The leading five banks are grappling with a N1.5 trillion deficit in meeting the Central Bank of Nigeria's (CBN) new capital requirement for the New Capital Base. Under the updated minimum capital regulation, each of these banks - Access Bank, FirstBank, GTBank, UBA, and Zenith Bank—is mandated to maintain a minimum capital base of N500 billion, totaling N2.5 trillion collectively. However, as it stands, the combined paid-up capital and share premium of these banks amount to only N1.037 trillion, falling short by a staggering N1.472 trillion. Access Bank's paid- up capital stands at N251.811 billion, leaving a deficit of N248.189 billion. Similarly, FBN Holdings' paid-up capital is N251.3 billion, with a shortfall of N248.66 billion. GTBank reports a paid-up capital of N138.186 billion as of Q3’23, presenting a deficit of N361.814 billion. UBA's paid-up capital is N115.815 billion, lagging behind by N384.185 billion. Zenith Bank, with a paid-up capital of N270.745 billion, faces a shortfall of N229.255 billion. The disparity between the current capital positions of these banks and the new regulatory requirements poses a significant challenge for them to meet the prescribed standards, potentially impacting their operations and strategic planning as they work to bridge this substantial deficit.