Banking
Keystone Bank: Emerging Whiz-kid on the Banking Block
By Felix Onajite
Since the financial crisis that enveloped the global market a decade ago, the profitability and reputation of banks has been under tremendous pressure worldwide, Nigeria inclusive. Whilst the banking industry is now regaining its health, the entrant of fintechs and neo-banks in the industry is posing a new threat. This digital disruption is changing the traditional way through which customers obtain financial services, hence putting more pressure on banks’ profitability.
However, a bank in Nigeria, Keystone Bank Ltd, is challenging the status quo by making transformation and profitability appear like a mere walk over as revealed in its achievements within a short time span.
From the perspective of the results on ground, it appears to be a great time for Keystone Bank. In just one year of AMCON’s divestment, the bank has changed its narrative from “one of those banks” to a financial institution to be reckoned with and as a result is experiencing an influx of business minded customers.
Keystone Bank’s ambitious and holistic transformations have taken industry watchers by surprise, and the industry itself by storm.
Besides the revamping of its branches across the nation and bolstering its workforce, it has invested substantially in technology and developed fully integrated service models that enable its customers enjoy banking services through a wide range of channels.
The bank’s journey to reckoning had been long and winding, which necessitated a takeover by the Asset Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON) in 2011.
However, its acquisition by Sigma Golf – Riverbank consortium seemed to trigger a turnaround as it precipitated a change in the management team to the one that holds the magic wand for the positive outlook it has been experiencing to date
On taking over, the new management team led by its Group Managing Director/CEO, Mr Obeahon Ohiwerei, 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 reflected positive results in its Q1 report card, which, from all indications, is a restoration of customers’ trust in its system.
The bank, for the half-year ended June 30, 2018, recorded a profit before tax of N5.83 billion, compared to a loss of N6.78 billion over the same period in 2017. Deposit grew by 51 percent, from N206 billion to N312 billion between June 2017 and June 2018.
From evolving technologies to changing customer expectations to new regulatory demands – it has never been more important for banks to come up with the right strategies for digital transformation and innovation; the Mr Ohiwerei team nonetheless made this a reality at Keystone Bank. This entailed initiating partnership processes with foremost technology-enabled concerns to drive its digital revolution.
Its partnership with CeLD Innovations Limited to launch a ground-breaking loyalty reward initiative which involves the gifting of ‘CashToken’, is one of such moves. This innovative gift commodity, Cash Token, which was formally launched in Lagos on Thursday April 19, 2018 at a conference tagged “500 Top CEOs Conference – Unleashing – The Age of Hyper Consumer Centricity, is an electronic reward and celebratory gift commodity which costs only N30.
The initiative, according to CeLD, creates a chance for every customer in Nigeria to win life-changing cash rewards every Friday night on the National CashToken draws which is monitored by Alexander Forbes and audited by Deloitte. This initiative is designed to optimize customer loyalty investment for business, celebratory gift value optimization and public emotional equity for government.
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 & 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.
Other notable features of the mobile App are, a “Switch Card ON/OFF option” which allows users to disable their cards temporarily if missing & re-enable at the click of a button, the “Hide Balance Feature” safeguards against third-party viewing and the “Meet Your Relationship Manager Option” allows users to call or email their account officers right within the app.
In addition, the Bank was the first in the sector to introduce the Chat-bot feature called OXYGEN which enables banking on Telegram and Facebook. It guides users through a whole range of desired transactions step-by-step.
Another first from the Bank is the Zero Data Banking feature that enable customers transact on their phones without data. Keystone Bank has remained the only Bank with this feature on its Banking App.
And for the first time in its operations, Keystone Bank also introduced a new SMART number for customer support, this eliminates the need for customers to remember multiple numbers while removing the uncertainty as to which of the lines are actively engaged.
These and many other moves leveraging technology and building a culture of innovation is fast repositioning the bank as a new whiz kid on the banking block, which, according to its Group Managing Director, Mr Obeahon Ohiwerei is a proof of the hard work and resilience of the board, management and staff of the bank.
Today, Keystone 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.
From the look of unfolding events at Keystone Bank, it’s clear to see that, it’s just a matter of time before the bank starts operating in the first tier again.
Felix Onajite, a financial analyst, writes from Lagos, Nigeria.
By Adedapo Adesanya
First Holdco Plc has commenced a public offer to raise about N1.4 trillion (approximately $1 billion) after securing approval from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The offer, which opened on Monday, involves the sale of 10.4 billion ordinary shares, according to the chief executive of its banking subsidiary, First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Mr Olusegun Alebiosu.
The capital raise follows the company’s earlier plan to transfer about a quarter of its shares to RC Investment Management Ltd., which served as a bridge holder after Barbican Capital Limited exited its investment in the lender amid a prolonged ownership and leadership dispute.
First Holdco had previously indicated that the shares would eventually be offered to the investing public once the necessary regulatory approvals were obtained.
Speaking in an interview with Bloomberg, Mr Alebiosu said proceeds from the offer would strengthen the capital base of First Bank and support the holding company’s expansion strategy.
According to him, the group intends to diversify beyond banking by establishing an insurance underwriting business and a fintech services company.
“The sale is starting today — the reality here is that I am not sure it will stay more than one week based on the pressure we are getting,” Mr Alebiosu said, expressing confidence in strong investor demand.
Investors appeared to respond positively to the announcement, with First HoldCo’s shares climbing as much as 5.9 per cent to a record high during trading on Monday before easing to a 3.1 per cent gain at N133.60 by early afternoon in Lagos.
The lender has been one of the best-performing banking stocks on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited over the past year, with its share price rising more than fourfold since July 2025, when Barbican Capital’s stake was transferred to RC Investment Management.
The fresh capital injection comes as its largest shareholder, Mr Femi Otedola, continues to strengthen his stake in Nigeria’s oldest bank. With the billionaire holding around a 26 per cent stake in the company, analysts say he has his eyes set on full control once his equity crosses the 30 per cent mark.
By Adedapo Adesanya
One of Nigeria’s top digital banks, PalmPay, has appointed a former executive of the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS), Mr Samuel Oluyemi, as its chief operating officer.
In his new role, Mr Oluyemi will oversee the financial technology company’s operations in Nigeria, where it offers a broad range of digital financial services to individuals and businesses.
Mr Oluyemi will also engage with regulators to ensure the company’s expansion aligns with Nigeria’s financial, digital and social inclusion objectives.
Prior to joining the company, Mr Oluyemi spent more than two decades at NIBSS, where he served as business development lead.
During his tenure, he drove the development of several critical payment infrastructure projects, including the digital validation of Nigerian international passports, e-Dividend Mandate Management System (e-DMMS), and the Electronic Pensions Contribution Collection System (EPCCOS).
Also, he played a key role in the introduction and early adoption of the NIBSS Instant Payment (NIP) platform, Nigeria’s first real-time interbank transfer system launched in 2011, and later supported its extension to other financial institutions.
Mr Oluyemi obtained a master’s degree in Monetary Economics from the University of Ibadan and has participated in several local and international professional training programmes.
Commenting on the appointment, Managing Director of PalmPay Nigeria, Mr Chika Nwosu, said that the company was strengthening its leadership team to support its longterm vision.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Africa’s most valuable fintech, Flutterwave, has signalled that its long-anticipated initial public offering (IPO) remains firmly on the back burner as the company intensifies efforts to transform itself into a licensed financial institution across the continent.
The firm’s chief executive, Mr Olugbenga Agboola, said the firm is focused on building sustainable profitability, diversifying its revenue streams and expanding its banking footprint before considering a stock market listing.
Speaking to The Africa Report, Mr Agboola described an IPO as a future financing milestone rather than an immediate strategic objective.
“An IPO is a financing event, not a strategy,” he said. “We are not holding any pressure to go public. This gives us the flexibility to be patient and ensure when we do list, we’re doing so from a position of strength.”
The comments come as Flutterwave embarks on an acquisition-led expansion strategy aimed at securing banking licences and deeper regulatory access across Africa.
Mr Agboola revealed that the company is currently in the process of acquiring a bank in East Africa, though he declined to disclose the institution or country involved.
The planned acquisition is expected to provide Flutterwave with an established customer base, existing banking infrastructure and regulatory approvals, significantly shortening the time required to enter new financial services markets.
According to Mr Agboola, the company’s expansion priorities include Kenya, Ghana, Rwanda, Tanzania, South Africa and Egypt, while the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia remain under consideration for future growth.
Rather than building banks from scratch in every market, Flutterwave intends to adopt a mix of acquisitions, licences and strategic partnerships depending on local regulatory conditions.
“The vision is not to form a bank in every country but to ensure that every African business has access to more than financial services,” Mr Agboola said in the interview.
The banking push follows recent regulatory and corporate developments, including the Central Bank of Nigeria’s approval of Flutterwave’s banking licence and the acquisition of open banking startup Mono.
Together, the moves underscore a broader strategy to expand beyond payments and establish new revenue streams in lending, liquidity management and business banking services.
Flutterwave plans to focus on institutional deposits from businesses already using its platform rather than competing aggressively for retail deposits.
The company intends to leverage transaction data from its payments network to provide short-term working capital, merchant financing, invoice discounting and trade finance products for small and medium-sized enterprises.
Mr Agboola disclosed that the bulk of the capital earmarked for banking operations will be directed toward credit support and liquidity buffers, with additional allocations for lending and banking infrastructure.
The strategy reflects a growing trend among African fintech firms seeking banking licences to reduce dependence on traditional financial institutions and gain greater control over settlement, liquidity management and product development.
Despite speculation about a near-term public listing, Mr Agboola maintained that Flutterwave’s immediate focus remains execution and growth.
He noted that the company will only consider an IPO after achieving stronger profitability and establishing scale across its payments, banking and remittance businesses.
In February 2025, he told Bloomberg that Flutterwave would only pursue a public offering after becoming profitable. He also stated in late 2024 that the company was “not in the IPO race.”
Founded in 2016, Flutterwave has processed more than one billion transactions valued at over $40 billion across 35 African countries. The company recently secured fresh funding that lifted its valuation to $3.3 billion, with American blockchain firm Ripple leading the investment round.
For now, however, Flutterwave appears more interested in building the foundations of a pan-African financial institution than rushing to the public markets, positioning banking expansion as the next phase of its growth story while keeping an eventual IPO firmly on the long-term horizon.
