HSBC, UBS Shut Nigeria Offices as Foreign Investment Drops
(Bloomberg) -- HSBC Holdings Plc and UBS Group AG have closed their local representative offices in Nigeria, according to a report published on the website of the central bank.
The Central Bank of Nigeria didn't specify a reason for the closure of the two banks' local offices or identify a day when operations ended. The number of representative offices for foreign lenders fell to eight as of the end of June, according to the report.
A spokesman for HSBC in London declined to comment on the Nigeria report. A UBS official reached by telephone on Saturday had no comment.
The bank also said foreign direct investment in Nigeria fell 29 percent to 379.84 billion naira ($1 billion) in the first half of the year, from 532.63 billion naira in the same period a year earlier.
UBS has in the past said a dispute between the central bank with South African telecom company MTN Group Ltd. over repatriation of $8.1 billion may erode confidence in the country.
Nigeria's government in September accused HSBC of money laundering after an analyst working for the lender said that a second term for President Muhammadu Buhari may stall economic recovery in Africa's biggest oil producer.
--With assistance from Alastair Marsh and Patrick Winters.
To contact the reporter on this story: Tope Alake in Lagos at talake@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Sophie Mongalvy at smongalvy@bloomberg.net, Steve Geimann, Chris Vellacott
©2018 Bloomberg L.P.
-
'Never Seen This Level Of Negativity': Sandeep Tandon Says The Next Rally May Be Closer Than You Think
Veteran investor Sandeep Tandon says foreign selling is easing, large-caps are due a comeback and mid-caps are crowded, while he turns positive on gold, power and pharma this Diwali.
-
Indians Stay With Family, Not In Hotels | The Reason Why
India still lacks enough clean, reliable and affordable hotels for budget-conscious travellers.
-
The Economic Imperative: Analysing The Material Driving Force Behind India-Canada Strategic Reset
This economic complementarity is further reinforced by deep institutional investment ties and talent mobility, which form the bedrock of the bilateral framework.
-
Medicine Pricing: Where Must Profit Stop?
India must confront excessive margins, hidden incentives and regulatory gaps that threaten the integrity of medicine.
-
Why Amazon And Flipkart Are Struggling To Beat Meesho In India's Smaller Cities
With 274 million users and lowest-cost logistics, Meesho is defending its value commerce crown against giants like Amazon and Flipkart.
-
High US Salaries, No Green Card Certainty: The Financial Calculation Facing Indian H-1B Families
The suspension of PERM processing at eight technology employers does not cancel existing H-1B visas. What it does is force a question many Indian families have been avoiding: is the US salary worth tying your career and family plans to one employer?
-
Swiggy vs Eternal: Food Delivery's Two Rivals Are No Longer In The Same Race
Eternal is building a private AI assistant, dark.ai. Swiggy is still working out how to make Instamart pay, with an operating loss of Rs 895 crore in the July-September quarter while Blinkit stayed profitable.
-
Where You Live Shapes How You Get To Work | The Reason Why
Two-wheelers are the most popular way to get to work in India, accounting for nearly 43% of workplace commutes.
-
Unhedged Position: Can India See An Indonesia-Style Time Correction?
The Nifty is trading below levels it first clocked in 2024. Is there, then, as I have suggested in the headline, potential that the current time correction drags on painfully for the next three-five, even ten years?
-
Navigating Friction And Energy Realities: An Analysis Of Marco Rubio's October Visit To India
Occurring at a critical juncture marked by stalled trade negotiations and escalating geopolitical pressures over global energy supplies, the visit offers a profound window into modern US-India relations.
