Nigeria has called for stronger deposit insurance systems, greater public awareness and enhanced crisis preparedness across Africa to protect depositors, strengthen confidence in financial institutions and safeguard the continent’s financial stability.
The call was made on Tuesday at the opening of the 2026 International Association of Deposit Insurers (IADI) Africa Regional Committee (ARC) Annual Meeting and Workshop in Abuja, where government officials, financial regulators and deposit insurance experts gathered to discuss strategies for building more resilient financial systems.
Opening the workshop, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, said financial stability remains the bedrock of economic growth, stressing that no economy can thrive without public confidence in its banking system.
Speaking on the theme, “Safeguarding Stability: Public Awareness and Crisis Readiness for a Stronger Future,” Oyedele described deposit insurance as more than a mechanism for compensating depositors after bank failures, saying it has become a strategic tool for preventing financial panic and maintaining economic confidence.
“Public trust is fragile. In the digital age, rumours and misinformation can spread across social platforms in seconds, creating liquidity shocks even for solvent institutions. Building public awareness is not a public relations exercise but a core risk-mitigation strategy,” he said.
The minister said crisis preparedness must become an institutional culture rather than a reaction to emergencies, noting that effective coordination among finance ministries, central banks, deposit insurers and other regulators is essential to ensuring depositors retain confidence during periods of uncertainty.
Highlighting Nigeria’s financial sector reforms under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, Oyedele cited the successful completion of the banking sector recapitalisation exercise in March 2026, with 33 of the country’s 37 banks meeting the new capital requirements and raising ₦4.65 trillion in fresh capital, most of it from domestic investors.
He also noted Nigeria’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list in October 2025 after extensive reforms to strengthen anti-money laundering and financial transparency frameworks.
According to him, stronger banks and improved regulatory credibility reduce pressure on deposit insurance funds while boosting investor and depositor confidence.
Earlier, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), Mr. Thompson Oludare Sunday welcomed delegates from across Africa and beyond, describing the workshop as an important platform for strengthening depositor protection and promoting international best practices.
He said rapid advances in financial technology, artificial intelligence and cross-border financial services present new opportunities for inclusion but also expose financial systems to emerging risks that require coordinated responses.
The NDIC boss warned that confidence, the most valuable asset in any financial system, can be destroyed within days if uncertainty is allowed to spread unchecked.
Drawing lessons from the global banking turmoil of 2023, he said financial crises can emerge unexpectedly and spread rapidly through digital platforms and social media, making institutional readiness, crisis simulations and coordinated communication more important than ever.
He said the NDIC has continued to strengthen depositor reimbursement systems, public awareness campaigns and crisis management capabilities while working closely with the Federal Ministry of Finance, the Central Bank of Nigeria and other financial safety-net institutions.
He also described the IADI Africa Regional Committee as a vital platform for peer learning, technical cooperation and policy dialogue, noting that Africa’s increasingly interconnected financial systems require stronger cross-border collaboration.
Also speaking, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and Other Financial Institutions, Senator Mukhail Adetokunbo Abiru, said effective financial stability depends on strong legislation, sound regulation and sustained public confidence.
Abiru highlighted the evolution of the NDIC through successive legislative reforms and pledged continued support from the National Assembly to strengthen the corporation’s legal framework, operational independence and accountability.
He also warned that misinformation on social media could trigger panic withdrawals and bank runs, making financial literacy and public awareness indispensable components of financial stability.
Representing the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Solaja Mohammed-Jamiu Olayemi, director, Other Financial Institutions Supervision Department represented the CBN Governor reaffirmed the apex bank’s commitment to strengthening the resilience of Nigeria’s financial system through banking reforms, improved governance, consumer protection and financial inclusion.
The official said the banking recapitalisation programme has significantly strengthened the financial system by improving banks’ ability to absorb shocks, reducing the likelihood of institutional failures and reinforcing depositor confidence.
He added that rapid growth in digital financial services requires regulators to continuously strengthen operational resilience, cybersecurity and crisis management frameworks to protect consumers and maintain stability.
Participants at the workshop are expected to examine practical strategies for improving public awareness, crisis communication, institutional preparedness and coordinated responses to financial crises, with a view to strengthening depositor protection and financial stability across Africa.
