• AMCON was created to stabilise Nigeria’s financial system by acquiring non-performing loans (NPLs), recapitalising affected banks, and allowing them to focus on core operations. It has cleared many bad assets, but at the cost of very large funding, negative equity, and still-massive outstanding obligations.
• Key challenges for AMCON and the broader Nigerian asset management industry include currency volatility, inflation, regulatory inconsistency, weak corporate governance in debtor banks, and the technology gap. Recent innovations in regulatory reforms, risk sharing, and digital systems are emerging to address them.
AMCON’s Origins, Role, and Operational Challenges
The Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) was established on 19 July 2010 under Nigerian law by the AMCON Act, as a “sui generis statutory corporation” to purchase non-performing loan assets of banks in the economy, help recapitalise struggling financial institutions, and thereby free up resources for healthy banking activity. According to its mission statement, AMCON seeks to enable banks to sell off non-performing loans, amplify lending within the banking sector, and revamp trust in the financial system. Early operations saw purchases amounting to over ₦4.02 trillion in face-value NPLs for about ₦1.76 trillion, and an injection of over ₦2.3 trillion in capital into eight banks. However, by 2014 AMCON had accumulated negative equity of about ₦3.6 trillion, raising concerns about whether asset recoveries and the Banking Sector Resolution Cost Fund (RCF) could cover its liabilities.
One of AMCON’s ongoing challenges is debt recovery. As stated in a recent announcement, AMCON is under pressure to tighten the noose on obligors—those who owe debts—amid the current Nigerian economic climate. Honourable Sir Jones Chukwudi Onyereri, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Banking and Currency, has emphasised that resolving AMCON’s huge debt burden is necessary to “rebound the economy”. Another obstacle is regulatory and fiscal policy alignment—AMCON’s effectiveness depends heavily on government support, sound governance, transparency in its dealings, and consistent regulation. Critics point out past controversies concerning sales of acquired banks and questions about transparency.
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AMCON, Innovations, and Regulatory Reforms
AMCON itself is facing pressure to innovate its approach to debt recovery: using more effective legal tools, enhancing corporate governance among debtor banks, applying securitisation or risk-sharing mechanisms, and leveraging technology for more efficient tracking and collection of obligations. The AMCON Amendment Act (2015) extended its powers in debt collection and enforcement. Also, the Banking Sector Resolution Cost Fund (RCF) is meant to provide a stable funding source, though there remains uncertainty about its ability to fully offset losses. Technology and data systems are increasingly seen as necessary—even essential—for better performance, as the industry increasingly demands real-time data, risk modelling, and automation.
