Nigerian Banks' Shareholders' Funds Reach N20.2 Trillion

The combined shareholders' funds of Access Bank Plc, United Bank for Africa Plc, Zenith Bank Plc, First Bank Holding Company Plc, and Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc hit N20.22 trillion in 2025, marking a 21% increase from N16.72 trillion in 2024. This surge underscores the impact of the Central Bank of Nigeria's (CBN) aggressive recapitalization policies, which aim to enhance the banks' balance sheets and support the real economy.

The CBN's recapitalization framework, unveiled in March 2024, mandates compliance by March 2026, encouraging banks to raise fresh capital through mergers and acquisitions. Zenith Bank maintained the strongest position with a shareholders' fund of N4.9 trillion, followed by Access Bank with N4.33 trillion.

UBA disclosed a multi-tranche capital raising program to meet CBN's new minimum capital requirements, aiming to raise N400 billion through a rights issue. Guaranty Trust Holding Company reported a shareholders' fund of N3.4 trillion, reflecting a 26% increase from the previous year.