Nigeria’s deposit cash banks (DMBs) flooded the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) Standing Deposit Facility (SDF) with deposits of N1.6 trillion.
Between October 14 and 17, 2025, banks persistently parked large funds on the apex bank, culminating in a sturdy N1.61 trillion in deposits on Friday, October 17.
Recent knowledge from the CBN’s every day cash market stories present that banks’ placements within the SDF rose steadily over the week, peaking at N1,613,819.61 million (N1.61 trillion) on October 17, in comparison with N1,446,801.35 million (N1.45 trillion) on October 15.
Earlier within the week, the determine stood at N1,476,482.75 million (N1.48 trillion) on October 14, sustaining the upward will increase that started in early October.
As of October 16, 2025 2025, Nigeria’s in a single day lending price (i.e. CBN’s standing lending facility price) stood at 24.88% in response to FMDQ market knowledge, enticing sufficient for banks to dump extra money with the CBN for risk-free returns, a development that endured over the week ended Friday, October 17, 2025, regardless of marginal every day decline in opening balances.
A key contributor to the liquidity surge was the N481.33 billion in OMO repayments on October 14, which injected contemporary money into the monetary system.
Nevertheless, the absence of latest OMO issuances or main market gross sales in subsequent days factors to a deliberate CBN technique to take care of liquidity stability with out aggressive intervention.
Opening balances replicate uneven liquidity distribution
Regardless of the sturdy deposits on the SDF, the Opening Balances of Banks and Low cost Homes fell sharply throughout the noticed interval, pointing to uneven liquidity distribution inside the system.
On October 17, opening balances dipped to N97.45 billion, down from N150.72 billion recorded a day earlier — a 35.3% decline.
Equally, balances fell from N472.75 billion on October 13 to N196.01 billion on October 14, representing a 58.5% plunge.
These swings recommend that whereas just a few giant banks proceed to command ample money reserves, others skilled intermittent funding pressures.
The Standing Lending Facility (SLF), the place banks borrow from the apex bank to satisfy short-term wants, remained largely inactive all through the week, aside from a modest N500 million recorded on October 14.
In the meantime, the Major Market Reimbursement (matured authorities securities) rose sharply from N358.74 million on Thursday, October 16, to N92.89 billion on Friday, October 17, because the authorities settled maturing securities.
Notably, there have been no repo, reverse repo, or rediscounted invoice transactions in the course of the assessment interval, signifying minimal interbank market exercise. This subdued lending urge for food mirrors the cautious tone of the complete banking system.
Cautious optimism amid financial coverage easing
The constant rise in SDF placements underscores a high-liquidity however risk-averse setting in Nigeria’s monetary system.
As of October 17, over N1.6 trillion sat idle on the CBN, reflecting banks’ conservative stance in a interval marked by coverage tightening and alternate price volatility.
Analysts observe that whereas the abundance of liquidity gives short-term stability, it additionally highlights the weak transmission of funds to the productive sectors.
The desire for protected, risk-free placements over lending to companies might sluggish credit score growth and hamper financial development if sustained.
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