BREAKING NEWS
Breaking

728x90

468x60

‘Deep Freezer Ltd, Rice and Beans Ltd’ — unusual names of CBN-approved BDC operators



Nigeria’s bureau de change (BDC) market has grown significantly since 2005. Within that period (2005 to 2006) there were less than 100 operational BDCs, with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) selling dollars to the operators.

 

In 2009, Charles Soludo, the former governor of CBN, and the financial sector surveillance committee (FSSC) critically reviewed the operations of the BDC and said they were greatly disappointed with the operations of the market.

 

“As you would recall, the CBN decided in 2006 to sell cash directly to the BDCs as part of the liberalization programme to ensure adequate supply to the sector and hence the convergence of the BDC and inter-bank rates,” the former governor had said.

 

“As at the commencement of the sales to BDCs in 2006, there were less than 100 operational BDCs in Nigeria, and with weekly sales of less than $30 million, the BDC rates crashed and converged with the official rate.

 

 “Currently, there are about 1, 147 operating BDCs (with a weekly sale of about $200 million to them by the CBN) and yet the BDC rates continue to diverge away from the official rate.”

 

From 2009 when Soludo made the comments to 2021, the number of operators had surged to around 5,500 — recording about $110 million in weekly sales.

 

Currently, the number of BDCs stands at 5,690, according to data from the CBN. A review of the total number shows that many have some unusual names.

 

In July 2021, Godwin Emefiele, the former governor of the CBN, said evidence had shown the ownership of several BDCs by the same promoters to procure multiple FX from the regulator.

 

According to Emefiele, such infractions had led to the gradual dollarisation of the Nigerian economy with attendant adverse consequences on the conduct of monetary policy.

 

Here are some of the unusual names of approved BDC operators in Nigeria:

 

CCTV BDC LTD

Chelsea BDC LTD

 Couple BDC LTD

Cream BDC LTD

Cruising BDC LTD

Day-by-day BDC LTD

Deadlist BDC LTD

Decorum BDC LTD

Deep Freezer BDC LTD

Divine Focus BDC LTD

Ephesians-three-twenty BDC LTD

Four to five BDC LTD

Fourteen February BDC LTD

Fullmoon BDC LTD

Go-well BDC LTD

Gucci BDC LTD

Happy Ends LTD

His Grace BDC LTD

Home Alone BDC LTD

Honeymoon BDC LTD

Hourglass BDC LTD

In-to-in BDC LTD

JJC BDC LTD

Looking and Seeing BDC LTD

Lovers BDC LTD

Pros and Cons BDC LTD

Rice and Beans BDC LTD

Select and Pay BDC LTD

Set up BDC LTD

SIX Six Six BDC LTD

Slow Down BDC LTD

You and Me BDC LTD

Young Free & Single BDC LTD

Zero to Ten BDC LTD

35. 10-20 Times BDC LTD

 

OVER HALF OF BDC OPERATORS ARE IN LAGOS

Analysis by TheCable Index shows that over half of all the BDC operators in Nigeria (52 percent) are located in Lagos, highlighting the state’s dominance in the foreign exchange (FX) market.

 

This is followed by the federal capital territory (FCT), Abuja, with 21 percent, and Kano state with 17 percent.

 

Here is the list of BDCs in Nigeria by state:

 

Lagos: 2,958

Abuja: 1,179

Kano: 981

Anambra: 259

Kaduna: 55

Abia: 50

Oyo: 32

Enugu: 25

Rivers: 24

 Delta: 21

Sokoto: 18

Imo: 15

Edo: 14

Borno: 11

Bauchi: 7

Kwara: 7

Plateau: 6

Ebonyi: 4

Kebbi: 4

Niger: 3

Ogun: 3

Katsina: 3

Akwa Ibom: 2

Cross River: 2

Gombe: 2

Kogi: 2

Bayelsa: 1

Benue: 1

Nasarawa: 1

On September 14, 2023, Aminu Gwadabe, the president of the Association of Bureaux De Change Operators of Nigeria (ABCON) said the number of licensed BDCs was too much for the CBN to monitor and supervise.

 

This, he said, had led to the request for approval for operators to consolidate their businesses.

Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday


Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
« PREV
NEXT »

No comments

Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)

Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com