Afreximbank chief says quick passage of factoring law in Nigeria crucial to facilitating ‘ease-of-doing-business

…as Nigeria’s NASS holds public hearing

The quick passage of a law on factoring in Nigeria is a crucial step in facilitating the ease of doing business and procuring the trust of investors in the country, guests heard recently during a public hearing held at the National Assembly in Abuja.

To the Africa Export-Import Bank, otherwise called Afreximbank, which co-organised the public hearing, having just finished its 25th annual general meetings (July 11-14) in the Nigerian capital, which is strongly promoting intra-African trade initiative, factoring would unlock the economic potentials of small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) in Africa’s largest economy.

Kanayo Awani, managing director of the Intra-African Trade Initiative at the Afreximbank, highlighting the importance of factoring in unlocking the economic potential of SMEs, also notes that it could play a key role by supporting the SMEs; promoting open accounts, which is beneficial to SMEs in enhancing their competitiveness, and providing an alternative source of trade access to finance

A note by Obi Emekekwue, media spokesman for Afreximbank quoted Awani as saying that, Afreximbank was committed to supporting the appropriate legal and regulatory environment as a key strategic initiative for the promotion and development of factoring.

“Under its strategy, the bank (Afreximbank) was required to work on improving the legal environment in order to bring about harmonised standards and transparency within the factoring industry in Africa, and providing for legal enforcement arrangements,” the statement said.

Speaking during a public hearing on the Factoring Bill, Jones Onyereri, chairman of the House of Representatives Banking and Currency Committee, said that the introduction of factoring in the financial sector would serve as complementary financing to conventional financing; and will largely target micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

He said the Bill will facilitate the provision of cash flows to MSMES, especially those that have quality receivables and may not be in the position to obtain adequate conventional bank finance due to high interest rate, collateral or credit profile constraints.

The public hearing, which was organised in collaboration with Afreximbank, also attracted the participation of representatives of the House of Representatives Banking and Currency Committee, Nigeria Export-Import Bank (NEXIM), FCI, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Debt Management Office (DMO), the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), the Financial System Strategy 2020, and several other stakeholders.