In the past ten years, fraud and forgery cases in Nigerian banks peaked in 2021, with an 88% rise from 2020

Related Insights

Access Bank has evolved from a Nigerian bank to a pan-African financial institution

When Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede and Herbert Wigwe acquired Access Bank in 2002, it ranked 65th in Nigeria. Today, it is the largest bank in Nigeria by asset size, with a vision to be Africa's most respected bank.

While its expansion across Africa has been aggressive, it has not been smooth sailing. Access Bank divested its holdings in Access Bank Côte d'Ivoire and Finbank Burundi, two of its earliest attempts at expansion. In Gambia, the Central Bank nationalised the bank in 2014. The nationalisation was short-lived as investors recapitalised the bank to meet the regulator's requirements for the takeover. With rolling five-year corporate plans since 2003, Access is in its fifth strategic cycle. Access' strategy cycle (2023-2027) indicates a plan to continue its expansion drive, invest in its subsidiaries, and acquire growth banks in strategic markets before consolidating and optimising its operations to drive capital growth.

UBA has the largest global footprint of Nigerian banks with an international licence

Seven Nigerian commercial banks have international authorisation. Per the new capital requirements, these banks must raise their shareholders' funds to ₦500 billion by April 2026, up from ₦50 billion, to retain their licences. All seven banks have footprints in the UK, where FCMB and Fidelity Bank operate, underutilising their licence. Ghana and Sierra Leone are the only countries where all the big five have a presence. While UBA is present in more countries than any other bank, Access is catching up quickly and poised to overtake it. In the past two years, it has expanded into over five countries, with plans to grow its presence to nearly 30 countries by 2027.

Nigeria: POS transactions surge over 10,700x in 14 years, as ATM use declines

As ATMs struggle with cash shortages, Nigerians have turned to POS to fill the gap — even when using them comes with higher fees. POS transactions in Nigeria jumped from just below one million in 2009 to nearly 10 billion in 2023. The largest single-year increase in POS transactions occurred in 2023, while ATM usage peaked in 2020 but has since dropped consistently. In 2021, POS transactions surpassed ATM volumes for the first time, signalling a major change in how Nigerians handle these financial services.

21% of the ₦17.67 billion lost to fraud in 2023 was recorded in October, totaling ₦3.76 billion

Fraud data submitted to the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System by financial institutions in 2023 reveals that customers lost ₦17.67 billion across 95,630 cases, with the highest loss of ₦3.76 billion occurring in October 2023

66% of fraud in 2023 was committed using social engineering

In 2023, 66% of fraud cases were committed using social engineering, the most common technique. Mobile channels accounted for 50% of fraud, followed by web channels (23%) and POS channels (18%). Technique: How the fraud is committed. Channel: Where the fraud is committed. Techniques refer to the methods fraudsters use to deceive victims, and Channels refer to the platforms through which the fraud is carried it.

Bitcoin soared by nearly $20,000 in ten days, reaching an all-time high of $89.6K

Bitcoin has experienced a remarkable surge, with an increase close to $20,000 in just ten days to reach an all-time high (ATH) of $89.6K on November 11, 2024. This rapid rise depicts the potential of cryptocurrency markets, with Bitcoin leading the charge as the world's most recognised digital asset. The recent price movement shows a growing interest in Bitcoin as an investment asset.