The immediate past president of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, Ken Opara, has called for the establishment of a court dedicated to credit access cases.
Opara, who is also Executive Director for Lagos and the South-West at Fidelity Bank Plc, made the call at the Lagos Business School, in a paper titled, ‘Contemporary Issues In Credit And Lending Management’.
The PUNCH reports that data from the Central Bank of Nigeria indicate that credit to the private sector grew by 2.6 per cent to N74.41tn in October, from N72.53tn in the previous month, revealing a renewed lending appetite for private firms.
Speaking at the LBS event, Opara called for “Legal and Judicial Reforms for Credit Enforcement” as part of the policy, regulation, and institutional reforms needed to drive the credit industry. Opara argued that a specialised court is necessary to accelerate the resolution of commercial debt disputes, stating the need to have a commercial court to fast-track commercial credits.
Other reforms that the banker pushed include “strengthening prudential regulation and supervision, institutional coordination and policy harmonisation, policy support for innovation and responsible digital lending, fiscal and monetary policy alignment and institutional strengthening through capacity building.”
“Documentation for online lending needs to be streamlined, and more training is needed for operators and regulators. Institutionalise the National Identity Management, i.e., link BVN and NIN. Need for Data Analytics and AI- Super app and big data to predict behaviour and provide customer analytics for faster credit decisions. China Merchant Bank has built a super app that captures customer data and integrates all the channels. Today, China has over 200 million customers.”
The former CIBN president also urged policymakers to “adopt a bold, long-term credit strategy anchored in data, discipline, and development. Impact. CBN and regulatory institutions must ensure a fine equilibrium between prudential regulation and credit expansion. Regulation must protect without suffocating. It must encourage innovation while ensuring stability.”
“Academic institutions should develop a curriculum that reflects the changing dynamics of the credit landscape, from green finance and digital lending to sustainable banking and financial inclusion analytics. Professionals must equip themselves not just with technical skills but with the courage to lead ethically, to innovate boldly, and to serve humanity.”
During his presentation, Opara noted that fundamental issues, such as a “culture of unwillingness to repay among some debtors”, continue to challenge the lending environment. For a modern credit system to function, it depends on “strong scaffolding: reliable data, enforceable contracts, and tools that reduce uncertainty for lenders.
However, he said that recent regulatory efforts have begun to build a foundation for improved credit discipline, asserting, “Credit bureaus are gradually deepening transparency, giving lenders a clearer view into borrower history and behaviour. The Collateral Registry has transformed movable assets from generators to farm equipment into acceptable security, enabling more inclusive lending. The Global Standing Instruction has introduced a new level of discipline, signalling that default will no longer be a cost-free choice.
“Step by step, the foundations are strengthening, but the journey is far from complete.”
He concluded that a strong credit culture is not merely about enforcing rules but about building a shared institutional philosophy.
