The Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, CIBN has declared its support for the Foreign Exchange, FOREX unification by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, saying the policy is yielding dividend.
President of the institute, Ken Opara, who is also Chairman of Council, made the declaration at the 2023 Lagos Bankers’ Nite, with the theme: “Exchange Rate Unification: Global Implications For Households, Organisations and The Country.”
Opara debunked information making the rounds that the institute is not in support of the foreign exchange rate unification.
Applauding the reforms, Opara noted that the efforts of the apex bank in the area of the unification of the exchange rates and other measures basically taken to ensure the true discovery of the naira, were yielding dividend.
“The efforts of the CBN is yielding dividend, we can see that the rate between the naira and the dollar is already coming down, which means it’s well thought out. It’s a good initiative. It could be a pain for now, at the end of the day it’s a market driven one. As a banking community and as consumers, we have always advocated for a free market, that allows the interplay of supply and demand”, Opara said.
He pointed out that the Nigeria banking industry is solid, stable and efficient, urging Nigerians to cherish what they have.
“The CIBN totally supports the reforms as it relates to the unification of the exchange rate and other measures basically taken to ensure the true discoveries of the naira to ensure that foreign investors come. In a market driven economy people look at it transparently and take decisions.
“We will continue to make contributions and suggestions as it relates to what we need to do to support the country as the conscience of the industry. We played this role well when the country was faced with challenges and we will continue because we believe that our banking industry is solid, stable and efficient”, he added.
On the payment system, he noted that Nigeria has the best all over the world.
His words, “That is the system where you can consummate transactions on an online real time business. So, we should cherish what we have.”
On his part, the guest speaker, Dr. Biodun Adedipe, founder and Chief Consultant, B. Associates Limited advised that to boost the economy, more attention should be given to strengthening the domestic manufacturing, export and also anchor the economy around either a sector or an activity.
He cited countries like Indonesia, Dubai, Germany, Russia, China and so many others, that anchored their economy around a particular sector or product or activity and are thriving.
“So when you do that, it means all your effort in terms of investment in infrastructure, incentives of all manners will be anchored on that activity or sector. So, that is when you deepen activities locally, you attract investors or visitors from other countries of the world and then they come here, they spend their money and buy what you produce”, Adedipe said.
On the major sectors that Nigeria can deepen activities in, Adedipe listed real estate, agriculture, among others sectors noting that the country’s ranking in terms of GDP has dropped because the naira has been losing value.
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