The outcome of the gathering of the central bank of Nigeria's Monetary Policy Committee which takes place on Monday and Tuesday this week is not particularly expected to present any surprises to economic analysts, especially in the face of concerns over the current twists and turns in the nation’s economy and the need for the committee to thread the delicate path of pro-growth and anti-inflationary policies.
The MPC will be meeting for the 279th time amid several economic realities bedevilling the Nigerian economy.

The consumer Price index report for the month of April 2021 expected to be released this Monday by the National Bureau of Statistics, analysts at Afrinvest Securities have projected that inflation will remain negative in the short-to-medium-term owing to the poor weather condition alongside the farmer-herder crisis, which they say will worsen harvests from the farm in 2021 as the pro-growth focus of the Central Bank of Nigeria continues to drive increased money supply in the economy, thus escalating the rate of inflation in the near term.

The consumer Price index report for the month of April 2021 expected to be
released this Monday by the National Bureau of Statistics, analysts at Afrinvest Securities have projected that inflation will remain negative in the short-to medium term owing to the poor weather condition alongside the farmer-herder crisis, which they say will worsen harvests from the farm in 2021 as the pro-growth focus of the Central Bank of Nigeria continues to drive increased money supply in the economy,thus escalating the rate of inflation in the near term.

Access Bank and Zenith Bank, two of Nigeria’s leading Tier-1 banks, the former with a recent aggressive foray into the continent with a large acquisitive appetite, are believed to be sitting pretty at the table of talks that majority shareholder in Union Bank, the Bob Diamond controlled Atlas Mara, is intensifying efforts to sell its majority 49.97 per cent stake in the old horse.Union Bank was once one of the three or four musketeers of Nigerian banking, popularly referred to as the old generation banks; the others being First Bank of Nigeria; United Bank for Africa and Afribank. hey were the golden behemoths of the industry with government controlling stakes and came to truly represent the meaning of too big to fail in those days, until the government sold controlling shares through a privatisation exercise.Analysts say, following privatisation, rounds of banking consolidation and the global and local financial crises of 2007-2009, while its peers moved swiftly to reposition themselves in the financial services industry.

Access Bank and Zenith Bank, two of Nigeria’s leading Tier-1 banks, the former with a recent aggressive foray into the continent with a large acquisitive appetite, are believed to be sitting pretty at the table of talks that majority shareholder in Union Bank, the Bob Diamond controlled Atlas Mara, is intensifying efforts to sell its majority 49.97 per cent stake in the old horse.
Union Bank was once one of the three or four musketeers of Nigerian banking, popularly referred to as the old generation banks; the others being First Bank of Nigeria; United Bank for Africa and Afribank. hey were the golden behemoths of the industry with government controlling stakes and came to truly represent the meaning of too big to fail in those days, until the government sold controlling shares through a privatisation exercise.
Analysts say, following privatisation, rounds of banking consolidation and the global and local financial crises of 2007-2009, while its peers moved swiftly to reposition themselves in the financial services industry.

Nigeria and other countries in Africa offer enormous opportunities if they embark on green growth which is investing in climate-smart crops to build more resilient food systems, climate-resilient infrastructure, and energy transition. The African Development Bank in an optimistic note of enormous opportunities inherent in green growth in Africa’s recovery pathway from its first recession in 25 years, energy, agriculture, and infrastructure are key areas of investment potential for a post-Covid-19 recovery in Africa.AfDB President, Akinwumi Adesina says with abundant solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal energy resources, Africa’s energy transition alone presents a $100 billion per year investment opportunity. He says Agriculture potentially offers massive investments in climate-smart crops to build more resilient food systems and climate-resilient infrastructure offers investment potential of between $130 billion and $170 billion.

Nigeria and other countries in Africa offer enormous opportunities if they embark
on green growth which is investing in climate-smart crops to build more resilient food systems, climate-resilient infrastructure and energy transition.
The African Development Bank in an optimistic note of enormous opportunities inherent in green growth in Africa’s recovery pathway from its first recession in 25 years, energy, agriculture and infrastructure are key areas of investment potential for a post-Covid-19 recovery in Africa.
AfDB President, Akinwumi Adesina says with abundant solar, wind, hydro and geothermal energy resources, Africa’s energy transition alone presents a $100 billion per year investment opportunity.
He says Agriculture potentially offers massive investments in climate-smart crops to build more resilient food systems and climate-resilient infrastructure offers investment potential of between $130 billion and $170 billion.

Although the non-performing loans ratio of Nigerian banks stands at 6.3 percent, above the prudential benchmark of five percent, Moody’s Investors Service has asserted that banks in Nigeria, as well as those in South Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo, stand exposed to high risks environment as a result of their rising loan portfolios or their continuous lending to environmentally sensitive sectors. It says they are also vulnerable through outsized holdings of government bonds. In a research study by the international agency on Africa’s financial institutions, Moody’s highlighted that African economies have always been susceptible to environmental risk but that climate change makes shocks more frequent and more severe. For African banks, it stated, disclosure of the risks they face and management of those risks are not yet well advanced.

Although the non-performing loans ratio of Nigerian banks stands at 6.3 per cent, above the prudential benchmark of five per cent,
Moody’s Investors Service has asserted that banks in Nigeria, as well as those in South Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo, stand exposed to high risks environment as a result of their rising loan portfolios or their continuous lending to environmentally sensitive sectors. It says they are also vulnerable through outsized holdings of government bonds.
In a research study by the international agency on Africa’s financial institutions,
Moody’s highlighted that African economies have always been susceptible to environmental risk but that climate change makes shocks more frequent and more severe. For African banks, it stated, disclosure of the risks they face and management of those risks are not yet well advanced

Analysts sampled by Business A.M. have maintained that Nigeria's economic recovery will be moderate as it continues to embrace the new normal despite the country posting an 8-year historical 9.7 per cent quarter on quarter growth in its gross domestic product$443 billion in real terms, which helped to place the country’s GDP growth as the best in the world ahead of China (2.6%), Japan (3%), USA (4%) and Columbia (6%).