Adeyemo launches book on banking regulation in Africa

Folashade Adeyemo, the deputy director for admissions at the School of Law, University of Reading, has launched her much-anticipated book titled ‘Banking Regulation in Africa: The Case of Nigeria and Other Developing Economies’. The book is now available for purchase.

In this timely and important book, Adeyemo expertly provides a historical detailed analysis of Nigeria’s banking regulation trajectory, which includes the creation of Nigeria’s first banking Act, Bank Ordinance in 1952 – induced by the Paton Report, and the deregulation of the Nigerian banking sector under the then President Babangida in 1986.

It also includes the banking consolidation in 2004 that saw a substantial development to the Nigerian banking system and the introduction of the Banks and Other Financial Institution Act 2020.

In the early chapters of this book, Adeyemo provides a holistic examination of banking regulation in Africa by exploring the banking regulatory architectures of South Africa and Kenya, acknowledging that both have evolved.

Also, South Africa has an apex bank (South African Reserve Bank) and two other regulators: the Prudential Authority and the Financial Sector Authority.

In the case of Kenya, she notes in the book that the country has a fragmented framework as it comprises several regulators, each having its distinct responsibility.

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In comparing all three African regulatory models, the book states that there are distinctive qualities that may be broadly categorized as important and necessary features of an effective regulatory model.

As a general comment, Adeyemo notes that in the case of Nigeria, the regulators must pay closer attention to having a proactive approach to the act of regulation, rather than adopting a reactive measure for the instances of a banking crisis or failure.

She argues that the Nigerian regulators must cultivate a clear commitment to the ongoing improvement of the regulatory framework for a sustainable and viable economy. Adeyemo also raises the important question of ‘who regulates the regulator?’

She acknowledges that countries that have apex banks should be able to discharge their regulatory and supervisory duties independently, however, in the case of Nigeria, and particularly given the CBN’s poor track record of effectively discharging their responsibilities, it may be prudent for the Nigerian regulator to submit itself to monitoring by an international body to ensure it provides an adequate, satisfactory and improved regulatory environment for banks.

In the concluding chapters, She also contends that in light of Nigeria’s historical romance with banking failures and crisis, the very special nature of banks, coupled with the detrimental judicial pronouncements as seen in the case of Savannah Bank and Liberty Bank, the time has come to create a specialist court to deal specifically with Nigerian banking law matters.

This proposed court would function similarly to the court established by the Failed Banks (Recovery of Debts) and Financial Malpractices Decree 1994.

To learn more, this book may be purchased online at Routledge, Amazon, or Blackwells. The online book launch will take place Wednesday 23 March 2022. The physical book launch will take place in Lagos, Nigeria, in August 2022.