Banking
How Tokunbo Abiru Transformed Polaris Bank in Nearly Two Years
There are bankers and there are bankers, but the group managing director and chief executive officer of Polaris Bank Limited, Mr Adetokunbo Mukhail Abiru, is arguably one of the most successful bankers Nigeria has produced in recent times.
Mr Abiru is a rare breed. We are familiar with individuals who take over bourgeoning establishments and further increase their worth on face value along the line. But it sounds like a fairy tale to have a professional who takes over a near-comatose organization and almost makes a corporate giant out of it. This has been the lot of the former Skye Bank Plc, now rechristened Polaris Bank Limited.
In just a little time after the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria, AMCON took over Skye Bank and renamed it Polaris Bank which saw the emergence of Mr Abiru as its managing director cum chief executive officer, Polaris Bank’s narrative changed to a financial institution to reckon with.
Recall that on July 4, 2016, the Central Bank of Nigeria intervened in the management of the Skye Bank Plc by reconstituting the board of directors, shoring up the bank with N100 billion capital injection. The regulatory action on the bank led to the resignation of its chairman, all non-executive directors on the board, as well as the managing director, deputy managing director, and the two longest-serving executive directors on the management team.
Two years down the line, (precisely, September 22, 2018), the CBN again intervened in the ailing Skye Bank and the operating licence of the bank was revoked to give way to Polaris Bank Limited, a bridge bank former created in consultation with the Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) to assume the ownership of the assets, all deposit liabilities and some other liabilities of distressed and defunct Skye Bank. The bank’s share capital had run into negative territory due to bad loan deals. It was also in urgent need of recapitalisation which its shareholders could not enable.
Accordingly, the apex bank gave the board a clear mandate to turn the institution around positively. Expectedly, the Tokunbo Abiru-led team has not disappointed.
Under his leadership, the bank has witnessed significant transformation in market competitiveness. The financial institution has roared into the limelight, with the many brilliant strides and policies executed since he took over.
He is easily one of the best banking brains and business leaders on the continent – evident in his immense contribution to the African banking industry. Mr Abiru’s story is a remarkable one and his journey up to this point is enough blue print for anyone looking to achieve success in their path.
This is a man who has used his Midas touch to turn things around for the financial institution within a very short space of time.
On assumption of office in 2016, Mr Abiru drew up a holistic and integrated approach to business modernization which elevated the bank to deliver a superior customer-centric experience. The impact of this change has been reflecting positively on the bank’s report card, which restored customers’ trust and confidence in the system.
Since becoming the managing director of the lender, the game-changer has spearheaded several growth initiatives which have placed the bank on upward trajectory. The Abiru-led Polaris team has continued to implement the July 2016 regulatory intervention to include entrenching sound corporate governance and risk management practices and transforming Polaris into fully fledged retail and commercial bank with strong digital backing.
The miraculous transformation experienced by Polaris Bank which was almost a dying entity a few years ago is a testimony of the leadership and managerial qualities of Mr Abiru.
The bank has invested significantly in technology with copiously integrated service models enabling customers enjoy banking services through a wide range of channels.
Today, Polaris Bank can boast of a strong market share going by several transformative business initiatives.
Mr Abiru has successfully implemented cost management initiatives which have enhanced liquidity and efficient service delivery to the bank’s customers.
Through his aggressive recovery initiatives, the bank has been able to recover over N200 billion of outstanding bad loans within a shortest period.
Under his watch, the bank has been able to reach settlement and restructuring agreements with many of the chronic bad debtors resulting in substantially improved payments and prospects of future recoveries.
In line with the bank’s broad mandate which includes cost management and optimisation, as well as divestments to improve the institution’s financial position, Mr Tokunbo Abiru has embarked on several initiatives aimed at restructuring and repositioning the bank.
Some of the initiatives embarked upon by Mr Abiru include: branch rationalisation, review of service contracts and cash management operations which have resulted in hundreds of millions of financial savings. Also, through some of the initiatives, the bank has successfully settled many matured trade and bilateral obligations and restructured outstanding balances with the relevant institutions and counterparties.
Under Mr Abiru’s watch, the bank has divested from four local subsidiaries releasing total cash value of N6.2 billion.
Mr Abiru is also known for his no-nonsense approach to service delivery which keeps members of staff on their toes always, but doesn’t hesitate in wielding the big stick when necessary in order to achieve the desired growth goals of the brand, while rewarding outstanding members of staff.
Polaris Bank under Abiru has also continued to promote the CBN’s National Financial Inclusion Strategy aimed at reducing the number of eligible adult Nigerians that are excluded from the formal financial system from 46.3 per cent to 20 per cent by the year 2020. The lender has been remarkable, strutting the length and breadth of Nigeria to promote financial inclusion.
Polaris Bank has also made available different credit and funding options to small scale entrepreneurs and business owners, operating in the informal sector, in order to bring them into mainstream financial system.
The bank has also employed interactive financial literacy sessions as a platform to empower students with money management skills in schools across the country. So far, the bank has organised interactive sessions on financial literacy in schools across seven states namely; Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi, Zamfara, Oyo, Bauchi and Benue. The sessions were facilitated by 155 employees of the bank led by the managing director/CEO. At Offot Ukwa Secondary School, Calabar, Cross River State and four other schools in Akwa Ibom State namely; Uyo High School, Bright Future International School, Nigerian Christian Institute and Redemption Academy, the students took lessons on managing and saving money.
To underscore the importance of the initiative, Abiru taught the students ways to be thrifty and start saving for the future, urging them not to spend all monetary gifts they get buying things, but rather learn to keep a part of it in the bank and watch it grow.
Overall, about 6,000 students have benefited from the training.
Similarly, in its bid to ease access to banking services and to reach the unbanked, Polaris Bank recently entered into a strategic partnership with the Niger State government by ensuring participants in the supply value chain of the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP) open bank accounts with less hassle.
The NHGSFP is an initiative of the Federal Government designed as a deliberate act to encourage mass education among the underprivileged and the most vulnerable.
Since the feeding programme commenced in 2016, over 7,500 people across supply value chain had been engaged in Niger State while Polaris Bank has opened bank accounts for 1,500 cooks.
The bank has also launched its revamped mobile banking application upgraded with new and exciting user-friendly features for a more convenient banking experience. Customers can now enjoy many benefits and access self-service options, such as, easy account opening, convenient self- booking and liquidation of fixed deposits, an expanded list of bill-payment options and easy activation of standing instructions & recurrent future payments.
These and many other moves leveraging technology and building a culture of innovation is fast repositioning the bank.
Today, Polaris Bank’s branches are fast becoming a hub for transactional activities witnessing a huge footfall of customers trooping in to carry out transactions, open bank accounts and experience the innovative trends that the bank has introduced to its business. This overall experience has also been boosted by the enhancement of staff morale which inherently drives the commitment to serve their customers better.
Not resting on his oars, the seasoned banker has said that he would love to leave with a sense of satisfaction that he delivered on the mandate the CBN by taking Polaris to the top.
Abiru, is an alumnus of Harvard Business School (Advanced Management Programme) and Lagos Business School (Senior Management Programme). He holds a B.Sc. (Economics) from Lagos State University and is a Fellow of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and an Honorary Senior Member of The Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN).
The seasoned banker has had a distinguished career in banking spanning about 30 years, ten of which were spent in the formative years of Guaranty Trust Bank Plc. He thereafter spent about 14 years with First Bank of Nigeria Limited, where he functioned as executive director, Corporate Banking between 2013 and 2016.
During his banking career, he was at various times between 2013 and 2016 a non–executive director in the following companies: Airtel Mobile Networks Limited; FBN Capital Limited (now FBN Merchant Bank Limited); and FBN Bank Limited, Sierra Leone.
While serving as the Commissioner for Finance in Lagos State, it is to Tokunbo Abiru’s credit that the state successfully floated an N80 billion bond, earning it the EMEA Finance’s Best Local Currency Bond Award for 2012. Under his leadership, Mr. Abiru made the state’s tax efforts yield maximum results; and the discovery of over 5.5 million tax evaders in 2013 opened up the discussion regarding taxation in Lagos State. Mr. Abiru’s efforts also led to increased Land Use Charge revenue generations to the tune of N6.2 billion.
Financial experts believe the sky is the limit for Tokunbo Abiru at Polaris Bank. One of them, Tunji Omotosho said: “His achievements are eye-catching and enviable in all ramifications. He has set a pedestal for aspiring financial managers to want to beat, but it is difficult to reach it, let alone beat it.
“Tokunbo is definitely a rare gift to the financial sector, and a miracle to the country’s development goals. A lot of us are learning so much from his experiences and how he manages them successfully.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has directed banks and other financial institutions to submit monthly reports on failed electronic transactions across digital channels, as part of new compliance measures introduced in its revised Guide to Charges.
The directive was contained in a circular titled Exposure Draft of the Guide to Charges by Banks and Other Financial Institutions in Nigeria, 2026 (The Guide) and signed by the Director of the Financial Policy and Regulation Department, Mrs Rita Sike.
According to the apex bank, Chief Compliance Officers and Heads of Information Technology in financial institutions are required to jointly render electronic reports of all failed transactions conducted via Automated Teller Machines, Point of Sale terminals, mobile channels, web platforms, and other electronic systems.
The circular read, “The Chief Compliance Officer and Head Information Technology shall jointly render monthly reports electronically, of all failed electronic transactions via various e-channels (ATM, PoS, mobile, web/internet and related channels) that originate or terminate in the institution.”
The reports are to be submitted to designated CBN email addresses, reinforcing the regulator’s push for stricter monitoring of service failures across the banking system.
Beyond the reporting requirement, the CBN also introduced broader accountability measures, placing responsibility on top management of financial institutions to ensure strict adherence to the new guide.
Executive Compliance Officers or Managing Directors are mandated to cascade compliance expectations across all business units and ensure that banking systems are configured to apply only approved charges.
Specifically, the regulator directed that Heads of Information Technology must ensure that “all systems configurations only capture and allow posting of charges as permitted and described in this Guide,” while Chief Compliance Officers are to monitor strict compliance with the framework.
The revised guide, effective May 1, 2026, replaces the 2020 version and provides a comprehensive framework for charges across banking and other financial services.
The CBN explained that the review was aimed at promoting a safe and sound financial system, encouraging innovation, and expanding financial inclusion through lower tariffs on micropayments and transactions.
It added that the revised framework would strengthen oversight and accountability, encourage the adoption of electronic payment channels, and accommodate new industry participants.
Business Post also reported that the regulator has raised ATM card fees by 50 per cent to N1,500 and scrapped the monthly maintenance charge.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has proposed that financial institutions operating in the country should charge N150 for the e-dividend mandate processing fee from May 1, 2026.
This was contained in the latest Guide to Charges by Banks and Other Financial Institutions in Nigeria, signed by the Director of the Financial Policy and Regulation Department of the CBN, Ms Rita Sikе.
The move is to promote a safe and sound financial system in Nigeria, accelerate the adoption of innovative financial services, financial inclusion and micropayments/transactions.
The reviewed guide, according to the central bank, provides for an increased range of financial services, encourages development of innovative products, strengthens responsibility for oversight and accountability and promotes financial inclusion through lower tariffs for micropayments/transactions.
It also reviewed some charges for banking services to encourage increased adoption of electronic channels and accommodate new industry participants since the issuance of the 2020 guide.
“In view of the above, the draft guide is hereby exposed to members of the public for their comments/input on the proposed fees contained therein. Comments are to be sent to [email protected] on or before May 08, 2026,” a part of the note stated.
In the draft, the banking sector regulator is suggesting the payment of N1,500 for local debit card issuance and replacement by customers and a $10 annual fee for foreign currency-denominated debit/credit cards.
For on-site ATM transactions, a charge of N100 per N20,000 withdrawal was proposed and N100 plus a surcharge of not more than N500 per N20,000 withdrawal. It emphasised that the surcharge, which is an income of the ATM deployer/acquirer, shall be disclosed at the point of withdrawal to the consumer.
The bank also said that for electronic fund transfers below N5,000, no fee would be collected, but from N5,000 to N50,000, customers would part with N10, and for transfers above N50,000, the fee of N50 would be paid, while for microfinance banks, there would be the settlement bank’s charge plus 10 per cent of the charge.
The CBN noted that this guide applies to commercial banks, merchant banks, Payment Service Banks (PSBs), non-interest banks, microfinance banks, finance companies, Primary Mortgage Banks (PMBs), Development Finance Institutions (DFIs), credit guarantee companies, Mobile Money Operators (MMOs), and any other institution as may be designated by it.
In today’s rapidly evolving business environment, organisations face heightened competition, shifting workforce expectations, and increasing pressure to optimise productivity. Amid these dynamics, one truth has become increasingly clear: employees’ financial well-being is directly tied to organisational performance.
Employees who are financially secure demonstrate greater commitment, higher productivity, reduced absenteeism, and stronger alignment with company objectives. Conversely, financial stress has emerged as a leading contributor to disengagement, declining morale, and weakened performance across all levels of the workforce.
At Stanbic IBTC, we recognise this critical relationship between employee financial health and business outcomes. This insight led us to engineer Employee Value Banking (EVB)—a strategic, comprehensive, and future-proof solution designed to help organisations strengthen their workforce, elevate their value proposition, and drive long-term business sustainability.
EVB is a transformational partnership model aligning employee wellbeing with corporate productivity, risk reduction, and efficiency.
A Holistic, Employee-Centric Banking Architecture
EVB is built on the understanding that employees across varying grades and income brackets have unique financial realities. By offering a robust suite of banking, investment, insurance, and advisory services tailored to diverse needs, EVB empowers organisations to meaningfully enhance their workforce’s financial security and stability.
Key Components of the EVB Suite
- Digital Unsecured Personal Loans with Flexible Repayment
Employees gain access to seamless, digitally processed loans that allow them to meet immediate financial needs with ease.
Flexible repayment structures reduce financial strain while supporting responsible borrowing behaviour.
- Tailored Savings and Investment Solutions
Through structured savings plans, mutual funds, and diverse investment options, employees are empowered to build wealth over time.
This fosters discipline, long-term planning, and financial resilience.
- Pension and Asset Management Services
With Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers and Stanbic IBTC Asset Management, employees benefit from expert retirement guidance, wealth advisory, and long-term financial structuring—ensuring a secure and predictable future.
- Comprehensive Insurance Cover (Life, Health & Assets)
Employees and their families enjoy protection against major life risks, including health emergencies, life insurance, and property coverage.
This security enhances peace of mind and reduces workplace anxiety.
- Mortgage Support at a Competitive Single-Digit Rate of 9.75%
Homeownership remains a powerful symbol of stability and success.
Through EVB’s highly competitive mortgage solution, 774 families have successfully become homeowners from 2024 to date, demonstrating the program’s profound and measurable impact.
A Structured, Responsible, and Risk-Free Lending Model
One of the core strengths of EVB is its cadre-based lending framework, which aligns all loan offerings with employee grade levels, income bands, and organisational hierarchy. This ensures:
- Responsible and sustainable lending behaviours
- Protection against over-borrowing
- Stronger financial discipline
- Greater alignment with corporate HR structures
What distinctly sets EVB apart is its employer-focused risk mitigation. EVB’s structure ensures employers face no risk, making it uniquely designed for seamless adoption compared to standard banking programs.
All loans provided under the program are fully insured, meaning organisations carry:
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This allows HR and management teams to expand their employee value proposition without adjusting internal financial structures or bearing additional costs.
Beyond Banking: Building a Financially Resilient Workforce
Financial empowerment is not achieved solely through products; it requires education, behavioural change, and consistent guidance.
Further differentiating EVB, Financial Fitness Workshops and complimentary Financial Health Checks are embedded as core components, giving employees ongoing support that competitors rarely offer.
These workshops cover:
- Personal budgeting and cash flow management
- Savings and investment strategies
- Smart debt management
- Retirement and pension planning
- Wealth creation principles
By equipping employees with financial knowledge, organisations reduce anxiety, enhance decision-making, and cultivate a more confident, resilient, and empowered workforce.
A Strategic Partnership That Delivers Sustained Organisational Value
EVB enables organisations to build a healthier, more motivated, and higher-performing workforce.
It is not a product—it is a strategic collaboration that enhances organisational culture, strengthens HR capability, and improves employer brand reputation.
Through EVB, organisations benefit from:
- Higher employee engagement
- Improved productivity and performance
- Reduced financial stress across all workforce levels
- Enhanced talent attraction and retention
- A stronger, richer reward and well-being structure
- A fully digital, modern, and efficient employee banking experience
EVB reflects Stanbic IBTC’s long-standing commitment to supporting organisations by empowering the individuals who drive their success.
Employee Value Banking (EVB) is a pivotal advancement in corporate banking. Where traditional bank–corporate relationships focused on organisational accounts and financial transactions, EVB introduces a holistic, human-centric model that puts employees’ well-being at the core of corporate financial services.
Through EVB, Stanbic IBTC has:
- Transitioned corporate banking from a transactional model to a value-driven partnership
- Expanded the definition of the corporate customer to include the entire workforce
- Integrated banking, pensions, investments, mortgages, insurance, and financial education into a unified ecosystem
- Elevated corporate banking into a strategic enabler of productivity, well-being, and business sustainability
- Positioned financial well-being as a competitive advantage for modern organisations
EVB has redefined the future of corporate banking, transforming it from a service function into a lever for organisational excellence, employee empowerment, and value creation.
Stanbic IBTC drives this change, enabling businesses to build secure, high-performing workforces.
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