to minimise the impact on customers’ travel plans.
Employees of NiMet commenced a nationwide indefinite strike over welfare issues on Wednesday.
Some of the issues raised involve “NiMet’s refusal to negotiate or implement agreed financial allowances and unresolved entitlements,” including wage awards, peculiar allowances, and outstanding payments from the 2019 minimum wage.
They also accused the management of the agency of withholding important documents, ignoring requests for inclusion of omitted staff in past payments, and neglecting key training programmes in favour of executive retreats.
Business
Nigeria’s gas production increases by 15.6% to 227,931.65 mscf

Nigeria’s gas production increases by 15.6% to 227,931.65 mscf
Nigeria’s gas output has increased 15,6 percent month-on-month, MoM, to 227,931.65 million standard cubic feet, mscf, in March 2025.
But on year-on-year, YoY basis, the nation’s gas output recorded a marginal increase to 227,931.65 mscf in March 2025, from 198,353.62 mscf, recorded in the corresponding period of 2024.
Data obtained from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, NUPRC, Gas Production Status reports indicated that of the total of 227,931.65 mscf produced in March 2025, 119,552.75 mscf was associated while 108,378.90 mscf was non-associated gas.
Associated gas is extracted in the process of producing crude oil while non-associated gas is produced without crude oil after much investment, exploration and development.
The Ministry of Petroleum Resources (Gas), which is directly involved in the development of policies, targeted at increasing investment in the sector said efforts have been made to increase investment and production of gas in Nigeria.
Similarly, in its recent report obtained by Vanguard, the Nigerian LNG Limited stated: “We are fully committed to expanding our operations with the NLNG Train 7 Project, which will boost our production capacity by 35%, increasing from 22 Million Tonnes Per Annum (mtpa) to 30 mtpa. This project underscores our role as a key player in the global LNG market and positions Nigeria as a top-tier supplier of LNG, leveraging its vast proven gas reserves of 202 trillion cubic feet (the 9th largest globally).
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