Sector’s asset base expands as total holdings climb above ₦5.2 trillion
Non-financial assets held by Nigeria’s microfinance banks climbed to a record ₦358.787 billion in June 2025, reflecting a growing shift toward tangible and intangible assets within the sector, according to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The figure, published in the CBN’s latest quarterly statistical bulletin, represents the highest level recorded since 2018 and underscores the steady expansion of asset holdings by microfinance institutions.
CBN data show that non-financial assets rose by 0.88 per cent month-on-month, increasing from ₦355.650 billion in May 2025. On a year-on-year basis, the assets jumped by ₦131.080 billion, representing a 57.56 per cent increase compared with ₦227.707 billion in June 2024.
The data point to sustained growth in recent years as microfinance banks deepen their investments in non-financial assets.
Steady Monthly Growth
Monthly figures highlight a consistent upward trend throughout the year. In January 2025, non-financial assets stood at ₦314.752 billion, nearly double the ₦168.691 billion recorded in January 2024.
The upward movement continued in February, with assets rising to ₦317.986 billion in 2025 from ₦181.198 billion a year earlier. By March 2025, non-financial assets had increased further to ₦320.334 billion, compared with ₦197.298 billion in March 2024.
Total Assets Cross ₦5 Trillion
Beyond non-financial assets, the CBN bulletin also revealed a sharp rise in the total assets of licensed microfinance banks, which reached ₦5.228 trillion in May 2025, the highest level ever recorded.
Between December 2024 and May 2025, total assets expanded by ₦1.267 trillion, representing a 32 per cent growth in just five months. Analysts view this expansion as a key indicator of the sector’s strengthening financial base and an important metric for assessing capitalisation, regulatory compliance, and recapitalisation efforts.
Understanding Non-Financial Assets
Non-financial assets derive value from their physical form, utility, or legal rights, rather than from trading in financial markets. They include tangible assets such as land, buildings, equipment and vehicles, as well as intangible assets like goodwill, trademarks, patents and other intellectual property.
Related Financial Trends
The CBN bulletin also showed a sharp rise in cash usage. Nigerians withdrew a total of ₦36.34 trillion via automated teller machines (ATMs) between January and June 2025, a 197.66 per cent increase from the ₦12.21 trillion recorded during the same period in 2024.
ATM transaction volumes followed a similar trend, with 858.80 million withdrawals recorded in the first half of 2025, compared with 496.47 million transactions a year earlier. The increase of 362.34 million transactions, representing a 72.98 per cent rise, suggests that recently introduced withdrawal charges had little impact on consumer behaviour.
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