All Countries and All Sectors

Two years after the margin lending crisis first struck, the process of cleaning up Nigeria’s banking sector continues. Most recently, the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) aggressive efforts to improve governance and reporting requirements have grown to include a revision of the licensing framework, which looks to provide greater segmentation in the market. Several financial institutions were recently licensed under the central bank’s new regime, while the nine lenders the government bailed out in 2009 are looking for new sources of funds to meet a recapitalisation deadline of September 30, 2011.

With its recently passed budget for the 2011-12 fiscal year, Egypt has established a revised set of ambitious targets for tackling its public expenditures. Having rebuffed aid offers from several international organisations and countries, the move is a sign that the country will steer clear of a rising budget deficit on its own accord.

From Saudi Arabia to Qatar, governments across the Gulf region are ramping up spending on building projects, with this likely to generate a host of opportunities for Ras Al Khaimah’s construction materials industry, a mainstay of the local economy.

With a new mortgage law in the works and government plans to spend nearly $70bn on low-income housing, Saudi Arabia’s real estate market appears on track for a period of expansion.

The agricultural sector is playing an increasingly important role in Malaysia’s economy, not only helping the country to achieve food security for local consumption, but also generating strong levels of export earnings. The palm oil industry leading the way here, though lingering concerns over sustainable production and labour shortages could hamper growth.

Recent reports indicate that Indonesia’s banking sector is growing, with profits, assets and loans showing significant year-on-year increases during the first four months of 2011. The system is also stable, with the sector’s average capital adequacy ratio (CAR) at about 16%. However, there have been calls for the country’s banks to improve corporate governance and implement risk management measures.