Business
FirstBank’s Giant Strides in FinTech Leadership
By Eric Elezuo
It is not by accident that Nigeria’a leading financial institution and financial inclusion services provider, FirstBank of Nigeria Limited, scaled all hurdles to hit the peak among players in Fintech network.
Fintech, a portmanteau or what can easily be referred to as abbreviation of finance and technology, forming the phrase financial technology, is the technology and innovation that aims to compete with traditional financial methods in the delivery of financial services.
While to most financial institutions, the process is emerging, to FirstBank, it is an already established and improved variety that has helped customers conduct banking activities without making physical contact with the bank or bank staff, but leveraging on the use of handheld mobile smartphones, and regular phones as in the case of *894# services. By this means, the bank has provided mobile banking, investing, borrowing among many other financial technologies aimed at making financial services more accessible to the general public.
Fintech is an integral part of FirstBank, and both are interrelated and are more like twelve and a dozen. In the words of the Group’s Executive, e-Business and Retail Products, Chuma Ezirim, FirstBank is a technology company offering financial services. Nothing could be farer than this truth!
FirstBank, without a doubt, the foremost player and leader of Fintech via its various electronic and digital offerings, boasts of the following but not limited technological innovations including the ever reliable *894#, highly prolific Firstmobile, FirstOnline, Whatsapp banking which thrives on the simple mobile number, 08124444000, FirstAdvance details among a host of other ‘first’ innovations and services.
Consequently, the bank has picked awards after awards with the FirstMobile App, among which is the Best Mobile Banking App in Nigeria in 2019 by the UK-based Global Business Outlook.
These services, have in no small measure, become the focal point, using alternative channels and electronic banking, especially as the world battles the ‘new normal’ with the principle of safe distance, thus reducing the risk of spreading the coronavirus.
To this end, the Chief Executive Officer, FirstBank Nigeria Limited, Dr. Adesola Adeduntan, during the just concluded edition four of the FinTech Summit, which reiterated activation of vibrant ecosystem, hinted that FirstBank’s involvement in the FinTech revolution is the fastest in the industry, and is mostly run by a sizable number of entrepreneurs. He mentioned that FirstBank has been positioned as the Fintech partner of choice, having established relationships with notable companies such as PiggyVest, Terragon, VoguePay and PatStack.
“FirstBank has become the foremost financial inclusion solutions provider with over 9 million USSD users, processing over 200 million transactions to date. Also, with more than 60,000 Firstmonie Agent Banking locations we have to date processed over 320 million customer transactions worth over NGN6 Trillion on the FirstMonie Agent Network as at July 2020, further cementing our leadership in the Agency Banking space,” Adeduntan said.
He noted that the bank’s rating has soared with its digital payment channels, and has remained in the forefront of providing financial inclusion solutions across board and round the clock with it’s FirstMobile app, USSD (*894#) and FirstMonie, as well as the popular Firstmonie Agent Banking Network.
It is not therefore, out of place to say that the Bank has led other banks in the field of FinTech, having supported Nigerians to meet their needs through these innovative digital platforms. Not only that, families and companies have paid bills through this channel, individuals and corporate bodies have purchased airtime to keep in touch with families, loved ones and staff just as procurement of data to surf the net and stay current with recent trends across the globe have been made absolutely easy through the FirstBank innovative FinTech channels.
While most establishments mourn the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, FirstBank leveraged on the scourge to become innovative in providing services for the benefit of its customers who found a costless outlet to fulfill all their financial inclusion needs. The era in question provided ready canvas for stretching and exploits, and the over 9 million USSD users are the happier for it. This is a bank that processes 90 customer initiated transactions per second on its digital channels, and has not stopped to assiduously re-architect its systems towards innovating newer FinTech channels for its teeming customers for a stress-free banking activity.
With over 9.5 million customers using the FirstBanks Unstructured Supplementary Service Data within a period of five years, the Bank has clearly demonstrated that it is the leader in electronic banking. The USSD banking services it provides have been proved to be easy to use, convenient, fast, user friendly, and as such several and various banking activities have been carried out therein across the four major GSM network operators in Nigeria through mobile phone, and surprisingly, without the use of internet. It therefore means that FirstBank’s (*894#) services can be obtained irrespective of the type of phone a customer uses. Among services available through this channel are data and airtime top-up for self and third party, quick balance enquiry, fund transfers, BVN enquiry and linkage, mini statement, account number enquiry, opening account, merchant and first advance loan service – this a service that enables salary earners take a loan of up 50% of their monthly salary. That is the power of *894#.
Ezirim sums up this leadership roles as follows:
“At FirstBank, we are excited about the impact our innovative solutions are making in the Nigerian payment landscape. Our *894# USSD banking has been a viable platform through which we take our banking services to the doorstep of our customers, right on the palm of their hands, without the limitation of an internet connection. We remain committed to creating various avenues to enable Nigerians carry out various financial activities conveniently, safely and securely anytime, anywhere in Nigeria.”
In addition, and following through the standard of excellence, FirstBank has also upgraded its mobile banking application, FirstMobile, with new and improved features to promote safe and convenient mobile banking experience for customers.
The award winning application, which has been termed dynamic, has been redesigned with improved security and self-service features to ease the navigation capability and proficiency of customers. In addition to the improvement of the services, which offers unified and streamlined banking experience, the aesthetics are not left out as it comes with a unique cool blue coloured appealing background.
Among features that speak of the uniqueness of FirstMobile app are card protection service for customers to enable and disable cards on channels, account switch off as well as second-factor authentication and device registration. Customers can remotely initiate the request for a new debit card as well as the replacement of a lost or damaged one, whilst managing activities on their card and account, thus balance enquiry and statement, amongst others.
Again, the app is embedded with biometrics, which allow customers to use their fingerprints to consummate all transactions. This is strictly to validate transactions. There are others such as frequent transaction, which enables users to access their frequently completed transactions like airtime, transfers and bill payments; dashboard flexibility and personalisation, smoother transaction experience and improved beneficiary management.
The FirstBank accessibility galore has also improved airtime top-up and data purchase as customers are able to select phone numbers directly from their phone contacts.
In addition, with a smoother experience on funds transfer, bill payments and airtime transactions, customers can add and delete beneficiaries without having to repeatedly enter the recipients’ details over and over again. Users can also take a photo or select from the Avatar (available icons) to personalize their dashboard and beneficiaries for Transfers, Bills Payment & Airtime Transactions by uploading a picture to associate with their beneficiary, especially the more frequent ones.
Furthermore, the dashboard has been designed to reflect the lifestyle and social pattern of the user as it can be customized by adding any profile picture of choice. The dashboard also enables users to monitor their spending patterns over a period. It shows the inflow and outflow of funds on their account.
There are endless possibilities with FirstMobile. It covers and puts the customer at an advantage with the FirstAdvance and Nano Loan features. So accessing loans is quicker than the touch of a button. Not only that, FirstMobile also guarantees access to movie ticket(s) ahead of time and flights at the earliest convenience.
Hear Chuma Ezirim again:
“The upgraded FirstMobile is built to reflect FirstBank’s resolve at reinforcing the digitisation of our payment systems, whilst putting our customers at an edge to conveniently meet their everyday needs at any time, irrespective of where they are. Indeed, this upgrade makes the application new, as it is designed to suit the social pattern and lifestyle of our customers.
“With over 3.7million active users on FirstMobile across android and ios devices, we remain steadfast at regularly reinventing our services on the App with dynamic and innovative capabilities to resonate our focus to deliver state of the art digital solutions to all our customers at all times, irrespective of where they are.”
It would be recalled that halfway into the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, Nigerians with FirstBank cards used them 105 million times to make payments or withdrawals worth about N1.18 Trillion as they relied on the Bank to settle their banking needs.
In addition, the Bank’s CEO noted that approximately 12.6 million withdrawals to the tune of N156 billion were carried out across FirstBank’s ATMs nationwide. That explains the height of faith customers have in FirstBank.
“Our customers made transfers over 106 million times with a total value of about N8.18 Trillion across our digital channels. We have also recorded over 275,000 new sign-ups to alternative channels covering our Firstmobile, USSD and First-Online platforms,” Adeduntan informed.
From every indication, FirstBank has, and will continue to embrace emerging FinTech opportunity for the sole benefit of its numerous customers. To this end, it has held four editions of FinTech Summit. It is therefore, necessary that as many that are yet to get on board do so now for a hitch-free banking services from anywhere in the country.
Business
UBA Expands Operations to Saudi Arabia, France, to Focus on Digital Transformation, Others in 2025
Africa’s Global Bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, has outlined its roadmap for the 2025 financial year, with a strong focus on innovation, digital transformation, physical and financial strength as well as its global reach.
On the back of its full-year financial performance for the year 2024, which was released to stakeholders on Tuesday, the bank disclosed plans to accelerate growth through strategic investments in technology, enhanced risk management frameworks, and capital efficiency.
UBA’s Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Oliver Alawuba, who was speaking to its global investors during the Full year 2024 Investors Conference Call, which held at the UBA Head Office on Thursday, explained that the performance reflected broad-based growth across its core businesses, surpassing previous records and reinforcing its status as a leading global financial institution.
At the end of the 2024 full-year, the bank delivered an exceptional financial performance as the results showed an impressive rise in the bank’s profit after tax which went up by 26.14 percent to close the year at N766.6 billion up from N607.7 billion recorded at the end of the 2023 fiscal year.
Its Gross earnings also grew significantly from N2.07tn recorded at the end of the 2023 financial year to N3.187tn in the period under consideration, representing a 53 percent growth.
Despite the highly challenging global economic and business environment, UBA recorded a profit before tax of N803.72 billion representing a 6 percent increase from N757.68 billion recorded at the end of the 2023 financial year.
Consequently, UBA Group Shareholders’ Funds rose from N2.030 trillion as at December 2023 to close the 2024 financial year at N3.419 trillion, achieving an impressive growth of 68.39 percent.
As a result of the impressive performance the bank proposed a final dividend of N3.00 kobo for every ordinary share of 50 kobo, for the financial year ended December 31, 2024.
Alawuba told the investors at the meeting that the bank is set to further surpass its growth projection through strategic investments in technology, enhanced risk management frameworks, and disciplined capital efficiency.
“We will continue to push the frontiers of innovation and technology adoption to build sustainable value for shareholders by making strategic investments in technology. Our team of committed and motivated workforce will continue to work assiduously to sustain our performance and propel the bank in delivering high-impact, customer-centric product offerings,” Alawuba stated.
He disclosed that the bank is on course to sustain the momentum that it has achieved in the past years, adding that “We shall remain focused on best-in-class risk management strategies in navigating emerging market uncertainties while ensuring financial strength, full regulatory compliance, and long-term sustainability.”
This performance underscores UBA’s ability to generate sustainable revenue growth through core operations, including increased loan book growth, deposit mobilization, and transaction banking.
While disclosing the Bank’s finalisation of its planned expansions to France and Saudi Arabia, he said that the Bank’s ex-Nigeria (Rest of Africa & International) operations have expanded significantly over the past five years, now contributing 51.7% of Group revenue, up from 31% in 2019, “delivering diversification benefits and further boosting long-term shareholder value. This will continue to grow, as we further explore strategic markets that align with our overall vision.”
UBA’s Executive Director, Finance & Risk Management, Ugo Nwaghodoh, said the bank recorded triple digit growth in net interest income, resulting in remarkable improvement in net interest margin from 6.83 percent in 2023 to 9.14 percent, while also recording strong double-digit growth in fee and commission income lines of 91.66 percent.
He explained that as the bank navigates evolving risks, its management remains focused on responsible growth, delivering customer-focused value propositions, whilst ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements in all jurisdictions.
United Bank for Africa is one of the largest employers in the financial sector on the African continent, with 25,000 employees group wide and serving over 45 million customers globally. Operating in twenty African countries and the United Kingdom, the United States of America, France and the United Arab Emirates, UBA provides retail, commercial and institutional banking services, leading financial inclusion and implementing cutting edge technology.
In line with its upward growth trajectory, leading financial institution, Fidelity Bank Plc, has posted an impressive 120.1% growth in Profit Before Tax from N17.9bn at the end of Q1 2023 to N39.5bn for Q1 2024. This was made known in the Bank’s unaudited financial statements released on the issuer portal of the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) on Tuesday, 30 April 2024.
According to the statement, Gross Earnings increased by 89.9% yoy to N192.1bn from N101.1bn in Q1 2023. The increase was led by a combination of interest income (90.7% yoy) and non-interest income (84.0% yoy).
Growth in interest income was primarily spurred by a higher yield environment and strong earning assets base, while the increase in non-interest income was led by double-digit growth in account maintenance charges, FX-related income, trade, banking services, and remittances, supported by increased customer transactions.
Commenting on the results, Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, MD/CEO, Fidelity Bank Plc stated, “We are pleased to report another quarter of strong financial performance driven by our strategic focus on customer-centricity, digital innovation and operational excellence. Despite the challenging macroeconomic environment, we remained resilient and agile, delivering double-digit growth on key income lines while advancing our business sustainability agenda.”
In the period under review, the bank grew Net interest income grew by 89.5% yoy to N99.6bn from N52.6bn in Q1 2023, driven by interest and similar income as the yield on financial instruments improved to 14.7% from 10.1% in Q1 2023 (2023FY: 11.6%). In line with the steady rise in interest rates through the year, average funding cost increased by 80bps ytd to 5.2%. However, NIM came in at 8.8%
compared to 8.1% in 2023FY, as increased yield on earning assets surpassed funding cost to 15.1% from 13.3% in Q1 2023 (2023FY: 13.5%).
Similarly, Total Deposits increased by 17.2% ytd to N4.7tn from N4.0tn in 2023FY, driven by double-digit growth across all deposit types (demand, savings and term). Net Loans and Advances increased by 21.2% to N3.7tn from N3.1tn in 2023FY.
“Beginning the year on this inspiring note reaffirms our strategy of helping individuals to grow, inspiring businesses to thrive and empowering economies to prosper. We are committed to our guidance as we build a more resilient business franchise with a well-diversified earnings base in 2024,” explained Onyeali-Ikpe.
Ranked as one of the best banks in Nigeria, Fidelity Bank is a full-fledged customer commercial bank with over 8.5 million customers serviced across its 251 business offices in Nigeria and the United Kingdom as well as on digital banking channels.
The bank has won multiple local and international awards including the Export Finance Bank of the Year at the 2023 BusinessDay Banks and Other Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards, the Best Payment Solution Provider Nigeria 2023 and Best SME Bank Nigeria 2022 by the Global Banking and Finance Awards; Best Bank for SMEs in Nigeria by the Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2023; and Best Domestic Private Bank in Nigeria by the Euromoney Global Private Banking Awards 2023.
Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (GTCO) has announced its audited financial results for the year ending December 31, 2024, with a remarkable surge in profit before tax (PBT). The results, submitted to the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX) and the London Stock Exchange (LSE), reveal a PBT of ₦1.266 trillion—marking a 107.8% increase from the ₦609.3 billion recorded in 2023.
The financial statement highlights GTCO’s strong earnings momentum, supported by a well-balanced revenue mix, solid risk management frameworks, and disciplined capital allocation. The company saw broad-based growth across key financial indicators, maintaining a strong and diversified balance sheet.
Key performance metrics show a 12.3% rise in the Group’s net loan book, from ₦2.48 trillion in December 2023 to ₦2.79 trillion in December 2024. Deposit liabilities also climbed by 37.8%, reaching ₦10.40 trillion from ₦7.55 trillion in the previous year. Additionally, total assets and shareholders’ funds closed at ₦14.8 trillion and ₦2.7 trillion, respectively. The Group sustained robust capital adequacy, closing the year at 39.3%, while asset quality remained stable, with IFRS 9 Stage 3 Loans at 3.5% at the Bank level and 5.2% for the Group, compared to 2.5% and 4.2%, respectively, in 2023.
GTCO’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Segun Agbaje, attributed the outstanding performance to a well-diversified earnings base spanning both banking and non-banking subsidiaries. He emphasized the Group’s ability to generate sustainable, high-quality earnings while maintaining asset quality and operational efficiency.
“Our 2024 results reflect the strength and adaptability of our business model. We have successfully provided for all forbearance loans ahead of the June 2025 deadline and fully accounted for the windfall tax, reinforcing our balance sheet and financial stability,” Agbaje stated.
GTCO continues to position itself for long-term growth, leveraging strategic investments and sound financial management to drive value creation for stakeholders.
