Citigroup’s $81 Trillion Blunder: The Banking Error of the Century! 

In a jaw-dropping financial mishap, Citigroup mistakenly credited a mind-blowing $81 trillion—yes, TRILLION—to a customer’s account instead of the intended $280, in what could be one of the largest transaction errors in banking history.

According to a report by the Financial Times, the stunning blunder occurred in April 2024 and shockingly slipped past two separate employees before getting the green light for processing. It wasn’t until an hour and a half after the transaction was approved that a third worker caught the error—setting off a frantic reversal operation that took several hours to complete.

 A Near-Miss of Epic Proportions 

Though no actual funds left Citigroup’s vaults, the error was serious enough to be flagged to U.S. financial regulators, including the Federal Reserve and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.

“Despite the fact that a payment of this size could not actually have been executed, our detective controls promptly identified the inputting error between two Citi ledger accounts, and we reversed the entry,” a Citi spokesperson explained in an emailed statement.

The blunder did not financially impact the customer or the bank, but it sheds light on Citi’s ongoing struggles with internal controls. The FT report revealed that the bank recorded 10 ‘near-miss’ transactions of $1 billion or more in 2024 alone, a slight improvement from 13 major errors in 2023.

 A Costly Pattern? 

Citigroup is no stranger to high-profile transaction errors. In 2020, the bank infamously wired $900 million by mistake to creditors of Revlon, sparking a lengthy legal battle. While the $81 trillion error was caught before any funds could be moved, it underscores the potentially catastrophic risks lurking in the world of high-speed digital banking.

With regulators closely watching, the pressure is on for Citi to tighten its financial controls—before the next error turns into an irreversible disaster.

…Signs MOU with Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN)

Reinforcing its reputation as an institution committed to empowering SMEs, Wema Bank, Nigeria’s foremost innovative bank and pioneer of Africa’s first fully digital bank, ALAT, has undertaken an initiative to empower 800,000 Nigerian Businesses; following its MOU Signing with Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) on February 25th, 2025 in Lagos, Nigeria.

SMEDAN is a national agency established in 2003 with the goal of promoting the development of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector of the Nigerian Economy. The partnership with Wema Bank is focused on training MSMEs on soft skills, technical skills, and business skills, empowering them to build profitable businesses, gain more visibility and scale sustainably. To execute this grand initiative, Wema Bank will provide the training and resources for the 800,000 businesses who will be curated by SMEDAN. This initiative will take course over the next 12 to 18 months.

Commenting on the partnership, Wema Bank’s MD/CEO, Moruf Oseni, reiterated the Bank’s lifelong commitment to empowering Nigerians to thrive. According to him, “At Wema Bank, we don’t pay lip service to SME matters.

From inception in 1945, Wema Bank was built with a purpose to provide financing for the indigenous people of Nigeria. It wasn’t because banks didn’t exist during those years, it was because we identified the gaps in access to finance for our people.

This is why Wema Bank came to life; to provide tailored financial services and empower Nigerians to thrive on both individual and business levels”.

“Over the past 8 decades, Wema Bank has been driving this lifelong mission of empowering Nigerians with access to finance, constantly reinventing to develop more efficient ways of delivering value to the people. One cardinal thing that we haven’t deviated from is that we are fully committed to empowering entrepreneurs and small businesses in Nigeria.

The petty traders we provided for in the 1900s are the entrepreneurs and MSMEs that we continue to empower in the 2000s, and we will never relent in fulfilling this promise. So, MSME empowerment for us is not just a buzzword.

It is what we have always done, what we are doing through this partnership with SMEDAN and what we will continue to do beyond 80 years”.
Commending Wema Bank’s evident commitment and key role in empowering business and stimulating growth in the MSME Sector, Charles Odili, the Director General of SMEDAN expressed confidence in the success of this partnership with Wema Bank towards building a sustainably successful future for Nigerian MSMEs.

Closing out, he added, “I want to again, thank Wema Bank. This is a prime example of how collaboration and determination to create impact can make a positive difference. I thank you for their constant support to MSMEs and for not paying lip service to MSME Empowerment in Nigeria”.

Wema Bank has earned an admirable reputation as Nigeria’s SME Bank, going above and beyond in empowering businesses with access to finance, visibility, market access, tailored trainings, mentorship and various other forms of support.

Through this partnership with SMEDAN, Wema Bank is set to advance Nigeria’s MSME industry, building formidable Nigerian businesses and reinforcing Wema Bank’s position as the Bank that is committed to empowering MSMEs.

ICAN, Union Bank of Nigeria Foster Stronger Relationship with Visit

Lagos, Nigeria—The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) recently paid a courtesy visit to Stallion Plaza, Union Bank of Nigeria’s Head Office. This visit marks a significant step in fostering a stronger relationship between the two esteemed institutions.

During the visit, ICAN and Union Bank representatives engaged in fruitful discussions to explore potential areas of collaboration and member’s growth within the Bank.

The Union Bank team was led by the Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Oluwagbenga Adeoye FCA, and other notable UBN representatives, including Dr. Abigail Duopama-Obomanu, Chief Compliance Officer, Mr. Ali Kadiri FCA, Head Corporate Bank and Mr. Victor Ikeneku FCA, Head, Business Assurance. The ICAN team was led by the ICAN President, Chief Davidson C.S. Alaribe FCA, Dr. Olumide Adedeji FCA, President of Lagos District and other distinguished members.

The President of ICAN, Chief Davidson C.S Alaribe, appreciated the warm reception and highlighted the importance of such engagements in promoting professional excellence and ethical standards within the accounting and finance sectors. The Chief Financial Officer of Union Bank, Mr. Oluwagbenga Adeoye FCA, emphasised the bank’s commitment to supporting initiatives that enhance the professional development of accountants and ICAN members.

This visit underscores ICAN and Union Bank’s mutual commitment to advancing the accounting profession and contributing to the overall growth of Nigeria’s financial sector.