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EcobankPay Hits N2bn Transactions Value; 100,000 Merchants onboarded

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Lagos, September 16, 2019 – Ecobank Nigeria says over 100,000 merchants have been onboarded on the EcobankPay platform with transaction value reaching N2billion. EcobankPay offers customers a multi-channel payment experience that includes Mobile QR Payment at merchant stores (mCash, Masterpass and mVisa), ​ Merchant QR is set up via Facebook Messenger as well as USSD​ payment for low-income phone users. EcobankPay is used by all businesses from small, informal micro merchants to large corporates as well as governments. It enables them to offer easy and convenient payment options to their customers in-store or online.

EcobankPay’s unique offering is such that all bank customers in Nigeria can pay with Masterpass, mVisa, and mCash with any phone by scanning the QR code or using USSD at merchant locations.​ It is free to set up, as the shop owner only needs his/her QR code and phone for notifications to start receiving quick and easy payments. Additional offerings include instant settlement of transaction with no transaction fees and it supports domestic and cross border transactions.

Announcing this development in Lagos, Carol Oyedeji, Executive Director, Commercial Banking, Ecobank Nigeria, said she was impressed with the level of acceptance of EcobankPay service by Nigerians. She reiterated that the digital product was introduced into the financial landscape to enhance payment and create ease and convenience of transactions. “The performance of EcobankPay underscores the choice of Ecobank in bringing digital payment solutions for safe, reliable and convenient transactions to both customers and non- customers of the bank. The EcobankPay channel offers a distinct advantage of supporting the three main payment schemes, Masterpass, mVisa and mCash thereby broadening acceptability regardless of which Bank a client makes payment from.​ The QR Code is much cheaper than having a point of sale (PoS) terminal and credit to the merchant is instant,​ she noted. ​

In his comment, Patrick Akinwuntan, Managing Director, Ecobank Nigeria said “we are determined to make Ecobankpay the choice for instant digital payment in Nigeria. This payment solutions was introduced by Ecobank to create payment convenience for goods and services and also to support the growth of businesses especially SMEs.

Further, he reiterated that “Ecobank is impressed with the significant progress made on EcobankPay transactions, as it is gradually becoming a lifestyle payment for all. The initiative is to deepen financial inclusion in the communities and specifically aid business transactions between merchants and clients by eliminating risk of payment rejection. Ecobank has so far set up EcobankPay Zones in over 50 locations in different parts of the country. These are digital hubs enabling businesses within a location adopt Ecobank’s wide range of digital products for ease of payments for goods and services. The payment options at the zones include EcobankPay, Xpress points, Automated Teller Machines (ATMS) and Point of Sale (PoS)”. he noted.

The EcobankPay Zone launched in February 2019 is available at various markets across the country, notably the Alaba International markets, International Trade Fair, Balogun Market, Saka Tinubu Market in Lagos; Relief market Onitsha, Ariaria Market both in South East; Kofa Ruwa and Kantin Kwari Market in Kano; ​ Wuse and Dei-Dei Market Abuja ; Phone Village, Port Harcourt, New Benin Market in Edo State and Main Market Warri amongst several others.

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Access Holdings and Coronation on Group Unite to Champion Landmark Nigerian Art Exhibition on at Tate Modern

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Access Holdings Plc and Coronation on Group Ltd, under the leadership of Chairman Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede CFR, are proud to announce their joint support of Nigerian Modernism, the “rst major UK exhibition on to trace the trajectory of modern art in Nigeria. Opening at Tate Modern in London this October, the exhibition brings together over 250 works from more than 50 artists, spotlights ng Nigeria’s extraordinary arsc legacy from the 1940s to the turn of the century. This uniquely curated exhibion places Nigeria’s creave legacy “rmly at the centre of global art history.For the two “nancial instuons, this partnership represents more than corporate patronage. It is a strategic investment in cultural restoraon and identy. By acvely supporng Nigerian Modernism, Access Holdings and Coronaon Group rea7rm their belief that Africa’s future will be shaped not only by innovaon in boardrooms and markets, but by imaginaon in studios, classrooms and museums.Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede CFR, Chairman of both instuons and a Member of Tate Modern’s Internaonal Council, brings a deeply personal commitment to this cause as one of Africa’s foremost patrons of the arts.“The modernist movement in Nigeria tells a story not just of art, but of the cultural awakening of a people who, even in mes of transon and turmoil, used creavity to assert dignity above circumstance and retain their authenc cultural identy,” he said.This commitment re:ects Mr. Aig-Imoukhuede’s philanthropic vision to build enduring African instuons. For him, culture is not separate from progress, rather central to it.

He explains that through this partnership with Tate, Access Holdings and Coronaon Group are helping to democrase access to African art, ensuring it is seen, studied and celebrated by the world. “This is how we inspire the next generaon. Not just of arsts, but of Africans who know that our stories ma;er and their voices are heard throughout history. I believe we all carry a sacred duty to protect and share our cultural legacy. The stories told by the artworks are living testaments to our ingenuity and global contribuon as Africans in the modern world,” he said.Tate Modern Director, Karin Hindsbo, said “This landmark exhibion is a powerful celebraon of the arsts who shaped a powerful vision of African Modernism. It brings long-overdue internaonal a;enon to their work and tells a visual story of cultural innovaon and exchange. We’re thrilled to be presenng this show at Tate Modern and to share the richness of Nigeria’s arsc legacy with audiences here in the UK and around the world.”Mr. Aig-Imoukhuede calls Nigerians everywhere, whether at home or part of the country’s vast and vibrant diaspora, to celebrate Nigerian Modernism as a cultural homecoming and a catalyst for conversaons that challenge outdated narraves.“The power of art transcends borders, connecng hearts and minds to inspire and drive change. This exhibion reminds us to reconnect with our roots and invites the world to see us through our own lens: rich, diverse and unapologecally African,” said Mr. Aig-Imoukhuede

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GTCO Plc Releases 2025 Half Year Audited Results ……. Reports Profit Before Tax of ₦600.9billion

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Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (“GTCO” or the “Group”) has released its Audited Consolidated and Separate Financial Statements for the period ended June 30, 2025, to the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX) and London Stock Exchange (LSE). The Group recorded profit before tax of 600.9billion on the back of strong performance on core earning lines₦ of interest income and fee income, which grew y-o-y by 31.5% and 33.0%, respectively. The strong core-earning performance doused the impact of the 493.01bn fair value gains recognised in H1-2024 which did not₦ recur in H1-2025, thereby narrowing y-o-y dip in PBT to 40%.The Group recorded growth across all its asset lines and continues to maintain a well-structured, de-risked, and diversified balance sheet in all the jurisdictions wherein it operates a Banking franchise, as well as across its Payments, Pension and Funds Management business verticals. Total assets and shareholders’ funds closed at 16.7trillion and 3.0trillion, respectively. Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) remained very robust and strong,₦ ₦ closing at 36.2%. Asset quality also improved as evidenced by IFRS 9 Stage 3 Loans which closed at 3.2% at Bank level and 4.5% % at Group in H1-2025 (Bank -3.5% (Group- 5.2% in December 2024) and Cost of Risk (COR) improved to 1.7% from 4.9% in December 2024. In specific term, the Group’s loan book (net) grew by 20.5% from 2.79trillion position of December 2024 to₦ 3.36trillion in June 2025. Similarly, deposit liabilities grew by 16.6% from 10.40trillion to 12.13trillion during₦ ₦ ₦ the same period. The Board approved an interim dividend of 1.00 per share for H1-2025.₦Commenting on the results, the Group Chief Executive Officer of Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc, Mr. Segun Agbaje, said: “Our half year performance reflects the strength of our core business and the progress we are making in building a truly diversified financial services ecosystem. Beyond the extraordinary one-off gains of last year, we are now driving sustainable growth with recurring earnings that highlight the resilience and scalability of our model. A key driver of this momentum is our continued investment in technology, particularly the comprehensive upgrade of our core banking systems, which is already delivering stronger uptime, greater efficiency, and increased capacity to scale as our customer base grows.”He added: “Across Banking, Funds Management, Pension, and Payments, we are leveraging a fully de-risked balance sheet to reinforce our market position while maintaining strategic flexibility for growth. This foundation positions us to take advantage of emerging opportunities and deliver lasting value for all stakeholders.”Overall, the Group continues to post one of the best metrics in the Nigerian Financial Services industry in terms of key financial ratios i.e., Pre-Tax Return on Equity (ROAE) of 60.4%, Pre-Tax Return on Assets (ROAA) of 10.6%, Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) of 36.2% and Cost to Income ratio of 30.1%. Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (GTCO Plc) is a leading financial services group with operations across Africa and the United Kingdom. Renowned for its strong corporate governance, innovative financial solutions, and customer-centric approach, GTCO Plc provides a wide range of banking and non-banking services including payments, funds management, and pension fund administration. The Group is committed to delivering long-term value to stakeholders while driving growth and development across its markets.

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ZENITH BANK’S GROSS EARNINGS HIT N2.5 TRILLION IN H1 2025, DECLARES N1.25 INTERIM DIVIDEND

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Zenith Bank Plc has released its Group financial results for the half year ending June 2025, posting an impressive profit before tax of N625.629 billion. Following this robust performance, the Board has approved an interim dividend of N1.25 per share, a 25% increase over the N1.00 paid in the first half of 2024, maintaining the Bank’s position as a leading dividend-paying Bank and reinforcing its longstanding commitment to rewarding its esteemed shareholders.The substantial dividend payout reflects exceptional underlying performance. Despite higher provisioning requirements from the industry-wide exit of the CBN forbearance regime, the Bank recorded a robust 20% year-on-year increase in gross earnings, rising from N2.1 trillion to N2.5 trillion in H1 2025. Interest income drove this performance with an impressive 60% growth, climbing from N1.1 trillion to N1.8 trillion. The Bank achieved this impressive increase in interest income through strategic repricing of risk assets and effective treasury management.Commenting on the H1 2025 results, Group Managing Director/CEO, Dame Dr. Adaora Umeoji, OON, noted that Zenith Bank’s performance reaffirms the creativity and innovation of our unicorn workforce in a dynamic operating environment. “Despite the huge provisioning requirements as the industry exits the CBN forbearance regime, we’ve seen substantial improvement in our asset quality. Our balance sheet remains robust with adequate capital buffers, positioning us well to seize opportunities across our key markets,” she said.Building on this strong foundation, the GMD/CEO indicated that the Bank expects to accelerate its growth trajectory in the second half of the year. She assured shareholders that the robust performance, combined with the improved asset quality, positions the Bank to deliver exceptional returns, with expectations of a quantum year-end dividend for 2025. “Our shareholders can look forward to continued value creation as we leverage emerging opportunities and maintain our strategic growth with strong corporate governance culture,” she noted, highlighting the Bank’s track record of improving dividend payments even during challenging periods.Looking beyond H1 2025, she reinforced her optimistic outlook: “We’re on a solid growth path that we expect to maintain through the rest of 2025 and into 2026. Our focus remains on innovation, digital transformation, and developing solutions that address our clients’ changing needs. With improving market conditions, we’re well placed to sustain this momentum whilst maintaining responsible leadership and delivering exceptional value to all our stakeholders.”The Bank’s financial performance indicates strong fundamentals in a transitioning macroeconomic environment, with profit after tax reaching N532 billion and earnings per share standing at N12.95 for the period under review. Net interest income demonstrated exceptional growth, surging 90% year-on-year from N715 billion to an impressive N1.4 trillion, whilst non-interest income contributed N613 billion in H1 2025.The Bank’s total assets expanded to N31 trillion in June 2025, representing steady growth from N30 trillion in December 2024, underpinned by a robust and well-structured balance sheet. Customer confidence remained strong, with deposits growing by 7% from N22 trillion to N23 trillion in June 2025. The loan book stood at N10.2 trillion in June 2025 against N11 trillion in December 2024., reflecting the Bank’s prudent risk management approach.

The Bank delivered strong returns with ROAE at 24.8% and ROAA at 3.5% as at June 2025. The cost-to-income ratio stood at 48.2%, reflecting necessary provisioning for regulatory compliance and the impact of inflationary pressures. Asset quality improved significantly, with the NPL ratio dropping to 3.1% in June 2025 from 4.7% in December 2024. The Bank maintains a fortress balance sheet with capital adequacy at 26% and liquidity ratio at 69%, both comfortably exceeding regulatory requirements.Zenith Bank’s track record of excellent performance has continued to earn the brand numerous awards including being recognised as the Number One Bank in Nigeria by Tier-1 Capital for the sixteenth consecutive year in the 2025 Top 1000 World Banks Ranking, published by The Banker and “Nigeria’s Best Bank” at the Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2025. The Bank was also awarded Bank of the Year (Nigeria) in The Banker’s Bank of the Year Awards for 2020, 2022 and 2024; Best Bank in Nigeria from 2020 to 2022, 2024 and 2025, in the Global Finance World’s Best Banks Awards; Best Bank for Digital Solutions in Nigeria in the Euromoney Awards 2023; and was listed in the World Finance Top 100 Global Companies in 2023.Further recognitions include Best Commercial Bank, Nigeria for five consecutive years from 2021 to 2025 in the World Finance Banking Awards and Most Sustainable Bank, Nigeria in the International Banker 2023 and 2024 Banking Awards. Additionally, Zenith Bank has been acknowledged as the Best Corporate Governance Bank, Nigeria, in the World Finance Corporate Governance Awards for four consecutive years from 2022 to 2025 and ‘Best in Corporate Governance’ Financial Services’ Africa for four consecutive years from 2020 to 2023 by the Ethical Boardroom.The Bank’s commitment to excellence saw it being named the Most Valuable Banking Brand in Nigeria in The Banker’s Top 500 Banking Brands for 2020 and 2021, Bank of the Year 2023 and 2024 at the BusinessDay Banks and Other Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards, and Retail Bank of the Year for three consecutive years from 2020 to 2022 and in 2024 at the BAFI Awards. The Bank also received the accolades of Best Commercial Bank, Nigeria and Best Innovation in Retail Banking, Nigeria, in the International Banker 2022 Banking Awards.Zenith Bank was also named Most Responsible Organisation in Africa, Best Company in Transparency and Reporting and Best Company in Gender Equality and Women Empowerment at the SERAS CSR Awards Africa 2024; Bank of the Year 2024 by ThisDay Newspaper; Bank of the Year 2024 by New Telegraph Newspaper; and Best in MSME Trade Finance, 2023 by Nairametrics. The Bank’s Hybrid Offer was also adjudged ‘Rights Issue/ Public Offer of the Year’ at the Nairametrics Capital Market Choice Awards 2025

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