—First Bank HQ, Lagos By Bunmi Onakan FirstBank, the West Africa premier bank and financial inclusion services provider, is thrilled to announce that its Corporate University, FirstAcademy, has been awarded the Gold Award for Best Corporate University in Social & Climate Change at the Global Council of Corporate Universities (GlobalCCU) Awards 2025. This highly acclaimed award recognises FirstAcademy’s outstanding commitment to driving social and climate… []
— Access Bank HQ By Muyiwa Akinola Access Bank PLC has once again demonstrated its leadership in sustainable finance with a strong showing at the launch of the Climate Governance Initiative Nigeria (CGIN) Chapter, hosted by Lagos Business School. Dr. Greg Jobome, Executive Director, Risk Management at Access Bank, was specially invited to speak at the event in recognition of the Bank’s pioneering role in… []
— Zuvy-Co-founders-Angel-Onuoha-and-Ahmad-Shehu By St. Johnson Adegboyega BAS Group, a Nigerian diversified financial services group, has acquired a majority stake in Zuvy, a local fintech startup focused on invoice financing. The company now owns over 50% of Zuvy following the acquisition, though both parties declined to disclose the exact financial terms. Based on Zuvy’s previously reported $4.5 million in funding — of which only $580,000 was… []
— GTBank logo (file) By Adeola Idris Guaranty Trust Bank Ltd (GTbank) has announced that all its branches across Nigeria will close earlier than usual on Monday, June 30. The bank made this known in a customer email sent on Saturday, informing clients of the temporary change in operation hours. According to the message, the early closure is to allow for the bank’s scheduled half-year… []
–– Central Bank of Nigeria By St. Johnson Adegboyega Meeting the N500 billion recapitalisation requirement set by the Central Bank of Nigeria an analysis of the banking consolidation shows that smaller banks are battling to raise the required minimum capital Already, two Nigerian banks have received approval from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to merge. The Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) recapitalisation target is… []
— Kingsley Ifeanyi Adonu By Olumuyiwa Akinola A prominent telecommunications entrepreneur and a leading partner of MTN Nigeria from Enugu State, Kingsley Ifeanyi Adonu, is set to be arraigned at the Federal High Court in Lagos over an alleged ₦10 billion fraud and money laundering scheme. Adonu, the founder and Chief Executive Officer of SMobile Group, a major conglomerate operating in the telecommunications, technology, and… []
— Zenith Bank Building By St. Johnson Adegboyega Zenith Bank Plc, Nigeria’s biggest bank by Tier-1 Capital, has assured shareholders and investors of its readiness to satisfy all relevant conditions to exit the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) regulatory forbearance by June 30, 2025. The bank also expressed confidence in meeting shareholders’ dividend expectations in the 2025 financial year. The clarification comes on the back… []
By St. Johnson Adegboyega Fidelity Bank Plc (“the Bank”) refers to the recent circular issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria “CBN” (Reference No. BSD/DIR/CON/LAB/018/008) concerning regulatory forbearance on Single Obligor Limit (SOL) and other credit facilities and wishes to provide the clarifications below to its esteemed shareholders, NGX Regulation Limited (NGX RegCo), and other stakeholders: (a) As a responsible financial organization, Fidelity Bank… []
— Fidelity Bank logo (File) By St. Johnson Adegboyega Our attention has been drawn to a publication on Sahara Reporters website titled, “Fidelity Bank MD Onyeali-Ikpe Confesses to Paying ₦5Billion To Avoid Police Detention Amid Over ₦19Billion Fraud Probe”. We would like to categorically state this story is patently false and has been maliciously written to deceive the public into believing that a N5billion bail… []
By St. Johnson Adegboyega L-R: Registrar/Chief Executive, Chartered Risk Management Institute of Nigeria (CRMI), Victor Olannye; Divisional Head, Risk Management Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Grace Abioye; Immediate Past President, CRMI, Ezekiel Oseni; President, CRMI and Executive Director/Chief Risk Officer, Fidelity Bank Plc, Kevin Ugwuoke; Director, Enterprise Risk Management, Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), Amal Haruna; and Rep. Keynote speaker, Deputy Group Management Director, United… []
— Aliko Dangote By St. Johnson Adegboyega Billionaire industrialist, and Time Magazine 100 world’s most influential philanthropists, Aliko Dangote has officially retired as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc, ending a 20-year tenure that shaped the company’s growth and market leadership. The announcement was made by Dangote Sugar Refinery in a statement signed by Company Secretary Temitope Hassan, confirming that… []
L-R: Team Lead, Human Resource and Business Partner East and South, Fidelity Bank Plc, Osayi Uwumarongie; Principal, Government Junior Secondary School Elekahia, Port Harcourt; Dr Ekeh Florence; Team Lead, CSR, Fidelity Bank Plc, Victoria Abuka; and Procurement Officer/Class President, Suncrest 2025 Inductees Class, Fidelity Bank Plc, Euphemia Okereafor; during the Fidelity Helping Hands Programme Donation to Government Secondary School, Port Harcourt, Rivers State recently. In… []
–– Femi Otedola, Oba Otudeko By St. Johnson Adegboyega The controversial power tussle for the control of Nigeria’s premier financial institution, First Holdco Plc, the parent company of First Bank of Nigeria, may be close to a final resolution, with major stakeholders Oba Otudeko and the Leadway Assurance/Olukayode Odukale bloc close to exiting their interests in the group. Sources close to the deal… []
— Zenith Bank Building, Lagos By St Johnson Adegboyega Zenith Bank Plc has been named “Best Bank in Nigeria” in the Global Finance Best Banks Awards 2025, winning the award for the fifth time in six years. The Bank was among winners from 36 countries in Africa recognised by the prestigious Global Finance in its 32nd Annual Best Bank Awards. The winners of this year’s… []
L-R: Mr. Wale Ogunride, Zonal Head, Lagos and South West, Unity Bank Plc; Ebehijie Momoh, Managing Director, AfriGo; Mr. Ebenezer Kolawole, Managing Director/CEO, Unity Bank Plc; and Mr. Ugo Obasi, Chief Operating Officer, AfriGo during AfriGo team’s visit to Unity Bank Head office recently. By St. Johnson Adegboyega Unity Bank Plc has reaffirmed its commitment to advancing electronic payment adoption and financial inclusion by… []
By St. Johnson Adegboyega Wema Bank, Nigeria’s most innovative bank and pioneer of Africa’s first fully digital bank, ALAT, has been announced as the winner of the ‘Commercial Bank of the Year’ Award at the 2025 Nairametrics Capital Market Choice Awards (NCMC Awards). The announcement was made at the prestigious awards gala held on May 23rd at the Civic Center in Lagos, where standout… []
— File photo of Union Bank logo By St. Johnson Adegboyega To deliver simpler, smarter banking solutions, Union Bank of Nigeria has partnered with the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) network, a Financial Market Infrastructure that provides hassle-free and convenient cross-border money transfers to some selected African countries. This revolutionary payment solution for implementing the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) is designed… []
— Dr. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, Managing Director/CEO of Fidelity Bank By St. Johnson Adegboyega Global credit rating agency, Fitch Ratings, has affirmed Fidelity Bank Plc’s Long-Term Issuer Default Rating (IDR) at ‘B’ and upgraded its National Long-Term Rating to ‘A+(nga)’ from ‘A(nga)’. The upgrade, announced on May 29, 2025, reflects the bank’s strengthened capital buffers and improved profitability, signaling continued positive momentum in its performance. According… []
— Chiderije Mbah poses with Wema Bank MD/CEO, Mr. Moruf Oseni By St. Johnson Adegboyega In a heartfelt celebration of 2025 Children’s Day, Wema Bank, Nigeria’s most innovative bank and pioneer of Africa’s first fully digital bank, ALAT, has unveiled 12-year-old Chiderije Mbah as its One-Day Managing Director/CEO for May 27, 2025, as part of a special initiative aimed at nurturing the next generation of Nigerian… []
L-R: Kemi Nanna Nandap, Comptroller General of Immigration; Paul Usoro (SAN), Chairman, Access Bank Plc; Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, Honourable Minister of Interior; Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, Chairman Access Holdings Plc; Bolaji Agbede, Acting Group Chief Executive Officer, Access Holdings Plc; and Roosevelt Ogbonna, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Access Bank Plc, at Access Tower, Victoria Island, during the Guest Lecture Series hosted by Access Bank in Lagos. Hon. Dr. Olubunmi… []
