• Cardoso: gross external reserve peaked at 13-year-high of $50.45bn as of February 16, says Executive Order 09 will boost accretion to reserves •Declares 20 banks have met new capital thresholds with N4.05trn raised • CBN mops up $190m to tame Naira rally • NECA, CPPE, Uwaleke hail contractionary monetary policy shift James Emejo in Abuja, Nume Ekeghe and Dike Onwuamaeze in Lagos Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), yesterday, resolved to reduce the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR), the benchmark interest rate, by 50 basis points to 26.5 per cent, from 27 per cent. CBN, however, retained the Standing Facilities Corridor (SFC) around the MPR at +50/-450 basis points, and left the Cash Reserve Requirement (CRR) for Deposit Money Banks (DMBs), Merchant Banks (MBs), and non-TSA public sector de...