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Stanbic IBTC records improvement in key metrics in the first quarter amid yield pressure
Stanbic IBTC, a member of Standard Bank Group, has announced its three months unaudited results for the period ended 31 March 2021.
Commenting on the results, Dr. Demola Sogunle, Chief Executive Stanbic IBTC, said: “The domestic economy remains quite fragile. Negative real returns prevailed in the first quarter as headline inflation continued on the rise, currently above 18% as of March 2021. Economic activities are expected to improve as the authorities take on appropriate actions and business confidence improves. Just recently, in April 2021, the CBN resumed dollar sales to foreign portfolio investors for the first time since December 2020 to clear the backlog of foreign exchange demand.
The Group’s profitability in the first quarter moderated year-on-year due to pressure on trading income: trading activities in our Global Markets business slowed down compared to prior year, operating expenses from regulatory induced charges increased,as well as the continued pressure on risk asset yields. The decline was partly cushioned by the year-on-year improvement in net fee and commission revenue as well as an impairment write-back of ₦155 million in Q1 2021 compared to the charge of ₦1.97billion in prior year. The impairment write-back was due to releases and after write-off recoveries achieved during the quarter.
Again, the diversity of our earnings proved supportive during the period. Wealth’s profitability improved from prior period and provided succour for the contraction in profitability of the Corporate and Investment Banking and the Personal and Business Banking businesses. That said, gross customer loans continued to grow, increasing by 16% from the December 2020 position. The continued loan growth would support margin accretion and ultimately compensate for the pressure on yields. Customer deposits also increased by 6% from the December 2020 position, most of the growth arose from cheap deposits and resulted in further improvement in the CASA ratio to 83.3% (FY 2020: 82.8%), which was positive for our funding costs. Our capital and liquidity positions remained robust in Q1 2021.
Our latest addition, Stanbic IBTC Insurance Limited commenced full operations during the quarter. Our Pension business introduced the Loyalty program, UMatter, to appreciate our esteemed clients. Our Asset Management business launched the Stanbic IBTC Enhanced Short-Term Fixed Income Fund which invests in short term bonds issued by the Government and corporate entities. We are committed to achieving our Full Year 2021 Guidance.”
Financial highlights
Income statement
- Gross earnings of ₦45.7 billion, representing 26% decrease (Q1 2020: ₦61.4 billion)
- Net interest income of ₦15.9 billion, down 14% (Q1 2020: ₦18.5 billion)
- Non-interest revenue of ₦23.1 billion, down 29% (Q1 2020: ₦32.6 billion)
- Total operating income of ₦38.9 billion, down 24% (Q1 2020: ₦51.2 billion)
- Profit before tax of ₦12.1 billion, down 50% (Q1 2020: ₦24.4 billion)
- Profit after tax of ₦11.3 billion, down 45% (Q1 2020: ₦20.6 billion)
- Cost to income ratio of 69.2% (Q1 2020: 48.4%)
- Return on average equity (annualised) 11.6%
- Return on average assets (annualised) 1.7%
Financial position
- Total assets increased by 3% to ₦2.569 trillion (December 2020: ₦2.486 trillion)
- Gross loans & advances up 16% to ₦762.7 billion (December 2020: ₦655.3 billion)
- Non-performing loans increased by 3% to ₦27.2 billion (December 2020: ₦26.5
billion)
- Non-performing loan to total loan ratio of 3.6% (December 2020: 4.0%)
- Customer deposits increased by 6% to ₦867.0 billion (December 2020: ₦819.9
billion)
- Deposit mix improved to 83.3% (December 2020: 82.8%) of current-and-savings accounts deposits to total deposits
Capital and liquidity
The Group maintained adequate level of capital during the period. The Group’s total capital adequacy ratio closed at 22.7% (Bank: 17.8%), which is significantly higher than the 10% minimum regulatory requirement.The Group maintained a strong and diversified funding base during the first quarter of 2021. The Group’s liquidity ratio was above the regulatory minimum requirement of 30%, which indicates the Group’s sound position to continue meeting its liquidity obligations in a timely manner.If you have any query, please do not hesitate to contact the undersigned on the numbers listed below:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC
Idris Toriola (Head, Investor Relations and Strategy) +234 1 422 8501
Kunle Adedeji (Group Chief Financial Officer) +234 1 422 8767.
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HabariPay Launches Maiden “HabariPay Impact Report 2025”, Showcasing Its Journey, Business Evolution, and Contributions to Digital Payments
HabariPay Limited, the fintech subsidiary of Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (“GTCO” or the “Group”), has unveiled its maiden HabariPay Impact Report 2025, providing stakeholders with a comprehensive account of the company’s evolution, innovation journey, business performance, and impact on the digital payments landscape.The report captures HabariPay’s transformation from a newly established fintech venture into one of Nigeria’s leading payment infrastructure providers, highlighting the milestones, strategic decisions, and investments that have shaped its growth. It showcases the company’s contributions to enabling digital commerce, supporting businesses, strengthening payment infrastructure, and expanding financial access through technology-driven solutions.The HabariPay Impact Report 2025 also highlights the company’s strong financial and operational performance, the growth of the Squad platform, and the development of infrastructure that powers payment acceptance, switching, transfers, merchant services, and value-added solutions. The publication further explores the role of innovation, talent development, and ecosystem partnerships in driving the company’s success.Speaking on the launch of the report, the Managing Director of HabariPay, Eduofon Japhet, said: “As a technology-driven company, we believe that impact extends beyond financial performance. It is reflected in the businesses we enable, the merchants we support, the infrastructure we build, and the opportunities we create for the next generation of innovators. The HabariPay Impact Report 2025 captures this journey and demonstrates our commitment to creating sustainable value for customers, partners, and the broader economy.”She further added: “The HabariPay Impact Report 2025 represents more than a reflection on our achievements; it is a testament to the deliberate investments we have made in building sustainable payment infrastructure, empowering businesses, fostering innovation, and creating long-term value for our stakeholders. As we look ahead, we remain committed to expanding our capabilities, deepening our impact, and shaping the future of digital payments through technology-driven solutions that are secure, scalable, and inclusive.”The report also showcases HabariPay’s investments in innovation through initiatives such as the Take on Squad Hackathon and the Squad Hackademy, both of which are helping to develop future technology talent and accelerate the creation of practical solutions to real-world challenges.Looking ahead, the publication outlines HabariPay’s vision for the future, including continued investment in payment infrastructure, merchant solutions, digital innovation, and intelligent technologies that will shape the future of financial services.
To access the HabariPay Impact Report 2025, please click the below: https://squadco.com/impact-report/About HabariPayHabariPay Ltd is the fintech subsidiary of Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (GTCO), one of the largest financial services institutions in Africa with direct and indirect investments in a network of operating entities located in 10 countries across Africa and the United Kingdom.Licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), our goal is to support SMEs, micro merchants, large corporations, and other fintechs (Tech Stars) with the tools they need to thrive in an evolving digital economy and expand beyond their current market reach. HabariPay’s solutions include Squad, a full-scale digital payments toolkit to make in-person and online payments simpler, HabariPay Storefront, an e-commerce website to facilitate online purchases, Value-Added Services to help merchants access cost-effective and flexible airtime and data bundles to run their businesses, as well as a switching infrastructure that enables tech-focused businesses to optimise cost and make transactions more efficient.HabariPay’s contributions to Accelerating Digital Acceptance in Africa have not gone unnoticed–it received Mastercard’s Innovative Mobile Payment Solution Award at TIA 2022 for its innovative payment solution, SquadPOS.
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ZENITHBANKPARTNERSLAWMA,LASWATOCOMMEMORATEWORLDENVIRONMENT DAY 2026 WITH TWO-PHASE LAGOS CLEAN-UP
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ZENITH BANK RENEWS COMMITMENT TO CHILDREN WITH EDUCATION, INCLUSION & OPPORTUNITY AT THE CORE
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Much more than commemorating the annual Children’s Day marked every May 27, Zenith Bank Plc is championing thenarrativethatchildrenarethetrueleadersoftomorrow.TheBankhasdeepeneditsinvestmentincarefullycuratedinitiativesthatelevatechildrenacrosseducation,financialliteracy,health,digitalinclusion,andsocialprotection,building a generation equipped to thrive and lead. For Zenith Bank, every child matters, and the Bank’s footprint reflectsa deliberate, pan-African strategy to nurture potential from the earliest age.Zenith Bank has been the financial institution partner to Kiddies Corner on Inspiration 92.3FM Lagos for over threeyears, anchoring the Tuesday edition and Zenith Financial Literacy Friday show. The programme blends spelling beecontestswithfinancialliteracyquestions,creatingawarenessandonboardingchildrenintotheZenithChildren’sAccount (ZECA). This partnership came alive at the Inspiration FM Children’s Day Carnival on Saturday, May 23, 2026,whereZenithBankhostedover1,000childrenandtheirparents,celebratingZECAwinnerswithgames,skits,andZenith Bank branded gifts.The Bank’s Zenith Financial Literacy Week, held quarterly, takes this mission into select schools across all 36 statesandtheFCT.Studentsaretrainedonsavings,budgeting,basicinvestments,anditsretailproducts,withthetopperformer in each school awarded N50,000. Complementing this is the Bank’s nationwide Financial Literacy ProgramundertheCBN-mandatedGlobalMoneyWeek,whichin2025alonereached3,622studentsacross22LGAs,deploying 137 bank employee volunteers as educators.In alignment with the United Nation’s (UN) Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 on Quality Education, Zenith Bankhasdonatedstate-of-the-artICTcentresandcomputersystemstoschoolsanduniversitiesnationwide,includingaComputerCentretoBamainaAcademy,Dutse,JigawaState.Itstransformativeinterventionsincludefullyequippedlibraries,vocationalfacilities,andlarge-scaleschoolrenovations,fromOjotaSecondarySchoolandVictoriaIslandSecondary School in Lagos to Hugallawa Primary School in Jigawa. Targeted financial support further breaks barrierswith N1 million cash donation to Louisville Girls High School, Ijebu-Itele, supporting girl-child education; infrastructureupgrades at Maryland Comprehensive Secondary School; a N1 million scholarship endowment for St. Francis CatholicSecondary School; and support for the North-East Children’s Fund to aid education in conflict-affected communities.Through its Primary Healthcare Centre Initiative across all 774 LGAs, Zenith Bank educates parents on early childhoodsavings during routine visits, linking health and financial well-being. The “PAD-A-QUEEN” Initiative commemorates theInternational Day of the Girl Child, reaching5,000 girls in 10 schools withsanitary pads, hygiene kits, and menstrualhealth education to keep girls in school and promote SDGs 3, 4, and 5.The Bank’s compassion extends to the most vulnerable. At Bethesda Home and School for the Blind, Idi Oro, Lagos,Zenith donatedbraille materials,food, and toiletries.For the2026 InternationalDay forStreet Children,it partneredwithBosco Child Protection Centre on medical check-ups, food, clothing, and counseling. Annual Christmas Charity Visits toorphanagesdelivercash,toys,andessentialsupplies,whilesupportfortheSmileandShineChildrenFoundation’sStrive Conference empowers over 2,000 adolescents with life skills and leadership training.Commenting on the Bank’s intentionality towards the development of children, Dame Dr. Adaora Umeoji, OON, GroupManaging Director/CEO, ZenithBank Plc, said, “AtZenith Bank, weare deliberate about initiativesthat elevate childrenbecausetheyarenotjustourfuture,theyareourpresentresponsibility.AsWhitneyHoustonsopoignantlysang,‘Ibelievethechildrenarethefuture,teachthemwellandletthemleadtheway.’Thatisthephilosophydrivingourinvestmentsineducation,financialliteracy,health,anddigitalinclusion.FromKiddiesCornertoICTcentres,fromPHCs to orphanages, we are teaching them well, equipping them early, and giving them the tools to lead. Zenith Bankrenews its commitment to every Nigerian child, to nurture their dreams, protect their dignity, and secure their tomorrow.”Championing youth expression, the Zenith Annual Youth Parade, hosted by the Bank for 19 years, stands as a flagshipCorporate Social Responsibilityinitiative. Bringing togetherthousands of childrenand teenagers in avibrant showcaseof unity and discipline, the parade has remained dedicated since inception to the vital mission of supporting, nurturing, -
andempoweringtheNigerianchild,reinforcingtheBank’sbeliefthatleadershipislearnedearlythroughteamwork,confidence, and celebration of young Nigerian identity.ForZenithBank,Children’sDayismorethanadateonthecalendar.Itisadailypledgetoempower,protect,andprepareNigeria’schildrenforleadership.Fromclassroomstocommunities, the Bank’s initiatives are teaching them welland letting them lead the way because the future belongs to children who are equipped today.

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