Nigerian deposit money banks disbursed a total of N60.35tn in credit to the manufacturing sector in the first nine months of 2025, a 20.44 per cent decline from the N75.86tn recorded in the corresponding period of 2024, The PUNCH has found.
An analysis of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Quarterly Statistical Bulletin for the third quarter of 2025 indicated that lending to manufacturers slowed significantly during the period, reflecting the tight credit conditions the sector faced amid elevated borrowing costs.
Manufacturers have long called for a deeper rate cut that “can meaningfully lower the cost of credit and stimulate real sector investment,” as the apex bank gradually eased the interest rate benchmark. The data showed that banks extended N60.35tn to manufacturers between January and September 2025, down from N75.86tn in the same period of 2024.
Monthly disbursement in 2025 revealed that January (N8.31tn) and February (N8.03tn) recorded the highest credit allocations to the sector. On the other hand, September (N7.09tn) and June (N7.09tn) posted the lowest disbursements during the period. In 2024, however, credit flows were significantly stronger.
The highest disbursements were recorded in February (N10.88 tn) and January (N10.02 tn), while the lowest allocations were in September (N8.67 tn) and March (N8.70 tn).
