Category: Banking & Finance

Leading financial institution, Fidelity Plc, has distributed over 1,200 food packs to the internally Displaced Persons in Makurdi, Benue State in its ongoing commitment to eliminate hunger among vulnerable persons in the society. The event, which took place on Thursday, 10 August 2023 at the IDP Camp, Federal Housing Estate in North Bank, Benue State was executed in partnership with the Hyacinth Alia Foundation and the Benue State Emergency Management Agency (BESEMA). Speaking during the distribution event, the Divisional Head, Brand and Communications, Fidelity Bank Plc, Meksley Nwagboh noted that…

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Zenith Bank Plc has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat for the development of the SMARTAfCFTA Portal, for trade promotion within the African continent. The SMARTAfCFTA Portal, which has the capacity to provide information like trade indicators, market trends, custom tariffs, trade agreements, rules of origin, market access requirements of relevant jurisdictions, export potentials, export diversification indicators and contact details of business partners in target markets and other trade-related information about Africa, will help to unlock the vast opportunities for trade…

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First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Nigeria’s premier and leading financial services provider, has announced the graduation of 20 successful participants in the fourth edition of its Senior Management Development Programme (SMDP) at an event held recently at Oriental Hotel, Lagos. Before the 2023 graduation, the SMDP had produced 52 graduates. The Bank successfully graduated 23 participants in its inaugural edition, held in 2018; 17 in 2019 and 12 in 2020. The Senior Management Development Programme (SMDP) is FirstBank’s intensive modular programme for a select group of senior managers to principal…

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Access Holdings Plc has been honoured with the prestigious Karlsruhe Award for Outstanding Business Sustainability Achievement for the eighth consecutive time. Presented at the Global Sustainable Finance Conference (GSFC) organised by the European Organisation for Sustainable Development (EOSD) in partnership with the city of Karlsruhe, Germany, the Award underscores the sustainability commitment demonstrated in the way Access Holdings conducts its business operations and activities. Delivering the opening remarks at the Awards event, the Lord Mayor of Karlsruhe, Dr. Frank Mentrup, lauded the unwavering commitment of the organisations present and urged…

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For a third year running, Zenith Bank Plc has been named the Best Commercial Bank in Nigeria at the World Finance Banking Awards 2023. The bank also emerged as the Best Corporate Governance Bank, Nigeria, in the World Finance Corporate Governance Awards 2023, retaining the award for a second consecutive year. These awards were presented to Dr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu, the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Zenith Bank Plc, at the London Stock Exchange recently. The recognitions celebrate the bank’s tremendous feats and milestones in financial performance, financial inclusion, corporate…

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FBN Holdings Plc (FBNHoldings) has posted N206 billion profit before tax in the first half of the year. The six-month report for the period ended 30 June 2023 showed that the company grew gross earnings and profit before tax to N656.6 billion and N206.3 billion respectively. Group Managing Director, FBN Holdings Plc, Mr. Nnamdi Okonkwo said the company has continued to deliver a strong financial performance despite the complex operating environment due to its reinforced foundations, deep market understanding, strong risk management and execution capabilities. “Across our businesses, we continue…

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GUARANTY TRUST BANK NAMED BEST BANK IN NIGERIA BY EUROMONEY Lagos, Nigeria – July 17, 2023: Guaranty Trust Bank Ltd (“Guaranty Trust” or “the Bank”) has been named Best Bank in Nigeria at the Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2023. This marks a record 12th time that Guaranty Trust Bank has been recognised as the leading financial institution in Nigeria. Announcing the award, Euromoney stated: “Nigeria’s Best Bank, Guaranty Trust Bank, has continued to do a good job of convincing investors that it is better placed than its key competitors to…

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Access Bank Plc (Access) and Standard Chartered Bank have entered into agreements for the acquisition of Standard Chartered’s shareholding in its subsidiaries in Angola, Cameroon, The Gambia, and Sierra Leone, and its Consumer, Private & Business Banking business in Tanzania. Each transaction remains subject to the approval of the respective local regulators and the banking regulator in Nigeria. The announcement was made today at Standard Chartered’s Headquarters in London in the presence of senior representatives from both banks. Signed by, Sunil Kaushal, Regional CEO, Africa & Middle East, Standard Chartered,…

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Access Bank Plc, the flagship subsidiary of Access Holdings, has completed the acquisition of majority equity in Angolan entity, Finibanco Angola S.A. The bank disclosed this in a notice filed on the Nigerian Exchange Limited on Thursday. Access Holdings had earlier announced the deal on October 4, 2022, and had received regulatory approvals in Nigeria and Angola. Commenting on the development, the Group Chief Executive Officer, Access Holdings, Dr. Herbert Wigwe, said, “In anticipation of the completion of the transaction, the bank has made excellent progress in integration planning. “Our…

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Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (GTCO) has announced dates for the 2023 GTCO Autism Conference and follow-up consultations. This year’s programme is themed “Empowering Voices for Autism” to promote inclusivity and self-advocacy for persons on the Autism Spectrum. An offshoot of the Orange Ribbon Initiative, the GTCO Autism Conference has grown to become a reference point for autism advocacy and intervention in Africa, providing support and empowerment to thousands of people with neurodevelopmental disorders. Working with specialists and partner organisations within and outside Nigeria, the conference will feature lectures, panel discussions,…

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Zenith Bank Plc has retained its ranking as the Number One Bank in Nigeria by Tier-1 Capital in the 2023 Top 1000 World Banks’ Rankings, published by The Banker Magazine. For the fourteenth year in a row, the Bank has held its position as the number one Tier-1 bank in Nigeria, emerging as the 467th Bank globally with a Tier-1 Capital of $2.54 billion. The rankings, published in the July 2023 edition of The Banker Magazine of the Financial Times Group, United Kingdom, were based on the 2022 year-end Tier-1…

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FirstBank has launched an industry first Humanoid Robot at its Adetokunbo Ademola VI, Lagos Digital Experience Centre (DXC) Branch The robot is among the phased configuration of the bank’s state-of-the-art digitally led self-service branch The Humanoid Robot is equipped with Video Banking and Artificial Intelligence (AI), taking on the role of a friendly branch staff. In furtherance to its leading role in providing innovative financial solutions in Nigeria, First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Nigeria’s premier financial institution and leading financial inclusion services provider, has announced the launch of a Humanoid…

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As part of efforts to boost Nigeria’s foreign exchange earnings, the Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM) has announced a strategic partnership with leading financial institution, Fidelity Bank Plc and Sapphital Learning Ltd. The partnership will help improve the skills and performance of export businesses in Nigeria by leveraging the NEXIM Export Academy (NEXA); an online platform that provides exporters with capacity-building training and access to finance to scale their business. The NEXA platform which was Launched with the support of Sapphital (a digital learning institute) in 2022, is designed to empower…

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Fitch Ratings has affirmed Fidelity Bank Plc’s credit rating at ‘B-‘ with a stable outlook, according to its recent report. The global rating agency also upgraded the bank’s National Short-Term Rating to ‘F1+(nga)’ from ‘F1(nga)’. It said the upgrade reflects the improvement in the bank’s local-currency funding profile, as evidenced by the increase in the share of low-cost current and savings accounts in the bank’s customer deposit base to 87.1% at the end of the first quarter (1Q2023) from 75% in 2021. According to Fitch, Fidelity Bank’s rating affirmation is…

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In line with its commitment to sustainable development and enabling success for women, Union Bank of Nigeria, through its women-focused proposition αlpher, partnered with Chrystallis to host the inaugural live edition of Chrystallis Conversations – a platform focused on empowering women and promoting gender equality. The event tagged Fear-Less! Pursuing Your Best Life with Courage and Conviction held on Thursday, June 1, 2023, in Victoria Island, Lagos. It was an intimate night of insightful conversations and networking. The event kicked off with a heartfelt musical performance by Funmi Bucknor, followed by…

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Polaris Bank has clarified that she did not violate any law in a recent disengagement of some staff which it said was done in line with the terms of the contract guiding their engagements   The Bank was reacting to a report of the picketing of its headquarters by NUBIFIE this morning by a section of the media.   The Bank disclosed that it has engaged and will continue to engage the union to resolve any lingering labour matters.   The Bank emphasized that a cordial relationship has existed between…

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Rising from a lower profit margin of N10.2billion and a debilitating Non-Performing Loan portfolio of 45 per cent in 2015, to an impressive profit of N147billion and a significantly lowered NPL rate of 5.6 per cent in 2022, FirstBank has proven that its back-to-back profit-making is far beyond recoveries made, but rather it’s a reinforcement of a well-articulated growth trajectory driven by a committed, competent and experienced Board and management team, writes Festus Akanbi There seems to be a consensus among watchers of the Nigerian banking sector that these days,…

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…takes trade expo to Houston, Texas, USA in October 2023 Building on the resounding success of the maiden edition of the Fidelity International Trade and Creative Connect (FITCC) in London, UK last November, leading financial institution, Fidelity Bank Plc, has announced plans to host the second edition of the trade expo in Houston, Texas in the United States of America. Tagged FITCC Houston, the event would hold on Wednesday, 18th and Thursday, 19th October 2023 at the George R. Brown Convention Center, 1001 Avenida de las Americas, Houston, Texas 77010.…

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TO CUSTOMERS’ DELIGHT, ZENITH BANK COMMENCES “ZENITH BETA LIFE SEASON 3” PROMO Zenith Bank Plc has launched the third season of its hugely successful “Zenith Beta Life Promo” to reward its customers with gifts from June 1, 2023, to May 31, 2024. Within this period, twenty bank customers of Zenith Bank will be chosen through a bimonthly raffle draw, each receiving gifts valued at NGN150,000. Five lucky customers will also win a cash prize of NGN500,000 during the quarterly draws. The promo is open to both existing and new Zenith…

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… Commend Partnerships and bundled investment initiatives Nigeria’s leading Retail Bank, Polaris Bank has announced the launch of its exclusive banking product aimed at serving its High Net-worth Individuals (HNIs) seeking innovative investment options in challenging economic times. The unveiling which took place in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Tuesday was attended by esteemed guests, industry experts, and corporate customers from across the country. The exclusive banking proposition, designed to guide HNIs towards high-yield investment opportunities, received an overwhelmingly positive response from customers present at the launch with most of them offering…

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The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has debunked a report by a national daily that it has devalued the naira to N631 per dollar at the Importers and Exporters’ (I&E) window. A top official of the apex bank, who told this medium that the report is completely false , warned that such reports could have serious adverse consequences for the economy. According to the top official, the CBN has not changed its strategy of allowing a gradual convergence of the parallel and official market exchange rates. “The report is not…

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For the fourth consecutive year, Zenith Bank Plc has been named as the Best Corporate Governance ‘Financial Services’ Africa 2023 by the Ethical Boardroom. The award, which was published in the Spring 2023 edition of The Ethical Boardroom magazine, is in recognition of the bank’s adherence to global best practices and institutionalization of corporate governance, setting an industry-wide example of best practices in that field. Speaking on the recognition, the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive of Zenith Bank Plc, Dr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu, said: “I am extremely pleased that Zenith Bank has…

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In a bid to boost healthcare delivery to thousands of residents, the Lagos State Government has built and unveiled a new Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) in Ije-Ododo Community, Iba Local Council Development Area (LCDA), under the Ojo Council Area of the state. The facility, which has been under construction since 2021 in partnership with First Bank of Nigeria Limited, was unveiled in the community in an opening ceremony attended by the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, representatives of the state government, the state Primary Health Care Board, community leaders,…

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Chief Executive Officer of Fidelity Bank PLC, Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, has been listed amongst the recipients of the 2023 national awards. According to the 2023 national awards list released by the Federal Government last weekend, Onyeali-Ikpe would be conferred with the award of the Officer of the Order of the Niger, OON. The list also includes prominent names such as Emeka Anyaoku, First lady, Oluremi Tinubu, Co-Founder of Tony Elumelu Foundation, Dr Awele Elumelu; President of Transcorp Group, Dr Owen Omogiafo among others. Also, former Governor of Osun, Bisi Akande; Olusegun…

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Otunba Michael Subomi Balogun,celebrated banker and a godfather of the banking industry,founder of First City Monument Bank, FCMB, has reportedly passed away at age 89. According to reports, Balogun died in a London hospital on Friday morning. Details later…

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Polaris Bank Plc has expressed dismay at the resort to misleading social media posts by one of its customers, Anthony Olasele, in spite of efforts by the Bank so far to treat the customer’s protest. In a bid to clarify the misunderstanding on the customer’s account, the management of the bank said in a statement that, “Further to our earlier post, we wish to reiterate the following.Polaris Bank did not declare the customer dead, but was in receipt of court documents stating so, and the Bank in such circumstance, has…

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Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Fidelity Bank Plc, Mrs. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe has received yet another recognition as she bagged the award of the Banker of the Year 2022 at the Champion Newspapers’ Awards of the Year 2022. Held at the Eko Hotel and Suites on Friday, 12 May 2023, the well-attended event featured top players in the nation’s public and private sectors. Receiving her award in company of her family, friends and colleagues, an elated Mrs. Onyeali-Ikpe said, “I am grateful for this recognition and I dedicate this award to the…

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Shareholders of Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO) Plc, have endorsed the payment of a total dividend of N91.236 billion, representing N3.10 per share for the financial year ended December 31, 2022. This endorsement was made at the holding company’s second annual general meeting held on Thursday, virtually. The Group proposed a final dividend of N2.80 per unit of ordinary share held by shareholders in addition to the interim dividend of 30 kobo interim dividend paid in June, bringing the total dividend for the 2022 financial year to N3.10 per unit…

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Access Bank PLC, the flagship company of Access Holdings PLC, has officially launched its subsidiary in Paris, France. The Bank’s operations will focus on trade finance, initially capitalising on flows between Africa and France, particularly Francophone Africa. Herbert Wigwe, Group Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings PLC, speaking on the purpose of the Bank’s strategic expansion efforts said, “Access Bank PLC, today, has a very strong presence in the United Kingdom, but coming on the heels of Brexit, there was a need for us to establish a presence in another…

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As the world continues to work towards zero hunger, good health, and well-being, the Sterling One Foundation has thrown its weight behind Community Pot, a social impact project focused on tackling infant malnutrition by providing healthy and sustainable diets. The project, which aims to feed at least 1,000 children every month with healthy and nutritious meals received support from Sterling One Foundation for its February outreach in Ajegunle. According to statistics, an estimated 2 million Nigerian children suffer from acute malnutrition, which contributes to under-five mortality and stunted growth, ranking…

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The Central Bank of Nigeria has said that the Bank Verification Number it issues in collaboration with Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System does not have an expiry date. The apex bank revealed this in a document signed by its Acting Director, Corporate Communication, Isa AbdulMumin, on Wednesday night. The bank said the insinuation that the BVN expires after 10 years of issuance is incorrect. “Contrary to these claims, we wish to clarify that the BVN issued in Nigeria has no expiry date. Once a customer’s biometrics have been captured and enrolled…

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HH Capital, a private equity firm founded by billionaire investor, Tony Elumelu, has bought 70 million units of shares of United Bank for Africa where he is the chairman of the Board of Directors. This was disclosed in a corporate filing on the Nigerian Exchange Limited on Wednesday. According to the details of the deal, HH Capital Limited acquired 70,000,000 shares of UBA at N8 per unit on the floor of the NGX. The deal is worth N560m. In its 2022 audited financial statements, Elumelu holds directly 194,669,555 units of…

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With a 32% year-to-date appreciation in value, Fidelity Bank Plc’s shares have emerged Nigeria’s best performing year -to-date bank share. This is according to a recently published Bloomberg article. Speaking with the platform’s journalist, MD/CEO, Fidelity Bank Plc, Mrs. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe shed light on the 35-year-old institution’s business expansion plans especially to other African countries after finalizing the acquisition of Union Bank UK, explaining that, “The strategy is for us to move footprint outside Nigeria and be able to compete favorably with our peers. In the next three years, we…

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One of Africa’s fastest growing companies and Nigeria’s leading commercial bank, Sterling Bank, has reported a growth of 28.5 percent in its profit after tax for 2022. The bank’s profits grew to N 19.3 billion for the year ended 31 December 2022 in comparison to N15 billion as reported by the bank for the end of the 2021 financial year. This was contained in the earnings release for the bank as shared with the Nigerian Exchange (NGX). Sterling’s assets grew assets by 14.4 percent to end 2022 with N 1.858…

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Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (GTCO or the Group) has released its Unaudited Consolidated and Separate Financial Statements for the period ended March 31, 2023, to the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX) and London Stock Exchange (LSE). The Group reported profit before tax of ₦74.1billion, representing an increase of 36.5% over ₦54.3billion recorded in the corresponding period ended March 2022. The Group’s loan book (net) dipped by 1.5% from ₦1.88trillion recorded as at December 2022 to ₦1.86trillion in March 2023, while deposit liabilities increased by 9.9% from ₦4.61trillion in December 2022…

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At the 32nd Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Zenith Bank Plc, held virtually from the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, on Tuesday, 2 May 2023, shareholders of the bank unanimously approved the proposed final dividend payment of NGN2.90 per share. This brings the total dividend for the 2022 financial year to NGN3.20 per share, with a total value of NGN100.47 billion. In his opening statement at the AGM, Jim Ovia, CFR, Founder and Chairman of Zenith Bank Plc, expressed his gratitude to the shareholders for their unwavering loyalty, commitment, and…

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Zenith Bank Plc has announced its unaudited results for the first quarter ending 31st March 2023, with an exceptional double-digit growth of 41% in Gross Earnings, increasing from ₦191.5 billion in Q1 2022 to ₦270 billion in Q1 2023. The unaudited statement of account submitted to the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) on Friday, 28th April 2023, indicated that the significant double-digit growth in the topline also boosted the bottom line, with the Group experiencing an impressive 27% year-on-year (YoY) increase in Profit Before Tax (PBT), rising from ₦68 billion in Q1…

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Fidelity Bank Plc yesterday released its latest audited financial statement and accounts to the investing public. A major highlight of the report is a recommendation of a 42.9 per cent increase in dividend payout by the board of directors of the bank. In one of the highest return growths in the stock market, Fidelity Bank, which set a personal record with its first interim dividend in 2022, is increasing cash dividends payable to shareholders for the 2022 business year from N10.137 billion in 2021 to N15.7 billion in 2022. According…

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In an increasingly uncertain macroeconomic environment, Fidelity Bank Plc has remained appealing in the banking sector. This is evident in its full year 2022 financial results which showed a better-than-expected performance amid the headwinds in the economy. Specifically, in the full year 2022 results, Fidelity Bank’s gross earnings increased to N337,050 billion as of December 31, 2022, significantly higher than the N250,776 billion recorded at the end of 2021. Also, Fidelity Bank’s Net Interest Income climbed to N152 billion in the year under review, up from N94.879 billion the previous…

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… with impressive FY’22 financials Fidelity Bank Plc has released its audited financial statements (AFS) for the year ended December 31, 2022 which showed the bank’s impressive growth across key top-to-bottom line figures. The full year 2022 scorecard The bank’s financial results released to the investing public at the Nigeria Exchange Limited (NGX) show its full year (FY) 2022 gross earnings printed higher at N337.050billion, representing 34.4percent increase against N250.776billion recorded in 2021. Net Interest Income (NII) rose by 60.94percent to N152.695billion from N94.879billion recorded in 2021. Its Profit Before…

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As part of its initiatives to reduce poverty and alleviate hunger in the society, leading financial institution, Fidelity Bank Plc, recently launched a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) scheme tagged the Fidelity Food Bank. Through the initiative, the bank would partner with carefully selected charity organizations across Nigeria to provide food items to members of the society monthly. At an event held to officially launch the project at the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church, Victoria Island, Lagos, MD/CEO, Fidelity Bank Plc, Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe said, “According to the Global Hunger…

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