Banking

GTCO has announced plans to raise $100 million through equity offering, alongside replacing its Global Depositary Receipts with a direct ordinary share listing on the London Stock Exchange.


Zenith Bank, Nigeriaโ€™s second-largest lender, is in advanced talks to acquire a tier-two Kenyan bank, in a move that signals the growing push by Nigerian banks to expand into East Africaโ€™s largest economy.


Moodyโ€™s has cut the Afreximbankโ€™s credit rating to Baa2, just two notches above junk, citing weak asset performance and growing exposure to distressed sovereign borrowers like Ghana and Zambia.


Ghana’s central bank has launched corporate governance guidelines for licensed payment service providers, demanding stronger board oversight and clearer management structures.


Kenyaโ€™s central bank has revoked the licence of Pakistanโ€™s Bank Al-Habib following its planned exit, marking another step in the wider retreat of foreign banks from African marketss.


Absa Group, South Africaโ€™s top lender, aims to more than triple its green loan book in Mauritius to $664m by 2030, as part of efforts to curb investment risks linked to climate change


Kenyaโ€™s Equity Group appoints six new directors and secures approval to open its first office outside Africa in the UAE, targeting diaspora and cross-borderย growth.


Ethiopia has taken the final step in opening up its banking sector to international players with a new licensing directive that allows foreign banks to enter the market and sets a minimum capital threshold of $37 million.


Fidelity Bank has promoted 376 employees, 12% of its workforce, after a strong financial year, also implementing a 20% pay rise, its second salary increase in eight months.


Access Bank – Nigeriaโ€™s largest lender by assets- has acquired Standard Charteredโ€™s retail operations in Tanzania, expanding its footprint in East Africa amid ongoing regulatory scrutiny at home.



The Competitive Authority of Kenya has ratified the acquisition of the countryโ€™s leading Islamic bank, Gulf African Bank by the Dubai-based Soren Investment Company.



Zenith Bank has moved to calm investors’ nerves after a sharp sell-off, saying its dividend plans for the year remain on track despite being flagged for high forbearance exposure in a recent investment report.



JPMorgan has upgraded Afreximbankโ€™s Eurobonds to overweight, citing improved valuations, even as risks mount over the bankโ€™s potential involvement in African sovereign debt restructurings.


Five top Nigerian lenders are estimated to have collectively lost $544 million in income in 2024 as the Central Bank of Nigeriaโ€™s (CBN) 50% Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) eroded liquidity and weighed on profitability, according to a new report.


Access Holdings, Zenith Bank and First Bank โ€” three leading Nigerian lenders โ€” may withhold dividend payments for at least the next three years, as they confront a combined regulatory forbearance exposure of $2.7 billion, a new report reveals.


From Lagos to London,the Nigerian-founded fintech has snapped up UK credit card issuer Pillar, a bold leap from remittance to credit, a leap into a friction, high-potential market.


Access Bank has acquired Standard Chartered Gambia, continuing its Africa-wide M&A spree that includes Kenyaโ€™s NBK, South Africaโ€™s Bidvest, Morocco, and Malta expansion.


Nigeria’s GTCO eyes $100m from London listing to boost capitalย 

Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc, one of Nigeria’s Tier 1 banks, is set to launch raise about $100 million dollars, ahead of Bank’s minimum capital requirement amid delisting from the ADR on the London Securities Exchange.

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Nigeriaโ€™s Zenith Bank joins West African lendersโ€™ race for Kenya

The lenderโ€™s latest move comes weeks after Access Bankโ€™s – Nigeriaโ€™s biggest bank โ€” received regulatory approvals from both counties to acquire National Bank of Kenya Limited (NBK) from KCB Group.

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Moodyโ€™s downgrades Afreximbank on rising sovereign exposure risk

Moodyโ€™s has downgraded Afreximbankโ€™s credit rating to Baa2, citing rising risks from its exposure to debt-distressed African sovereigns, particularly Ghana and Zambia

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Ghana tightens corporate governance for fintechs amid digital finance boom

Under the new rules, Dedicated Electronic Money Issuers (DEMIs) and Enhanced Payment Service Providers (EPSPs) must reserve at least one-third of board seats for independent directors with no financial ties to the company. These directors cannot hold more than 5% equity stakes or maintain business relationships that could compromise their judgment.

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Kenya revokes Bank Al-Habibโ€™s licence amid foreign banks’ exit from Africa

While BAHLโ€™s exit is relatively minorโ€”it had no retail operations in Kenyaโ€”it adds to growing concerns about reduced access to trade finance and foreign capital as more global lenders cut back their presence.

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South Africaโ€™s top bank to triple green loans in Mauritius by 2030

By increasing green financing, the bank is looking to reduce its exposure to climate risks while positioning itself as a key player in Mauritiusโ€™ low-carbon transition.

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Kenyaโ€™s Equity Group appoints six new directors, eyes first Middle East office

Kenyaโ€™s Equity Group appoints six new directors and secures approval to open its first office outside Africa in the UAE, targeting diaspora and cross-borderย growth.

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Ethiopia opens banking sector to foreign investors, sets $37m capital threshold

The NBEโ€™s latest directive reinforces Ethiopiaโ€™s commitment to liberalise its tightly controlled financial sector and sends a strong signal to global investors that the country is now serious about attracting long-term capital, technology, and expertise into its banking industry.

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Fidelity Bank promotes 376 employees, implements second salary raise in eight months

Fidelity Bank Plc, one of Nigeriaโ€™s major commercial banks, has promoted 376 employees โ€” representing 12% of its workforce โ€” following a strong financial year that saw it deliver the highest profit growth in the countryโ€™s banking sector. In a statement on Thursday, the bank also announced a 20% salary increase across the board, marking…

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Nigeriaโ€™s Access Bank widens East Africa footprint with StanChart Tanzania retail buyout

The latest acquisition has raised questions about its timing, as it comes shortly after the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) barred banks under regulatory forbearance โ€” including Access Bank โ€” from investing in foreign subsidiaries.

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Access Bank is going where few Nigerian banks have gone before

Nigeriaโ€™s biggest bank by asset base has established a reputation for inorganic growth through aggressive mergers and acquisitions. It’s not the only bank expanding, but it’s doing this in markets few dare to go.

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Dubai-based firm gets green light to acquire Kenyaโ€™s top Islamic bank

The Gulf African Bank deal is the latest in a string of mergers and acquisitions in Kenyaโ€™s banking sector.

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With $118bn credit gap, Nigeria turns to NIN to fix loan defaults and exclusion

In a sweeping overhaul of Nigeriaโ€™s credit system, the Federal Government has announced that all citizensโ€™ credit scores will soon be linked to their National Identification Numbers (NIN).ย 

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Nigeriaโ€™s Zenith Bank moves to reassure investors, says dividend payouts remain on track

The lenderโ€™s swift clarification comes after its shares tumbled nearly 8% in two days, following the CBNโ€™s directive instructing banks with forbearance exposure to suspend dividend payments.

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Nigerian investors fret over suspension of dividend payment as banking stock turns red

The banking index of the Nigerian stock market has dipped by as much as 4.17% since Nigeriaโ€™s apex bank ordered banks under regulatory forbearance to halt dividend payment

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JPMorgan turns bullish on Afreximbank bonds despite restructuring overhang

The global investment bank says Fitchโ€™s recent downgrade has pushed the yields on Afreximbankโ€™s 2029 and 2031 bonds above peers, making them attractive despite restructuring risks.

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Nigeriaโ€™s 50% CRR wipes $544m from top banksโ€™ earnings in 2024โ€” report

The report is the latest to spotlight the unintended fallout of the CBNโ€™s aggressive monetary tightening, with the 50% CRRโ€”the worldโ€™s highestโ€”severely restricting banksโ€™ ability to lend and generate income from deposits

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Top Nigerian banks may freeze dividends through 2028 as $2.7bn forbearance exposure bites

The scale of the exposure emerged just days after Nigeriaโ€™s apex bank ordered lenders with unresolved forbearance loans to suspend dividend payouts, delay executive bonuses, and freeze new investments in offshore subsidiaries.

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From transfers to credit: LemFiโ€™s $1 billion gambit with Pillar in migrant finance.

Nigeria-born fintech LemFi has acquired UK-based credit card issuer Pillar, marking a strategic pivot from cross-border remittances into the underserved migrant credit market.

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Access Bank completes takeover of Standard Chartered Gambia, in pan-African expansion push

Access Bank has officially taken over the operations of Standard Chartered Bank in The Gambia, concluding a transaction that marks the end of Standard Charteredโ€™s 130-year presence in the country. The Central Bank of The Gambia confirmed on Thursday, 13 June 2025, that Standard Charteredโ€™s banking licence had been voluntarily relinquished, following the full transfer…

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GTCO has announced plans to raise $100 million through equity offering, alongside replacing its Global Depositary Receipts with a direct ordinary share listing on the London Stock Exchange.


Zenith Bank, Nigeriaโ€™s second-largest lender, is in advanced talks to acquire a tier-two Kenyan bank, in a move that signals the growing push by Nigerian banks to expand into East Africaโ€™s largest economy.


Moodyโ€™s has cut the Afreximbankโ€™s credit rating to Baa2, just two notches above junk, citing weak asset performance and growing exposure to distressed sovereign borrowers like Ghana and Zambia.


Ghana’s central bank has launched corporate governance guidelines for licensed payment service providers, demanding stronger board oversight and clearer management structures.


Kenyaโ€™s central bank has revoked the licence of Pakistanโ€™s Bank Al-Habib following its planned exit, marking another step in the wider retreat of foreign banks from African marketss.


Absa Group, South Africaโ€™s top lender, aims to more than triple its green loan book in Mauritius to $664m by 2030, as part of efforts to curb investment risks linked to climate change


Kenyaโ€™s Equity Group appoints six new directors and secures approval to open its first office outside Africa in the UAE, targeting diaspora and cross-borderย growth.


Ethiopia has taken the final step in opening up its banking sector to international players with a new licensing directive that allows foreign banks to enter the market and sets a minimum capital threshold of $37 million.


Fidelity Bank has promoted 376 employees, 12% of its workforce, after a strong financial year, also implementing a 20% pay rise, its second salary increase in eight months.


Access Bank – Nigeriaโ€™s largest lender by assets- has acquired Standard Charteredโ€™s retail operations in Tanzania, expanding its footprint in East Africa amid ongoing regulatory scrutiny at home.



The Competitive Authority of Kenya has ratified the acquisition of the countryโ€™s leading Islamic bank, Gulf African Bank by the Dubai-based Soren Investment Company.



Zenith Bank has moved to calm investors’ nerves after a sharp sell-off, saying its dividend plans for the year remain on track despite being flagged for high forbearance exposure in a recent investment report.



JPMorgan has upgraded Afreximbankโ€™s Eurobonds to overweight, citing improved valuations, even as risks mount over the bankโ€™s potential involvement in African sovereign debt restructurings.


Five top Nigerian lenders are estimated to have collectively lost $544 million in income in 2024 as the Central Bank of Nigeriaโ€™s (CBN) 50% Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) eroded liquidity and weighed on profitability, according to a new report.


Access Holdings, Zenith Bank and First Bank โ€” three leading Nigerian lenders โ€” may withhold dividend payments for at least the next three years, as they confront a combined regulatory forbearance exposure of $2.7 billion, a new report reveals.


From Lagos to London,the Nigerian-founded fintech has snapped up UK credit card issuer Pillar, a bold leap from remittance to credit, a leap into a friction, high-potential market.


Access Bank has acquired Standard Chartered Gambia, continuing its Africa-wide M&A spree that includes Kenyaโ€™s NBK, South Africaโ€™s Bidvest, Morocco, and Malta expansion.