By Gloria Ikibah
Access Holdings Plc has announced the successful completion of its Rights Issue, raising N351,009,103,017.25 through the issuance of 17,772,612,811 ordinary shares at N19.75 per share.
This achievement follows full regulatory approvals from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
With this milestone, Access Bank Plc, the flagship subsidiary of Access Holdings, is the first bank to meet the CBN’s N500 billion minimum capital requirement for banks with international authorisation, well ahead of the March 2026 deadline. The bank’s share capital now stands at N600 billion, exceeding the regulatory threshold by N100 billion.
This marks a significant achievement as Access Holdings is the first CBN-licensed financial holding company to execute a fully digital Rights Issue. The process utilised the Nigerian Exchange Group’s E-offer platform to provide shareholders with a seamless and efficient subscription experience, enhancing accessibility and participation.
Speaker on the development, the Holding Company’s Chairman, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, highlighted the innovation and leadership demonstrated by the institution. Further details from the statement emphasize the bank’s commitment to leveraging technology to drive growth and improve shareholder value.
He said: “The Access brand has always resonated strongly with local and international capital markets. Since 2004, Access Bank has raised billions of dollars in capital to meet successive CBN recapitaliation directives. We are pleased that this time, we are the first to cross the finish line.
“The success of the Rights Issue demonstrates the resilience of Nigeria’s capital market and reinforces our shareholders’ confidence in the present value and potential of our company.
“We deeply acknowledge the invaluable and strong support of the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Securities and Exchange Commission, who both played crucial roles in ensuring the integrity and efficacy of our Rights Issue exercise.
“We are also grateful to our valued shareholders, whose loyalty to the Access brand and vision for over 22 years has been most inspiring and unwavering. As we enter the new year, we are well-positioned to leverage our enhanced capital base to deliver sustainable value for our stakeholders.”
Access Holdings Plc operates through a network of more than 700 branches and service outlets, spanning three continents, 23 countries, and over 60 million customers.
The company serves its markets through four subsidiaries in banking, payment, pension administration, and insurance sectors: Access Bank Plc, Hydrogen Payment Services Company Limited, Access Pensions Limited, and Access Insurance Brokers Limited.
Access Bank Plc serves its markets through three business segments—Corporate and Investment, Commercial, and Retail—and has enjoyed Africa’s most successful banking growth trajectory in the last 22 years.
Following its merger with Diamond Bank in March 2019, Access Bank Plc became one of Africa’s largest retail banks by customer base and Nigeria’s largest bank by total assets.
