Access Holdings Plc (“the Group”) today announced its unaudited results for the nine months ended 30 September 2026, delivering resilient profit growth and improved earnings quality.
Profit Before Tax increased by 8.3% to ₦667.4 billion, while Profit After Tax rose by 5.9% to ₦474.2 billion. Performance was supported by growth in core income and a significant reduction in impairment charges.
Impairment charges declined by 73.5% to ₦92.9 billion, resulting in a 32.1% increase in net interest income after impairment to ₦1.20 trillion. Net fee and commission income increased by 12.4% to ₦534.9 billion, while core operating income grew by 5.4% to ₦1.83 trillion.
The results reflect continued progress under the Group’s Scale-to-Value agenda, with emphasis on stronger execution capacity, robust risk governance and regulatory compliance, disciplined capital allocation, greater operating efficiency and improved capital productivity.
Together, these priorities are focused on translating the Group’s scale and diversified franchise into sustainable shareholder returns.
GMD/CEO COMMENT
Commenting on the results, Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Innocent C. Ike, said:
- “Our nine-month results reflect continued progress in translating the strength and scale of Access Holdings into sustainable shareholder returns.
- “The significant reduction in impairment charges, together with growth in net interest income after impairment and net fee and commission income, demonstrates the resilience of our core earnings base.
- “As we advance our Scale-to-Value agenda, our priorities remain clear: stronger execution capacity, robust risk governance and regulatory compliance, disciplined capital allocation, greater operating efficiency and improved capital productivity.
- “These disciplines are fundamental to strengthening the quality and resilience of earnings and delivering sustainable shareholder returns.”
Financial highlights
For the nine months ended 30 September 2026:
| Financial Metric | 9M 2026 | Year-on-Year Change |
| Gross Earnings | ₦4.0 trillion | up 2.3% |
| Interest Income | ₦3.1 trillion | up 6.9% |
| Net Interest Income (NII) | ₦1.3 trillion | up 2.7% |
| Impairment Charge | ₦92.9 billion | down 73.5% |
| Net Interest Income after Impairment Charge | ₦1.2 trillion | up 32.1% |
| Fee and Commission Income | ₦650.9 billion | up 8.4% |
| Net Fee and Commission Income | ₦534.9 billion | up 12.4% |
| Core Operating Income | ₦1.8 trillion | up 5.4% |
| Profit Before Tax (PBT) | ₦667.4 billion | up 8.3% |
| Profit After Tax (PAT) | ₦474.2 billion | up 5.9% |
Earnings performance
Interest income increased by 6.9% to ₦3.1 trillion. Interest expense increased by 10.1% to ₦1.8 trillion, resulting in net interest income of ₦1.3 trillion, up 2.7%.
Earnings quality improved significantly during the period. Impairment charges declined by 73.5% to ₦92.9 billion, with net interest income after impairment rising by 32.1% to ₦1.2 trillion.
Fee and commission income increased by 8.4% to ₦650.9 billion, while fee and commission expense declined by 6.9% to ₦115.9 billion. As a result, net fee and commission income increased by 12.4% to ₦534.9 billion.
Operating expenses increased by 11.8% to ₦1.3 trillion. Improving operating efficiency and strengthening operating leverage remain important priorities under the Scale-to-Value agenda.
Balance sheet
The Group maintained a resilient balance sheet, supported by continued customer deposit growth.
Total assets increased by 1.7% to ₦52.6 trillion at 30 September 2026, from ₦51.7 trillion at 31 December 2025.
Customer deposits increased by 6.6% to ₦36.8 trillion, while loans and advances to customers increased by 7.4% to ₦14.3 trillion.
Shareholders’ funds remained broadly stable at ₦4.5 trillion.
Diversified Banking Franchise
The Banking Group remained the principal contributor to Group earnings, accounting for 96.0% of Group unaudited Profit Before Tax during the period.
Operations outside Nigeria accounted for 82.2% of Banking Group Profit Before Tax. International Banking subsidiaries contributed 43.7%, Rest of Africa 38.5%, and Nigeria 17.8%.
The Group continues to leverage its geographic footprint to deepen customer relationships and increase activity across trade finance, transaction banking, payments and treasury services.
The increasingly diversified earnings base provides a broader platform from which to improve earnings quality and capital productivity.
Under Scale-to-Value, the focus is on converting this scale into sustainable shareholder returns through stronger execution, robust risk governance and regulatory compliance, effective capital allocation and greater operating efficiency.
Scale-To-Value
Scale-to-Value represents the Group’s progression from building scale to improving the quality and productivity of that scale.
The agenda is anchored on five priorities:
| Execution Capacity | Strengthening accountability and the Group’s ability to translate strategic priorities into measurable outcomes. |
| Risk Governance and Regulatory Compliance | Maintaining robust risk and control disciplines and sustained compliance with applicable regulatory requirements across the Group. |
| Capital Discipline | Allocating capital with greater emphasis on productivity and risk-adjusted returns. |
| Operating Efficiency | Strengthening cost discipline and driving greater efficiency from the Group’s infrastructure and capabilities. |
| Earnings Quality | Deepening recurring income streams and strengthening the resilience of earnings. |
Together, these priorities are intended to improve capital productivity and support sustainable shareholder returns.
Progress on BOFIA Section 19(8)(c) Compliance
The Group has made significant progress towards achieving compliance with BOFIA Section 19(8)(c), which limits the Bank’s investment in subsidiaries to 10% of shareholders’ funds.
The Group has identified capital recalls from six banking subsidiaries which, when completed, are expected to bring the Bank’s investment-in-subsidiaries ratio within the regulatory threshold. The recall process has already been completed in one subsidiary, while shareholder approvals have been obtained in four of the remaining five subsidiaries. Regulatory approvals are progressing across the five remaining subsidiaries.
The Group expects to complete the programme within the CBN’s prescribed compliance timeline. Its completion is expected to remove the regulatory constraint on dividend distributions.
Outlook
The Group remains focused on accelerating execution of its Scale-to-Value agenda.
Management priorities include stronger execution capacity, robust risk governance and regulatory compliance, disciplined capital allocation, funding optimisation, greater operating efficiency and improved capital productivity.
The Group will continue to strengthen accountability for execution while maintaining disciplined risk and compliance standards across its businesses.
Management will also remain focused on moderating expense growth, strengthening recurring income and improving the conversion of revenue into earnings.
The objective is clear: to ensure that the Group’s scale is effectively governed, efficiently deployed and consistently translated into sustainable shareholder returns, underpinned by robust risk governance and regulatory compliance.
