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Editorial Focus: Mid-Tier Banks Under Pressure to Prove Stability
Nigeria’s Tier-2 banks are facing one of their most defining moments since consolidation, as regulatory scrutiny intensifies ahead of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s 2026 recapitalisation deadline. Institutions such as Wema Bank, Sterling Financial Holdings, and FCMB are struggling to balance investor confidence, liquidity management, and compliance transparency.
While FCMB’s profit growth offers a glimpse of resilience, delayed financial disclosures and ongoing CBN forbearance over legacy loans signal deeper governance concerns. Similarly, Wema’s rapid expansion, though fueling market optimism, raises questions about sustainability amid tightening liquidity conditions. Sterling’s funding structure, heavily skewed toward short-term instruments, also warrants close observation.
For regulators, the coming months will test not just capital adequacy but institutional credibility. For the banks, survival will depend on timely disclosures, disciplined risk management, and the ability to attract long-term investors. As the recapitalisation race accelerates, transparency—not expansion—will define which mid-tier lenders earn the market’s trust. (176 words)