President Buhari Assents to Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act 2020 (BOFIs)

President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday signed the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act 2020 into law.

In a statement titled “President Buhari Assents to Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act 2020” and released on Friday, Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, said the new law repeals the old Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act 1991 as amended.

He said the new law will enhance the soundness and resilience of the financial system and the nation’s economy.

The statement read, “The BOFI Act 2020 updates the enabling law in response to developments and significant evolution in the financial sector over the last two decades. It will increase the appetite of banks and other financial institutions to channel much-needed credit to the real sector to support economic recovery and promote sustainable growth.

“In this respect, it introduces a credit tribunal to improve loan recovery and address the incidence of high non-performing loans within the financial system, which has been a key deterrent to lending by financial institutions.

“Furthermore, it strengthens the regulatory and supervisory framework for the financial industry and provides additional tools for managing failing institutions and systemic distress to preserve financial stability amongst others. The Central Bank of Nigeria will hold structured engagements with stakeholders across various sectors of the economy on critical aspects of the Act in the coming months.

“This enactment of the BOFI Act 2020 is a historic and significant achievement, which is indicative of effective and productive collaboration between the Executive and Legislature arms of government.”