CBN Governor Cardoso Targets Chinese Investment in Nigeria

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is actively seeking to attract Chinese capital to bolster its financial markets, aiming to expand investment flows, enhance access to long-term financing, and strengthen cross-border payments and trade. CBN Governor Olayemi Cardoso announced this initiative during the closing press briefing of the 2026 Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank in Bangkok, Thailand.

He revealed that discussions with Pan Gongsheng, the Governor of the People's Bank of China, focused on deepening financial cooperation between Nigeria and China. Cardoso noted that despite China's significant financial resources, its investment in Nigerian financial instruments has been limited.

The CBN's strategy includes attracting long-term capital from Asian markets and diversifying investment sources. Cardoso emphasized the importance of collaboration between financial institutions and expressed interest in learning from China's robust payment infrastructure.

He plans to build on these discussions during an upcoming visit to Beijing, where practical cooperation areas will be explored.