CBN Says Non-Interest Financial Institutions Are Key to Nigeria’s Growth

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has reiterated that non-interest financial institutions (NIFIs) remain a key part of the country’s financial architecture, calling their expanding footprint a more strategic route for ethics-driven alternatives to conventional banking. The bank also used an interactive meeting involving senior regulatory and advisory bodies linked to both conventional oversight and Shariah-based finance to stress the need for stronger governance, clearer regulation, and tighter risk controls across the non-interest sector.

CBN renews focus on Shariah governance and risk controls

1. The CBN said NIFIs continue to take on a growing role in Nigeria’s financial system by offering ethical financing options within a Shariah framework.
2. At an interactive session between the CBN Financial Regulation Advisory Council of Experts (FRACE) and the Advisory Committees of Experts (ACE) of NIFIs, the apex bank reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening Shariah governance, regulatory guidance, and risk management within non-interest financial services.
3. In remarks delivered at the meeting, the Deputy Governor for Financial System Stability, Philip Ikeazor, described the forum as a strategic platform for improving the credibility, resilience, and overall soundness of Nigeria’s non-interest financial services industry.
4. Ikeazor said the engagement builds on discussions from the inaugural session and reflects the CBN’s ongoing determination to support a non-interest financial system grounded in effective governance, workable compliance, and conservative risk management practices.
5. The deputy governor cautioned that as the sector expands—becoming larger, more sophisticated, and more tightly connected to other parts of the financial system—it faces risks that require special attention, including non-compliance risk, governance shortcomings, operational fragility, and technology-related threats.
6. He warned that unmanaged risks could weaken public trust, affect financial stability, and erode confidence in the broader non-interest finance ecosystem.
7. Ikeazor said the goals of the session include institutionalising and ensuring the effective functioning of a robust Shariah governance system in NIFIs, while also creating a structured channel for dialogue, learning, and cooperation among stakeholders.
8. Opening the discussion, the Deputy Chairman of FRACE, Prof. Bashir Aliyu Umar, said the interactive meeting is designed to strengthen governance in the sub-sector and promote constructive engagement between the CBN’s FRACE and the ACEs attached to NIFIs.
9. Umar praised CBN management for restarting the interactive session, noting that the process was first introduced in 2014.
10. In her welcome remarks, Dr. Rita Ijeoma Sike, Director of the Financial Policy and Regulation Department, reaffirmed that the bank remains committed to developing a non-interest financial services industry that is credible, strongly governed, and resilient.
11. Sike added that the rapid diversification of products, institutions, and delivery channels—especially as Islamic fintech gains ground—makes ongoing dialogue, careful regulatory supervision, and meaningful advisory input from both scholars and practitioners increasingly necessary.