Shareholders of Access Holdings Plc have expressed strong confidence in the group’s long-term value creation strategy, backing management’s decision to prioritise sustainable growth and future returns over immediate dividend payouts.
The endorsement followed the company’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), where investors reaffirmed their belief in Access Holdings’ ability to translate its extensive investments across Africa and international markets into stronger shareholder value in the years ahead.
According to shareholders quoted by “The Nation”, the financial services group has demonstrated resilience and strong fundamentals, positioning it for sustained growth despite regulatory constraints that affected dividend payments for the 2025 financial year.
Access Holdings, which has nearly one million shareholders, boasts one of the largest shareholder bases in Africa. The majority of its investors are retail shareholders, underscoring the importance of the group’s performance to individual investors across Nigeria.
Stakeholders said the company’s recent financial performance and strategic direction provided reassurance that management remains focused on delivering long-term returns while advancing its vision of becoming Africa’s gateway to the global financial system.
Founding Coordinator and Leader of the Independent Shareholders Association of Nigeria (ISAN), Sir Sunny Nwosu, said shareholders remain optimistic about the future of Access Holdings, citing its transformation from a mid-sized bank into one of Nigeria’s largest financial institutions.
According to him, shareholders’ acceptance of the board’s decision not to declare a dividend for 2025 was influenced by the company’s track record and confidence in future performance.
President of the Association for the Advancement of Rights of Nigerian Shareholders (AARNS), Dr. Faruk Umar, also expressed support for the group’s long-term strategy.
He noted that while dividends remain important to investors, shareholders were looking beyond short-term gains and focusing on the long-term benefits of the company’s growth agenda.
“We’ve no cause to worry about Access Holdings. True, dividend is important to us shareholders, but then, when you take everything together, you see that it’s like keeping your money in a compounding interest account; you’re going to get the bumper return at the end,” Umar said.
National Chairman of the New Dimension Shareholders Association, Mr. Patrick Ajudua, described the group’s growth trajectory as impressive, pointing to its strong 2025 financial performance.
He noted that gross earnings rose to N5.53 trillion while total assets exceeded N51.53 trillion during the year.
“As shareholders, we express our satisfaction with the company’s overall performance, particularly in the light of the decision not to distribute dividends this year. This decision was clarified as a necessary step to ensure compliance with Central Bank of Nigeria regulations,” Ajudua said.
He added that shareholders used the AGM to highlight areas requiring management attention, including impairment charges on financial assets and continued cost optimisation.
Chairman of the Progressive Shareholders Association of Nigeria, Boniface Okezie, said Access Holdings delivered a strong overall performance despite the absence of dividend payments.
According to him, dividend declaration should not be the sole measure of a company’s success, especially where management is pursuing strategic initiatives that could deliver greater long-term value.
Okezie pointed out that with earnings per share standing at N13.48, the company clearly possesses the capacity to reward shareholders, but acknowledged that regulatory considerations influenced the board’s decision.
He urged regulators to remain mindful of the impact of policy decisions on investors and stressed the importance of dividends in sustaining shareholder confidence.
At the same time, he expressed confidence in the company’s future outlook, commending the board and management for maintaining transparency and carrying shareholders along in the implementation of its growth strategy.
National Coordinator of ISAN, Mr. Moses Igbrude, also voiced confidence in the group’s earnings outlook, describing Access Holdings as a strong and well-structured financial institution capable of generating substantial value for investors.
He said shareholders believe management has the expertise required to maximise the group’s assets and execute its strategic objectives.
Access Holdings reported a 16.2 per cent increase in profit before tax to N1.01 trillion in 2025, driven largely by growth in core banking operations. Interest income rose to N1.36 trillion, while net fees and commission income increased by 41 per cent to N585 billion.
Operating income grew by 23.9 per cent to N3.17 trillion, while gross earnings climbed from N4.88 trillion in 2024 to N5.53 trillion in 2025.
The group’s total assets expanded to N51.56 trillion, with shareholders’ funds rising to N4.33 trillion by the end of the financial year. Cost-to-income ratio improved from 56.7 per cent to 51.7 per cent, while Return on Average Equity remained strong at 18.4 per cent.
