Access Holdings Says Regulator Blocks 2025 Dividend Payment
Access Holdings Plc has clarified that its inability to pay dividends for the 2025 financial year was due to regulatory and prudential compliance requirements rather than weak earnings or liquidity challenges.
The company made the clarification during its 2025 Full-Year Investors and Earnings Call, where management addressed shareholders’ concerns over the absence of a dividend declaration despite strong financial performance.
Group Managing Director of Access Holdings, Mr Innocent Ike, said the company remained committed to rewarding shareholders and restoring dividend payments once all regulatory conditions were met.
“Access Holdings has a strong history of consistent dividend payments, and rewarding shareholders remains a core priority for the board and management.
“The non-payment of dividends for 2025 was not due to earnings weakness or cash flow constraints, but alignment with regulatory and prudential guidelines,” he said.
Ike said the group delivered a resilient performance in 2025, reflecting its capacity to generate sustainable returns.
According to him, gross earnings rose by 13.3 per cent to N5.53 trillion, driven by growth in net interest income and a 40.9 per cent increase in fees and commissions to N585.07 billion.
He added that profit before tax grew by 16.2 per cent to N1.01 trillion, crossing the N1 trillion mark for the first time in the group’s history.
He said total assets expanded by 24.2 per cent to N51.56 trillion, supported by business growth and the integration of newly acquired subsidiaries.
Ike also noted that the group’s cost-to-income ratio improved to 51.7 per cent from 56.7 per cent, reflecting stronger cost management and operational efficiency.
According to him, capital adequacy remained strong at 18.2 per cent at the holding company level, while the banking subsidiary closed the year at 20.2 per cent.
“Our performance in 2025 demonstrates the strength of the franchise and its capacity to generate value for shareholders,” he said.
He added that management remained focused on restoring shareholder distributions sustainably after obtaining all required approvals.
Access Holdings explained that although dividends were recommended at both half-year and full-year stages in 2025, regulatory approvals were not secured.
The company said the half-year constraint related to Section 7.1 of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Guidelines for Financial Holding Companies had been resolved following the completion of an approved private placement.
It, however, noted that an additional issue emerged at full-year under Section 19(8)(c) of the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act (BOFIA), which limits investments in foreign banking subsidiaries relative to shareholders’ funds.
According to the group, regulators have granted a 12-month window to fully address the position.
The company said it would partially divest from some banking subsidiaries while retaining majority shareholding.
“We remain actively engaged with the investment community and focused on resolving the matters raised within the prescribed timeline,” Ike said.
He reaffirmed the group’s commitment to maintaining strong governance, capital resilience and transparent engagement with regulators and investors.
Access Holdings added that it was strengthening its capital and liquidity buffers to support the sustainable resumption of dividend payments, subject to regulatory approvals and compliance with required conditions. Ecobank Delivers Q1 Earnings on Asset Quality Reset, Efficiency
