Banking
Coronation Merchant Bank’s Management Has High Degree of Credibility—Fitch
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A renowned global rating agency, Fitch Ratings, says the management team of Nigeria-based Coronation Merchant Bank Limited has demonstrated “a high degree of credibility.”
In a statement to announce the rating of the bank’s Long-Term Issuer Default Rating (IDR) at ‘B-‘ with a negative outlook, Fitch said the company’s “strategy is well defined although execution could be hampered under current difficult operating conditions.”
In the statement made available to Business Post on Monday, it was stated that apart from the management quality being “a relative strength,” it was equipped with “experience and depth commensurate with the complexity of the business.”
The rating agency noted that the company has good asset quality, reporting a zero impaired loans (IFRS 9 Stage 3)/gross ratio at end-1H20, which has also been the case for the last four financial years.
“This reflects the bank’s lower risk business model and risk management capability,” it noted.
“Given the severity of the economic crisis, we expect a modest rise in Stage 2 and Stage 3 loans over the next 18 months.
“Asset quality risks are exacerbated by very high credit concentrations by the borrower and significant foreign-currency-denominated trade loans (forming 60% of total loans at end-1H20),” the statement said.
It was noted that bank’s viability rating (VR) was put at ‘b-‘, while the national long-term rating was put at ‘BBB(nga)’ to reflect Nigeria’s (B/Negative) challenging and volatile operating environment, which influences the firm’s financial and non-financial rating factors.
“The negative outlook on Coronation Merchant Bank’s long-term IDR reflects our view that prevailing operating conditions create downside risks to our assessment of the bank’s funding and liquidity profile as well as pressure on asset quality and earnings, but there is a degree of tolerance in these factors,” it said.
Fitch said in the statement that the lender’s primary risk exposure is to short-term (up to one year) self-liquidating corporate loans and traditional trade finance and Nigerian treasury bills.
“This is balanced by the bank’s good management of credit and market risks. Operational risk is inherent in the business but losses are low,” it said.
It was stated that the bank is well-capitalised, reporting Tier 1 and total capital adequacy ratios of 16.6 per cent and 17.2 per cent, respectively, at end-1H20.
“However, capital ratios have modestly declined from end-2019 due to fast growth and currency devaluation. Fitch expects further modest capital pressure to come from lower earnings,” it said.
The statement said the company’s corporate deposits are highly concentrated by name and around 17 per cent were in foreign currency at end-1H20.
“Given the nature of its trade finance business, the bank has a reliance on short-term foreign currency funding (around 25 per cent of its total foreign currency funding), which could decline if sovereign risks rise, leading to pressure on foreign currency liquidity.
“Balance sheet liquidity is underpinned by the short-term nature of the bank’s trade finance assets and large holdings of liquid assets. The bank is highly liquid in local currency but conversion to foreign currency is challenging under current market conditions,” Fitch said.
Coronation Merchant Bank, a leading independent merchant bank, was established in 2015, and it engages in corporate and trade finance, domestic capital markets and investment banking.
But its funding structure is a relative rating weakness as the bank is funded entirely by price and confidence sensitive wholesale funding, including corporate deposits, short-term bank borrowings and commercial paper. Around 37 per cent of the firm’s non-equity funding was in foreign currency at end-1H20.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) has promised to support the ambitious plans of the Association of Corporate and Marketing Professionals in Banks (ACAMB).
At a meeting between the leaderships of the two organisations on Tuesday, the president of CIBN, Professor Pius Deji Olanrewaju, said it was impressed with the capability development and the undergraduate mentorship schemes of ACAMB under its leader, Mr Jide Sipe.
The CIBN chief commended the forward-thinking vision of the group, saying it had raised standards across Nigeria’s banking sector.
“ACAMB’s support has given CIBN and the banking sector brand equity,” he said, praising the association’s record in reputation management. recalling ACAMB’s role in addressing crises within the sector, describing the partnership as strategic and beneficial.
He further pledged support for ACAMB’s 30th anniversary in September 2026, its AGM, and other programmes, including fundraising initiatives.
“I want to assure you that everything you have presented today has been clearly noted and will be acted upon.
“We are fully committed to working closely with you so as to translate these discussions and vision into measurable progress. Our shared goal is to strengthen the sector, protect its reputation, and enhance its public image in a meaningful and lasting way.
“This meeting discussed various initiatives and reforms crucial for the future of our industry, including the need for continuous training and adaptation to new programs,” Mr Olanrewaju stated.
Speaking at the meeting, the president of ACAMB described the visit as a crucial first step in his tenure, aimed at contributing significantly to giving flight to his vision and that of ACAMB.
“When we assumed office, one of the first things we agreed on was the need to visit key stakeholders.
“However, before reaching out more broadly, we felt it was important to begin with our primary constituency and core stakeholders. We want them to understand the direction we are taking and to support the work we are doing, so that ACAMB can achieve greater success than it has in the past.
“We couldn’t have properly started our tenure without this very important meeting with the CIBN,” Mr Sipe stated
He introduced the newly constituted ACAMB Exco, which includes the 2nd Vice President, Morolake Phillip-Ladipo; General Secretary, Olugbenga Owootomo; Assistant General Secretary, Ademola Adeshola; Publicity Secretary, Abiodun Coker; and Executive Secretary, Fadekemi Ajakaiye.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Registration for the second HerFidelity Apprenticeship Programme (HAP 2.0) organised by Fidelity Bank Plc has commenced.
The Divisional Head of Product Development at Fidelity Bank, Mr Osita Ede, informed newsmen that the initiative was designed to empower women with sustainable entrepreneurship skills.
The lender created the flagship women-empowerment initiative to equip women with practical, income‑generating skills and structured pathways to entrepreneurship.
“HerFidelity Apprenticeship Programme 2.0 reflects our commitment to continuous improvement. Having evaluated feedback from the first edition, we have returned with stronger partnerships and deeper mentorship programmes to ensure that women acquire not just skills, but sustainable economic opportunities,” he said.
“At the heart of the programme is guided, real‑world learning. Participants will undergo intensive apprenticeship training under reputable institutions and industry experts across select fields such as hair styling, shoe making, auto mechatronics, and interior decoration,” Mr Ede added.
He noted that HerFidelity Apprenticeship Programme 2.0 goes beyond skills acquisition by offering participants a wide range of business advisory services. These include business and financial literacy training, mentorship support throughout the apprenticeship journey, access to Fidelity Bank’s women‑focused and SME financial solutions, as well as guidance on business formalisation and growth strategies.
Further emphasising the bank’s vision, Mr Ede said, “By integrating structured mentorship with entrepreneurial development, Fidelity Bank is positioning women not just as trainees, but as future employers, innovators, and economic contributors within their communities. This aligns with our mandate to help individuals grow, businesses thrive, and economies prosper.”
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A new branch of The Alternative Bank (AltBank) has been opened in Ondo State as part of the expansion drive of the financial institution.
A statement from the company disclosed that the new branch would support export-oriented agribusinesses through Letters of Credit and commodity-backed trade finance, ensuring that local producers can scale beyond state borders.
For SMEs, the bank is introducing robust payment rails, asset financing for equipment and inventory, and supply chain-backed facilities that strengthen working capital without trapping businesses in interest-based debt cycles.
The Governor of Ondo State, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa, represented by his Chief of
Staff, Mr Olusegun Omojuwa, at the commissioning of the branch, underscored the importance of financial institutions in economic development.
“The pivotal role of financial institutions to economic growth and development of any economy cannot be overemphasised. It provides access to capital, supporting small and medium-scale enterprises and encouraging savings.
“Therefore, I have no doubt in my mind that the presence of The Alternative Bank in Ondo State will deepen financial services, create employment opportunities and stimulate economic activities across various sectors,” he said.
In her remarks, the Executive Director for Commercial and Institutional Banking (Lagos and South West) at The Alternative Bank, Mrs Korede Demola-Adeniyi, commended the state government’s leadership and outlined the lender’s long-term vision for Ondo State.
“As Ondo State steps into its next fifty years, and into the future anchored on the sustainable development championed during the recent anniversary celebrations, The Alternative Bank is here to be the financial engine for that vision. We didn’t come to Akure to hang banners. We came to fund work, farms, shops, and factories.”
With Ondo State’s economy anchored largely on agriculture, particularly cocoa production, poultry farming, and other cash crops, alongside a growing SME and trade ecosystem, AltBank is deploying sector-specific financing solutions tailored to these strengths.
For cocoa aggregators, processors and poultry operators, the bank will provide production financing, facility expansion support, machinery lease structures, and structured trade facilities under its joint venture and cost-plus financing models, with transaction cycles of up to 180 days for commodity trades and longer-term structured asset financing for equipment and infrastructure.
The organisation is a notable national non-interest bank with a physical network now surpassing 170 locations, deploying capital to solve real-world challenges through initiatives such as the Mata Zalla project, which saw to the training of hundreds of women as electric tricycle drivers and mechanics.
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