CBN Data: Bank Credit Hits N700.31 Trillion in 2025, Oil and Gas Leads
By Aboki Forex —
New data from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) shows that deposit money banks (DMBs) extended N700.31 trillion in credit to the private sector in 2025. This marks a 1.5% increase from N689.98 trillion recorded in 2024.
The figures, released in the CBN’s latest statistical bulletin, reveal that oil and gas remained the top recipient of bank lending. Credit to the sector stood at N147.52 trillion, though this was a slight 0.9% drop from N148.82 trillion a year earlier.
Manufacturing, which came second in credit allocation, saw a sharp decline. Lending to the sector fell by 20.3% to N88.82 trillion from N111.39 trillion in 2024. This points to ongoing financing difficulties for industrial producers.
Financial services posted strong growth. Credit to finance, insurance, and capital market activities jumped 30.1% to N99.84 trillion, up from N76.73 trillion. Trade sector lending rose by 4.4% to N50.82 trillion, while agriculture recorded a 26.1% increase to N38.15 trillion. The boost in agriculture reflects sustained support for food production and economic diversification.
Government borrowing from DMBs also grew. It rose by 7.2% to N36.19 trillion. Credit to the information and communication sector increased by 4.6% to N23.32 trillion.
Other sectors showed mixed results. Transportation and storage received N18.69 trillion in bank credit, up from N17.21 trillion. Construction lending slipped slightly to N26.18 trillion from N27.22 trillion.
Real estate and education recorded notable contractions. Real estate credit fell by about 12% to N10.52 trillion. Education lending dropped by 20% to N956.5 billion from N1.2 trillion.
A huge jump came in the “Others” category, where lending surged by 195% to N44.86 trillion from N15.21 trillion. This indicates growing miscellaneous credit exposure and possible shifts in loan classification.
In a related report, personal loans from Nigerian banks hit N1.96 trillion in January 2026. That accounted for over half of total consumer credit. The CBN also reported that personal loans rose by 5.95% during the period. Retail lending fell by 4.15% to N1.85 trillion, representing 48.56% of consumer credit.