…Group Profit rises 89% in FY2025, 53% in Q1 2026

Sterling Financial Holdings Company Plc (“Sterling Financial” or “theGroup”) has announced its audited financial results for the year ended December 31,2025, alongside its unaudited results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2026,delivering strong earnings growth, balance sheet expansion, and improved capitalstrength across the Group.According to statement by Group CFO, Sterling Financial Holdings Company PLC, Adebimpe Olambiwonnu, Gross Earnings for FY2025 increased by 44.4% to ₦486.8 billion, representing the strongest performance in the Group’s modern history. Profit Before Tax rose by 89.2% to ₦86.8 billion, while Profit After Tax increased by 74.8% to ₦76.3 billion.The Group’s balance sheet also strengthened significantly during the year. Total Assets reached ₦3.91 trillion, Customer Deposits grew to ₦2.98 trillion, and Loans and Advances closed at ₦1.41 trillion while Shareholders’ Funds expanded by 40.5% to ₦428.7 billion.Sterling Financial sustained this momentum into the first quarter of 2026, with TotalAssets crossing the ₦4 trillion threshold for the first time, reaching ₦4.07 trillion.Gross Earnings for Q1 2026 rose by 41.6% year-on-year to ₦134.8 billion, supported bya 36.8% increase in Net Interest Income to ₦64.9 billion.Operating income reached ₦93.4 billion during the quarter, while Profit Before Taxincreased by 52.8% to ₦27.9 billion and Profit After Tax rose to ₦23.4 billion.Shareholders’ Funds strengthened further to ₦542.5 billion following the successfulcompletion of the Group’s recapitalisation programme.Commenting on the Group’s performance, Yemi Odubiyi, Group Managing Directorof Sterling Financial Holdings Company Plc, said: “Our FY2025 and Q1 2026 results reflect continued growth across the Group’s core businesses, supported by disciplined execution, improved operating efficiency, and a strengthened capital position.The successful completion of our recapitalisation programme positions the Group for the next phase of growth across our commercial banking, non-interest banking, and wealth-management businesses. We remain focused on sustaining growth, strengthening our balance sheet and delivering long-term value across our diversified platform.”This period represents an important phase in Sterling Financial’s evolution, as thecontinued growth of Sterling Bank and The Alternative Bank, alongside the expansionof SterlingFI Wealth Management, positioned the Group to compete across multiple segments under a unified Group structure and shared strategic agenda.The Group enters the rest of 2026 with stronger capital, expanded operating capacity and continued momentum across its banking and wealth-management businesses.ABOUT STERLING FINANCIAL HOLDINGS COMPANYSterling Financial Holdings Company PLC (Sterling Financial) is a leading Nigerian financial services group committed to enriching lives through innovation and impact. It’s diversified portfolio includes Sterling Bank Limited, The Alternative Bank Limited and SterlingFI WealthManagement among other businesses.As a holding company, Sterling provides strategic direction, governance, and sharedcapabilities across its subsidiaries, enabling each to focus on its core mandate while benefiting from group-wide expertise, technology, and oversight.With a heritage of trust built over six decades, Sterling Financial is committed to financial innovation, advancing inclusion, and shaping sustainable growth in Nigeria’s economy. The group continues to champion customer-focused solutions and socially responsible initiatives while creating long-term value for shareholders, employees and the communities it serves.

Mrs. Amaka Onwughalu, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Fidelity Bank Plc, has emerged winner in the “Women on Bank Boards” category at the Africa Women in Banking and Finance Conference and Awards (AWBFA 2026).The event, themed “Redefining Women’s Leadership in African Finance”, held at the Lagos Marriott Hotel Ikeja on Friday, 8 May 2026, is a platform established to celebrate women driving leadership and impact across Africa’s financial services ecosystem. It also spotlights professionals whose contributions are often overlooked, while advancing visibility for women shaping banking and finance.In her acceptance remarks, delivered through Ezinwa Unuigboje, Company Secretary, Fidelity Bank Plc, Onwughalu described the recognition as a timely reminder of the role inclusion plays in strengthening board effectiveness and corporate governance.“This recognition matters because inclusion at board level strengthens governance,” she said, noting that when diverse perspectives are represented, “oversight is sharper, risk conversations are richer, and strategy is tested more thoroughly.”She added that inclusive leadership sends an important signal to the market and the next generation of leaders, emphasising that boardrooms should reflect “competence, experience, and the society the financial system serves.”For Fidelity Bank, the Chairman linked the award to the institution’s governance priorities and growth trajectory. She noted that strong governance aligns with the bank’s consolidation of “key milestones in capital strengthening, international expansion, and sustained business growth.”She also highlighted the wider benefits for the Nigerian banking industry, noting that inclusive boards support stability and trust, improve decision quality, and help institutions remain responsive to customers, communities, and an evolving regulatory environment. She said the honour was accepted “with gratitude, and with renewed commitment to champion inclusive leadership at the highest level.” Organisers have positioned AWBFA 2026 as more than a conference, describing it as a movement focused on celebrating excellence, driving inclusion, and strengthening leadership pipelines for women across Africa’s financial ecosystem.

Lagos, Nigeria – Union Bank of Nigeria has reaffirmed its reputation as a strong supporter of Nigerian businesses, receiving the Best SME Growth Banking Initiatives Award for 2025 from the Association of Small Business Owners of Nigeria (ASBON) at the Nigeria National SME Business Awards, held recently in Lagos.The award was presented to the Bank in recognition of its strategic leadership in advancing the growth and resilience of small and medium-sized enterprises, through a differentiated suite of solutions designed to enable business expansion and long-term value creation.Receiving the award on behalf of the Bank, Ayokunnumi Abraham, Head of SME Segment at Union Bank, described the recognition as a strong endorsement of the Bank’s commitment to supporting small and medium-sized businesses. He said:”We are honoured to receive this recognition, which reflects Union Bank’s continued commitment to helping SMEs grow by making banking simpler, faster, and more accessible. Through enhancements to our specialised platforms such as Union360, we have meaningfully reduced the time it takes for businesses to come on board and begin transacting. These improvements have shortened onboarding, increased digital adoption among our SME customers, and supported the acquisition of new business clients. Our focus remains on delivering practical solutions that help Nigerian businesses thrive.”Organised by ASBON in partnership with the Lagos State Government through the Ministry of Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, the event convened stakeholders from the public and private sectors to recognise individuals and organisations driving meaningful impact across Nigeria’s SME ecosystem.Union Bank remains focused on deepening its support for SMEs through customer-led solutions and processes that strengthen business growth across the ecosystem.###Note to Editors:About Union Bank of Nigeria Plc’s Established in 1917, Union Bank is a leading provider of financial services in Nigeria, renowned for its “Simpler, Smarter Banking” philosophy. With a nationwide network and a strong focus on digital innovation, Union Bank continues to empower individuals, businesses, and the public sector to achieve lasting success.The Bank is a trusted and recognisable brand with an extensive network of over 300 branches across Nigeria. The Bank offers a range of banking services to individual and corporate clients, including current, savings, and deposit account services, funds transfer, foreign currency domiciliation, loans, overdrafts, equipment leasing, and trade finance. The Bank also offers customers convenient electronic banking channels and products, including Online Banking, Mobile Banking, Debit Cards, ATMs, and POS Systems.More information can be found at: www.unionbankng.comMedia Enquiries: Olufisayo Adelekun+234 (0) 201 271 6800mediarelations@unionbankng.com