Nigeria's banking sector is experiencing its most historic revamp since the Soludo era consolidation of 2004, with the Central Bank of Nigeria's (CBN) mandating lenders to raise capital within a two-year period that will end by March 2026. International banks must be capitalised with N500 billion ($300 million) and national banks’ capital must reach N200 billion. Private equity’s fraught romance with Nigerian banking is entering a new, regulation-driven chapter. This regulatory order is igniting the hitherto fraught romance between Nigerian banking and deep-pocketed private equity investors who see this as both a lure and a caution due to their experience.