Why Nigeria Established
Deposit Insurance
The creation of NDIC and the deposit insurance scheme was driven by key historical and economic factors:
Lessons from past bank failures: it was created to avoid the repeat of bitter experiences of bank failures in the 1930s to early 1950s when there was no formal mechanism for protecting depositors.
Lessons of benefits of explicit DIS from other countries with such systems: The experiences of the FDIC in stabilizing the banking system in the United States following major financial crises were quick reference points.
Change in Government Policy: there was deliberate change in government policy from protecting all banks’ stakeholders to that of protecting depositors.
Liberalization of Bank Licensing: government was determined to further protect depositors from the ensuing competition induced by the liberalization of bank licensing in the late 1980s.
Need for structured bank failure management: establishment of an explicit system would relieve the Federal Government of the contingent liability of bailing out troubled banks.