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UBA is Well-Positioned to Benefit from Recovery Trends in 2021 says Elumelu

• Shareholders optimistic about future earnings prospects
Pan African financial institution, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc has assured its teeming shareholders and investors of even greater returns in the coming months, with the bank having established a diversified business model that ensures impressive performance even in periods of uncertainty, across its geographical network.
UBA Group Chairman, Tony O. Elumelu, who gave this assurance to shareholders at the 59th Annual General Meeting at the UBA Head Office, on Thursday April 1, 2021, explained that the bank has made strategic decisions that will strengthen its resolve to earn the industry leadership that it has envisioned in Nigeria, Africa and globally.
“We spearheaded strategic investments in our digital banking and technology platforms to further promote self-service banking; we have also focused on enhancing the capabilities of our people through various online capacity development programmes,” Elumelu added, “Our African operations (ex-Nigeria) have contributed approximately 55% of our profits for the year, illustrating that we are truly a pan-African bank.”
He further explained that the bank remains committed to ensuring its viability amid an ever-changing business environment and to continue be a role model for African businesses by showcasing the best of Africa to the world. “The work we have done in strengthening our governance structures Group-wide and in improving our business and operating models in 2020 positions our bank to benefit from these recovery trends and to achieve significant market share gains across our operations,” he noted.
At the end of the 2020 financial year, UBA’s profits grew remarkably by 27.7 percent to N113.8 billion, compared to N89.1 billion recorded at the end of the 2019 financial year, whilst profit before tax was impressive at N131.9 billion, compared to N111.3 billion at the end of the 2019 financial year.
Gross earnings grew by 10.8 percent to N620.4 billion, compared to N559.8 billion recorded in the same period of 2019 whilst total assets also grew by 5.6 percent to an unprecedented N7.7 trillion for the year under review.
In its usual tradition of rewarding shareholders, the bank proposed a final dividend of N0.35 kobo for every ordinary share of 50 kobo, bringing the total dividend for the year to N0.52 kobo as the bank had paid an interim dividend of N0.17 kobo earlier in the year.
Shareholders at the meeting commended the bank’s decision to plough-back some of its profits into business consolidation, adding that these times call for prudent and effective management of financial resources for all businesses especially those with high shareholding rate such as UBA.
One of the shareholders, Sir Sunny Nwosu, who spoke at the meeting, commended the board and management of the bank company for keeping up with its activities despite the Covid-19 pandemic and its resultant effect on major businesses.
Whilst advising the company to gear up efforts to increase dividends in the next financial year, Nwosu praised UBA’s for ensuring that the African subsidiaries performed well by contributing 55% to the Group’s business.
Another shareholder, Nonah Awoh, who agreed with the improvement recorded from the bank’s Ex-Nigeria’s subsidiaries, encouraged the management to boost other subsidiaries with the needed resources to help them perform even better in the current financial year.
UBA’s Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Kennedy Uzoka, who responded to shareholders’ comments at the meeting spoke on the reduced dividend pay-out this year, explaining that the bank had decided to be conservative to further strengthen the business.
He said, “As an institution that has been in operations for 72 uninterrupted years, UBA wants to continue to perform optimally. In line with this, we have used most of our funds to prepare for unforeseen challenges. Given the trajectory and the resilience of our business, we can assure you that we will meet and surpass the expectation of you our shareholders.”
Continuing, he said, “We have recalibrated our business structure, starting from Lagos and extending to the South-South. We have bolstered them with the necessary leadership to achieve our aim. We believe that with these measures we have put in place, our Nigerian business will give the rest of Africa a good fight,” Uzoka said.
United Bank for Africa Plc is a leading Pan-African financial institution, offering banking services to more than twenty-one million customers, across over 1,000 business offices and customer touch points. Operating in 20 African countries with presence in the United States of America, the United Kingdom and France, UBA is connecting people and businesses across Africa through retail; commercial and corporate banking; innovative cross-border payments and remittances; trade finance and ancillary banking services.
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GTCO Plc Becomes the 1st Financial Services Institution in West Africa to Achieve Listing and Trading of its Ordinary Shares on the London Stock Exchange

Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (GTCO Plc), Africa’s leading and most profitable Financial Services Group, has recorded a significant milestone in its growth and expansion journey with the successful admission of its Ordinary Shares to the Equity Shares (International Commercial Companies Secondary Listing) category of the Official List of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and to trading on the main market for listed securities of the London Stock Exchange.
This historic achievement makes GTCO Plc, the 1stFinancial Services Institution in West Africa to dual list its Ordinary Shares on both the Nigerian and London stock exchanges, and subject to certain criteria, it is expected that the Shares will be transferrable between the two exchanges.
The admission follows the successful pricing of its fully marketed offering (The Offering) on the London Stock Exchange to raise gross proceeds of $105million in exchange for 2.29 billion of new ordinary shares in the company, which was supported by a strong book of high-quality, long-term institutional investors.
Concurrent with the Offering, the Company also gave notice of its intention to cancel the listing of its existing GDRs on the certificates representing certain securities (depositary receipts) category of the Official List of the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”) and the admission to trading of GDRs on the London Stock Exchange’s main market for listed securities.
Building on the momentum of the successful first tranche of its equity capital raise programme in July 2024, which secured ₦209 billion, GTCO will deploy the proceeds from the Offering to strengthen its capital base, meet its recapitalization target, and fund strategic expansion across high-growth markets and priority sectors within and outside Nigeria.
It is expected that Admission and unconditional dealing in the Shares will become effective on or before 8.00 a.m. (UK time) on 9 July 2025 under the ticker “GTHC”. Following the cancellation of the GDRs listing, the Company intends to change the ticker symbol for the Shares from “GTHC” to “GTCO” and will issue a separate announcement in due course to that effect.
Commenting on the LSE Listing, the Group Chief Executive Officer of Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc, Mr. Segun Agbaje, said: “Today marks a major milestone—not just for GTCO, but for the future we see for African financial institutions on the global stage. We are incredibly proud to be the 1stFinancial Services Institution in West Africa to list our ordinary shares on London Stock Exchange’s main market for listed securities, and even more honored by the trust placed in us by the investing community. For us, this was not just about raising capital. It was about validating the strength of our franchise, the clarity of our strategy, and the discipline with which we execute.”
He further said; “I would like to thank everyone who made this possible—our advisors and legal teams, our longstanding shareholders, the regulators both in Nigeria and in the UK, as well as the Nigerian government for creating an environment that supports our bold ambition and vision to be Africa’s leading financial services institution.”
GTCO’s fully marketed offering attracted long-term institutional capital, reflecting investor confidence in the Group’s fundamentals, governance, and strategic outlook. It also signals improving market sentiment, buoyed by ongoing economic reforms by the Federal Government and a return to traditional orthodox monetary policy by the Central Bank of Nigeria, which have gone a long way to stabilising the macroeconomic environment and gradually restoring investor confidence in Nigeria’s long-term prospects.
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ZENITH BANK RETAINS TOP SPOT AS NUMBER ONE BANK IN NIGERIA BY TIER-1 CAPITAL FOR THE SIXTEENTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR IN THE 2025 TOP 1000 WORLD BANKS’ RANKING

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Zenith Bank Plc has retained its position as the Number One Bank in Nigeria by Tier-1 Capital for
the sixteenth consecutive year, in the 2025 Top 1000 World Banks’ Rankings, published by TheBanker,FinancialTimesGroup,UnitedKingdom.ThisrankingplacesZenithBankPlcasthe581st Bank globally, with a Tier-1 Capital of $2 billion.The global rankings, published inthe July 2025 edition of TheBanker, was based on the 2024year-end Tier-1capital ofbanks. Thisis theprimary basisformost internationalorganizations’assessments of banks.Commenting on this achievement, the Group Managing Director/CEO of Zenith Bank Plc, Dame(Dr.) Adaora Umeoji, OON, said, “We are thrilled to have retained our position yet again as theNumber One Bank in Nigeria by Tier-1 capital for the 16th consecutive year. This achievement isa reflection of the bank’s robust financial performance, prudent risk management and steadfastdedication to delivering exceptional value to our customers and stakeholders”. She thanked theFounder and Chairman, Jim Ovia, CFR, for his visionary and transformative leadership which hasplayedapivotalroleincultivatingaresilientandthrivinginstitution.Shealsoexpressedherdeepest appreciation to the bank’s esteemed customers for their continued loyalty to the Zenithbrand, the Board for the sound corporate governance, and the staff for their relentless & tirelessefforts in ensuring the bank’s success.Tier-1 Capital describes capital adequacy, the core measure of a bank’s financial strength from aregulator’sperspective.Accordingtotheranking,Tier-1Capital,asdefinedbytheBankforInternational Settlements(BIS) guidelines,includes loss-absorbingcapital, i.e.,common stock,disclosed reserves, retained earnings, and minority interests in the equity of subsidiaries that areless than whollyowned. A strongTier-1 capital ratio boostsinvestor and depositorconfidence,indicating the Bank is well-capitalised and financially stable.Accordingtotheaudited financialresultsforthe2024financialyearpresented totheNigerianExchange (NGX), the Bank recorded a double-digit growth of 86% in gross earnings, increasingfrom N2.13 trillion in 2023 to N3.97 trillion in 2024. This growth was driven by a 138% increase ininterest income, supported by investment in high-yield government securities, and growth in theBank’s loan book. Zenith Bank’s profit before tax (PBT) rose by 67%, reaching N1.3 trillion in 2024from N796 billion in 2023. This performance saw the bank record an unprecedented total dividendpayout of N195.67 billion at N5.00 per ordinary share in the 2024 financial year.Zenith Bank’s track record of excellent performance has continued to earn the brand numerousawards including being recognised as the Bank of the Year (Nigeria) in The Banker’s Bank of theYear 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 being listed in the World Finance Top 100 Global Companies in2023.Further recognitions include Best Commercial Bank, Nigeria for four consecutive years from 2021to2024intheWorldFinanceBankingAwardsandMostSustainableBank,NigeriaintheInternationalBanker2023and2024BankingAwards.Additionally,ZenithBankwasacknowledged as the Best Corporate Governance Bank, Nigeria, in the World Finance CorporateGovernance Awards from 2022 to 2024 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 inNigeria in the Banker Magazine Top 500 Banking Brands for 2020 and 2021, Bank of the Year2023 and 2024 at the BusinessDayBanks and Other Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards, andRetail Bank of the Year for three consecutive years from 2020 to 2022 and in 2024 at the BAFIAwards.TheBankalsoreceivedtheaccoladesofBestCommercialBank,NigeriaandBestInnovation in Retail Banking, Nigeria, in the International Banker 2022 Banking Awards.ZenithBankwasalsonamedMostResponsibleOrganisationinAfrica,BestCompanyinTransparency and Reporting and Best Company in Gender Equality and Women Empowermentat the SERAS CSR Awards Africa 2024; Bank of the Year 2024 by ThisDay Newspaper; Bank oftheYear2024byNewTelegraphNewspaper;andBestinMSMETradeFinance,2023byNairametrics. 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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Body of Bank CEOs Delivers Critical Relief to Flood Victims in Niger State, Pledges Continued Support

Pix 1 L-R: Registrar & Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) Akin Morakinyo; Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Keystone Bank Limited, Mr. Hassan Imam; Group Managing Director/Chief Executive, Zenith Bank, Dame (Dr.) Adaora Umeoji; The Executive Governor of Niger State, His Excellency, Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago; Chairman, Body of Bank CEOs and Group Managing Director/CEO, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, Oliver Alawuba; Managing Director Taj Bank Mr. Hamid Joda; and Secretary to the Government of Niger State (SSG), Alhaji Abubakar Usman during the donation of relief materials from the Body of Bank CEOs in Nigeria, aimed at supporting victims of the recent devastating floods in Mokwa Local Government Area held at the Niger State House in Abuja at the weekend.
The Executive Governor of Niger State, His Excellency, Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago; Chairman, Body of Bank CEOs and Group Managing Director/CEO, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, Oliver Alawuba during the donation of relief materials from the Body of Bank CEOs in Nigeria, aimed at supporting victims of the recent devastating floods in Mokwa Local Government Area held at the Niger State House in Abuja at the weekend
Pix 3: L-R: Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Keystone Bank Limited, Mr. Hassan Imam; Group Managing Director/Chief Executive, Zenith Bank, Dame (Dr.) Adaora Umeoji; The Executive Governor of Niger State, His Excellency, Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago; Chairman, Body of Bank CEOs and Group Managing Director/CEO, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, Oliver Alawuba; and Managing Director Taj Bank Mr. Hamid Joda, during the donation of relief materials from the Body of Bank CEOs in Nigeria, aimed at supporting victims of the recent devastating floods in Mokwa Local Government Area held at the Niger State House in Abuja at the weekend.
In a heartwarming display of corporate social responsibility and solidarity, a consortium of Nigerian Bank CEOs, has pledged significant support to alleviate the suffering of flood victims in Niger State
The Executive Governor of Niger State, His Excellency, Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago on Saturday in Abuja received relief materials from the Body of Bank CEOs led by its Chairman, Mr Oliver Alawuba.
The gesture is aimed at supporting victims of the recent devastating floods in Mokwa Local Government Area of the state.
Oliver Alawuba who is also the Group Managing Director/CEO of United Bank for Africa(UBA), led the delegation to the Niger State Government house Abuja, where they presented essential relief items, including bags of rice, beverages, vegetable oil, and mattresses, valued at millions of naira.
The devastating floods, which have affected thousands of families in the region, have prompted the banking community to come together in a show of empathy and support to those displaced and affected by the disaster.
In his address, Alawuba expressed the banking industry’s deep sympathy for the affected communities and reaffirmed their dedication to sustainable support while pointing out that the gesture underscores the banking sector’s commitment to corporate social responsibility and humanitarian intervention especially in times of crisis.
He said, “Today, we stand with the people of Niger State in their time of need. We want you to know that we feel your pain and we give you our firm resolve to assist in rebuilding lives. This donation is just the beginning; we pledge continued collaboration with the Niger State Government to ensure long-term recovery and resilience.”
Other top CEOs and executives at the presentation included by the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive of Zenith Bank, Dame (Dr.) Adaora Umeoji, the Registrar and Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Mr. Akin Morakinyo, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Keystone Bank Limited, Mr. Hassan Imam; Managing Director Taj Bank Mr. Hamid Joda; Secretary to the Government of Niger State (SSG), Alhaji Abubakar Usman senior government officials, banking executives, and media representatives, marking a significant step in public-private collaboration for humanitarian relief.
Governor Bago, who received the relief materials on behalf of the state, commending the banking sector for its timely intervention.
“This gesture reinforces the critical role of private-sector partnerships in disaster response,” Governor Bago stated. “We are grateful for this support and look forward to deeper collaboration in safeguarding our communities against future challenges. On behalf of the good people of Niger State, particularly the affected families in Mokwa, I extend our sincerest thanks for this timely and compassionate intervention,” Bago stated.
“The recent floods in the state brought immense hardship to the people, displacing families, destroying livelihoods, and disrupting communities and the banking sector, under the leadership of Alawuba and his esteemed colleagues, has demonstrated that beyond financial stewardship, they are true partners in national development and humanitarian service.
This donation is not just about the physical items; it is a symbol of hope, resilience, and the unwavering support of Nigeria’s financial institutions in times of need. It reassures our people that they are not forgotten, the governor stated.
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