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Access Bank to acquire subsidiaries of Standard Chartered in 5 African countries
Access Bank Plc 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, and Roosevelt Ogbonna, Group Managing Director, Access Bank Plc.
The agreement with Access for the sale of the bank’s business in Sub-Saharan Africa is in line with Standard Chartered’s global strategy, aimed at achieving operational efficiencies, reducing complexity, and driving scale.
Access Bank will provide a full range of banking services and continuity for key stakeholders including employees and clients in the Standard Chartered businesses across the five aforementioned countries. Access and Standard Chartered Bank will work closely together in the coming months to ensure a seamless transition, with the transaction expected to be completed over the next 12 months.
Commenting on the agreement, Sunil Kaushal, Regional CEO, Africa & Middle East, Standard Chartered, said: “Following on the announcement we made in April last year, the project is now substantially completed with the announcement for the sale of the 5 markets and the furtherance of a partnership with Access Bank. This strategic decision allows us to redirect resources within the AME region to other areas with significant growth potential, ultimately enabling us to better support our clients. We look forward to working closely with Access Bank’s team over the coming months to achieve a successful conclusion to this transaction while safeguarding the interests of our valued clients and prioritising our employees.”
Commenting on the agreement, Roosevelt Ogbonna, Group Managing Director, Access Bank Plc, stated, “We are pleased to sign this agreement today and express our appreciation for being selected as the preferred partner to Standard Chartered Bank through this transaction, in which it is exiting four African markets and refocusing in one. As a distinguished regional and international bank with a rich heritage spanning over 150 years, Standard Chartered Bank has built a solid presence in these markets for over 100 years.”
For Access, this strategic transaction represents a key step in its journey to build a strong global franchise focused on serving as a gateway for payments, investment, and trade within Africa and between Africa and the rest of the world, anchored by a robust capital base; a relentless focus on execution; and best-in-class customer service & governance structures.
“At Access Bank, we are committed to reshaping the global perception of Africa and African businesses, even as we continue to build toward our vision to be the World’s Most Respected African Bank. Our 5-year growth plan will see us build a world-class class payments gateway leveraging the power of technology and supported by a dynamic ecosystem of local and international partnerships, enabling us to serve global payments and remittances efficiently. With our recent European expansion and our deepened presence in key trading corridors across Africa, we will bridge the gap between cross-border and domestic transfers across all business segments. More importantly, we are committed to impacting our host communities positively,” Ogbonna added.
In April 2022, Standard Chartered strategically decided to divest from a number of markets, namely Lebanon, Angola, Cameroon, Gambia, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe and Jordan, and to exit the CPBB (Consumer Private and Business Banking) business in Côte d’Ivoire and Tanzania. The Bank announced its sale of its business in Zimbabwe earlier in June and in Jordan in March this year. With this announcement, Standard Chartered has substantially completed the divestment process from the markets announced in April 2022, except Côte d’Ivoire where it remains actively engaged in discussions with potential buyers for the sale of its CPBB business in the country.
Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (GTCO Plc) is pleased to announce the 9th edition of the GTCO Food and Drink Festival, scheduled to hold from Friday, May 1st to Sunday, May 3rd, 2026, at GTCentre, Plot 1 Water Corporation Drive, Oniru, Victoria Island, Lagos.Geographic Reference
This year’s theme, “Everything Food and Drink,” captures the expansive nature of the Festival experience. It reflects not only the variety of cuisines on display but also the depth of stories behind them. Over the years, the GTCO Food and Drink Festival has grown far beyond a seasonal celebration to become a culturally significant platform where food and drink serve as a meeting point for storytelling, innovation, and opportunity. The Festival will feature 204 free retail stalls, showcasing the rich diversity and creativity of our food culture; from time-honoured traditional dishes preserved across generations, to bold contemporary interpretations of global cuisine, creating space for every flavour, every technique, and every craving to find expression.
Visitors can expect a rich programme featuring interactive masterclasses, live culinary demonstrations, food and wine tastings, and a vibrant marketplace showcasing small and medium-scale food businesses alongside established culinary brands. In addition to its wide range of food and drink offerings, the GTCO Food and Drink Festival is renowned for its family-friendly atmosphere, with a well-equipped play area and a variety of engaging activities for children, ensuring an unforgettable experience for the whole family.
Speaking ahead of the 2026 edition, the Group Chief Executive Officer of GTCO Plc, Segun Agbaje, emphasized the Festival’s continued evolution as both a cultural and economic enabler: “The GTCO Food and Drink Festival has, over the years, become a living expression of what we stand for as an institution: innovation, opportunity, and enterprise that is accessible to all. What makes this platform special is not just its scale, but its humanity. It brings together people from different walks of life around something universal—food and drink—and in doing so, it breaks barriers and builds connections that extend far beyond the event itself.”
Since inception, the GTCO Food and Drink Festival has positioned itself as one of Africa’s most prominent culinary gatherings, attracting participation from across Nigeria and increasingly from the wider continent and diaspora.
Admission remains free and open to all, reaffirming the Festival’s commitment to accessibility as a consumer-focused event that brings people together through food, drink, culture, and enterprise.
For more information on the event, please visit: https://foodanddrink.gtcoplc.com
Leading financial institution, Fidelity Bank Plc, has announced the signing of a strategic partnership agreement with Aircraft Finance Germany (AFG) to advance the aviation sector in Nigeria and across Africa by both organisations.
The agreement was formally executed by Mr. Christian Hatje, Managing Director, Business Aviation and SVP Commercial, representing AFG; and Mr. Stanley Amuchie, Executive Director and Chief Operations and Information Officer of Fidelity Bank Plc at a signing ceremony in Germany recently.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Mr. Christian Hatje stated, “This partnership marks a significant milestone in our commitment to Africa’s aviation future. Partnering with Fidelity Bank, Nigeria’s leading aviation financier, we are confident in our ability to structure solutions that will drive meaningful growth across the sector.”
Through this partnership, both institutions will work closely to identify, finance, and grow aviation opportunities across the continent. The collaboration aims to provide innovative leasing and financing solutions that support airlines, aviation operators, and related stakeholders in expanding capacity, modernizing fleets, and strengthening operational and fleet efficiency.
“Fidelity Bank remains dedicated to supporting the aviation industry through tailored financial solutions. Our collaboration with AFG strengthens our capacity to provide sustainable financing that will contribute to the expansion of aviation in Nigeria and across Africa,” explained Mr. Stanley Amuchie.
This partnership reflects a shared vision to foster long-term development, stimulate investment, and create sustainable opportunities within the African aviation industry.
Nigeria remains a strategic hub for aviation development in Africa. By combining AFG’s leasing expertise with Fidelity Bank’s deep sector knowledge and financial strength, the partnership is positioned to unlock new growth pathways and enhance the sustainability of the aviation ecosystem.
This collaboration in Africa forms part of AFG’s broader global portfolio expansion strategy, reflecting the company’s continued commitment to structured aviation investments across multiple international markets.
Fidelity Bank is regarded as a market-leader in the Nigerian aviation industry with a long list of interventions across the value chain. Its aviation finance solutions support aircraft acquisition and leasing, route expansion, aviation infrastructure development, cargo and export enablement; and partnership structures for large projects.
Re-affirming Unrivalled Capacity to Creating Value₦ Lagos, London – 31st March 2026Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (“GTCO” or the “Group”) has released its Audited Consolidated and Separate Financial Statements for the year ended December 31, 2025, to the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX) and London Stock Exchange (LSE).The Group reported profit before tax of 1.23trillion underpinned by strong growth in core earnings, with interest₦ income and fee income increasing y-o-y by 23.2% and 25.9%, respectively. The performance reaffirms its capacity to generate sustainable earnings and builds on the momentum from 2024, when GTCO delivered a record profit of 1.27trillion, driven in part by 517.5billion in fair value gains, which did not recur in 2025.₦ ₦The Group’s 2025 profit after tax came in at 865.75billion against 1.02trillion recorded in 2024. The profit after tax₦ ₦ reflects the impact of recent fiscal policy adjustments to the taxation of investment securities, notably withholding tax on short-term instruments. However, when normalised for this effect, underlying earnings remain robust, driven by growth in core operating income. The Group continues to maintain a well-structured, healthy, 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 1₦ 7.8trillion and 3.₦ 4trillion, respectively. Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) remained very robust and strong, closing at 43.8%, likewise asset quality improved as evidenced by IFRS 9 Stage 3 Loans which closed at 3.4% and 5.0% at Bank and Group level in FY-2025 (Bank, 3.5%, and Group, 5.2% in December 2024). Cost of Risk (COR) also improved to 2.2% from 4.9% in December 2024. In specific terms, the Group’s loan book (net) grew by 12.4% from 2.79trillion as of December 2024 to₦ 3.13trillion in December 2025. Similarly, deposit liabilities grew by 23.8% from 10.40trillion to 12.87trillion during₦ ₦ ₦ the same period.Commenting on the results, the Group Chief Executive Officer of Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc, Mr. Segun Agbaje, said: “Our 2025 result underscores the resilience and depth of our earnings capacity. Following a record 2024, which included significant fair value gains, our focus has been on strengthening the sustainability of our earnings by driving growth across our core banking and ecosystem businesses. The strength of our underlying earnings, despite a stronger Naira and tighter regulatory parameters, reflects the quality of our franchise and the discipline with which we execute our strategy. Importantly, this strong core earnings performance underpins our capacity to sustain and grow shareholder returns. Our record dividend payout this year is not only a reflection of our current profitability but also of our confidence in the Group’s long-term earnings potential. Looking ahead, we remain focused on scaling our ecosystem, driving innovation across our financial services platform, and delivering consistent, high-quality earnings that support superior value creation for our shareholders.”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., Post-Tax Return on Equity (ROAE) of 28.3%, Post-Tax Return on Assets (ROAA) of 5.3%, Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) of 43.8% and Cost to Income Ratio of 27.9%.Guaranty Trust Holding Company 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, the Group provides a wide range of banking and non-banking services including payments, funds management, and pension fund administration. GTCO Plc is committed to delivering long-term value to stakeholders while driving growth and development across its markets.
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