Access Holdings Plc has reaffirmed its commitment to delivering long-term shareholder value, following a strong financial performance in 2025, while providing clarity on the temporary non-payment of dividends for the financial year ended December 31, 2025.
Access Holdings, which reiterated this commitment yesterday during an Investor Call on its Full Year 2025 Financial Statement, noted the concerns of shareholders regarding the absence of a dividend declaration, particularly against the backdrop of the Group’s robust earnings and balance sheet growth. Management has emphasised that the decision was not performance-driven, but purely regulatory and prudential in nature, and was taken in the best interest of shareholders and the long-term sustainability of the Group.
Commenting on the development, Innocent Ike, Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Access Holdings Plc, said: “We recognise the importance of dividends to our shareholders and fully understand the expectations created by the Group’s strong financial performance in 2025. The Board’s decision not to declare a dividend was not a reflection of earnings weakness or cash flow constraints, but a deliberate and responsible response to specific regulatory requirements.”
For the 2025 financial year, the Group delivered a resilient and diversified performance. Gross earnings grew by 13.3 percent to ₦5.53 trillion, supported by strong momentum in net interest income and a 40.9 percent increase in fees and commissions to ₦585.07 billion. Profit before tax rose by 16.2 percent to ₦1.01 trillion, crossing the ₦1 trillion mark for the first time.
Total assets expanded by 24.2 percent to ₦51.56 trillion, reflecting scale accretion and the successful integration of recent acquisitions. The cost-to-income ratio improved materially from 56.7 percent to 51.7 percent, demonstrating enhanced operating leverage and disciplined cost management. Capital adequacy at the Group level remained stable at 18.2 percent, while the banking subsidiary strengthened further to 20.2 percent.
“These results clearly demonstrate the strength, resilience and cashgenerating capacity of our franchise. Our earnings growth, improved efficiency and solid capital position reinforce our inherent ability to reward shareholders, once all regulatory conditions are fully satisfied,” Ike added
Notwithstanding this strong performance, dividend payments for 2025 remain subject to ongoing regulatory considerations affecting the banking subsidiary. Specifically, certain regulatory constraints, including those arising under Section 7.1 and Section 19(8)(c), require the Group to complete defined remedial actions, strengthen capital and liquidity buffers, and achieve full regulatory alignment before dividend approvals can be granted.
According to Ike, maintaining the confidence of regulators, depositors and other stakeholders is fundamental to our operating philosophy. In line with our long-standing culture of prudence and sound governance, we opted to prioritise balance sheet resilience and regulatory compliance over shortterm distributions.
The Group wishes to reassure shareholders that decisive actions are already underway. Management has agreed and is actively implementing three specific measures with regulators and the Board to fully resolve the identified constraints within the current financial year. These efforts are focused on addressing all outstanding regulatory considerations, building optimal capital and liquidity buffers at subsidiary level, and enhancing the Group’s capacity to resume distributions in line with regulatory expectations.
Ike reaffirmed management’s confidence in a positive outcome, stating: “We are working closely with our regulators and remain confident that, upon the successful completion of the agreed remedial actions and receipt of the necessary approvals, dividend payments will resume within the year. Our commitment to rewarding shareholders remains unchanged.”
Looking ahead, the Group is targeting improved performance metrics, including 20 percent exit return on equity, return on assets above 2 percent, and a cost of risk below 3 percent. These targets are expected to be supported by continued digital scale, efficiency initiatives and disciplined growth.
Concluding, Ike said: “The temporary dividend pause reflects strategic restraint, not diminished capacity. Access Holdings is strongly positioned to convert its scale, geographic diversification and franchise strength into predictable earnings, resilient capital and sustainable shareholder returns in the periods ahead.”
