Banking
Observers React to Potential Zenith Bank, Union Bank Merger
By Dipo Olowookere
One information that is gradually gaining momentum in the nation’s stock market is the rumoured acquisition or merger between Zenith Bank Plc and Union Bank of Nigeria Plc.
Both financial institutions are listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) and it is expected that speculations as this will catch the attention of their respective shareholders.
On Saturday, it was rumoured that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has given Zenith Bank the go ahead to ‘swallow’ Union Bank, one of the oldest lenders in the country.
This came few days after it was reported by a national daily that First Bank, unarguably the oldest bank in Nigeria, was planning to absorb Heritage Bank and Polaris Bank, which used to be Skye Bank.
About 24 hours after this news was reported, FBN Holdings Plc, the parent company of First Bank Nigeria Limited, issued a statement admitting that it was shopping for a bank with value to acquire.
So, when the rumour about Zenith Bank looking to ‘take in’ Union Bank hit the investing community, observers were quick to share their views on the matter, especially when it was speculated that Zenith Bank beat Access Bank to the deal.
Access Bank has before now been linked with Union Bank on possible but both companies refuted that by releasing statements to the NSE.
Recall that it was about this time last year that Access Bank completed its merger with the defunct Diamond Bank then headed by Mr Uzoma Dozie.
That deal also started late 2018 as a rumour, with both banks initially denying the ‘marriage’ vehemently, until its former Chairman, Mr Seyi Bickersteth, hinted that the issue of selling the bank to Access Bank came up at one of its board meetings, but was rejected by a set of members, who were later schemed out of the transactions.
So, when the news of Zenith Bank planning to merger with Union Bank came out yesterday, Business Post reached out to some players in the capital market, including stockbrokers, shareholders of both companies involved, analysts, journalists and others to get their views.
A shareholder of Zenith Bank Plc, Mrs Modupe Adediran, who spoke with Business Post, described the rumoured acquisition of Union Bank as a good one, saying it would bring out more earnings and profits to the financial institution.
“It is a good development. In fact, it is long overdue and I am happy that the management of my company is looking at inorganic growth. You will agree with me that Zenith Bank is a classy bank and loves organic growth. Let’s see how this pans out,” she said.
However, a Lagos-based business journalist, Mr Audu Abubakar, warned that the merger between Zenith Bank and Union Bank could be brutal for shareholders of the former.
“I don’t know why Zenith Bank is going for Union Bank that has only managed to reward its shareholders this year for the first time in over 10 years.
“I just hope this deal will not turn out to hunt Zenith Bank and its shareholders, who have been enjoying steady dividend payment over the years.
“If you remember vividly, Access Bank could not give its shareholders a good dividend for the 2019 financial year largely because of its merger with Diamond Bank last year, which significantly increased its outstanding shares, resulting in the paltry 40 kobo dividend the board proposed to pay,” Mr Abubakar stated.
An investor in the stock market, Mr Emmanuel Ewumi, while giving Business Post his view on the matter, stated that, “I think this is the first acquisition by Zenith Bank. Zenith [Bank] is about the biggest bank in Nigeria based on profitability and asset.
“I think the acquisition of Union Bank, if true, will go a long way in consolidating the position of Zenith Bank in the industry. I want to believe that [the] management has done their homework and due diligence before opting for Union Bank.”
Concluding, Mr Elewunmi stated that the rumoured deal “will be a win-win situation for the shareholders of both Union Bank and Zenith Bank.”
On his part, Mr Oremade Oyedeji of the Radiant Shareholders Group, one of the registered shareholders groups at the capital market, informed us that, “I was surprised when I heard the rumour too. What will be the name of the new entity, Union Bank I suppose?
“I don’t see it a good marriage at all, whether as a merger or takeover. We are going to end up with an over-bloated overhead like Access Bank, with poor return on asset employed.
“I also think we need a legislation for anti-competition and monopoly law in Nigeria.”
A senior official of Veritas Registrars, who asked us not to mention his name because he was authorised to speak on the matter because his company is the registrar of Zenith Bank, informed Business Post that Zenith Bank is considering different options of achieving its growth plan. However, he did not specifically say if the rumour has any iota of truth in it or not.
“What I can tell you is that Zenith Bank seriously considering several options to expand its operations, including acquisition of distressed, but profitable ventures. I know in due time, the bank will officially state its position on the matter,” the source simply told Business Post.
Business Post recalls that in 2019, during an analysts’ call, which we also participated in, the Group Managing Director of Zenith Bank, Mr Ebenezer Onyeagwu, said the bank will not hesitate to acquire any available lender that falls in line with its (Zenith Bank) vision.
“In terms of acquisition, we will continue to grow organically, but if we find anything attractive in the market, that is in line with our strategic imperative, we will look at it.
“But we will not go out inordinately to seek for acquisition, but if we find something that is quite attractive and really fits the kind of profile of the investment that we do, we will consider [it].” Mr Onyeagwu had said at the conference call.
Speaking further, the Zenith Bank chief said, “On the opportunity to acquire any of the retail lender; first is that we will continue to grow organically, that is our primary goal. If we find anything that is strategically relevant and would add reasonable value to us, we will look at it.
“We will not just do acquisition for the sake of doing it, we will do it [because] there is money to be made, there is incremental value, not for cosmetic reasons.”
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has ordered the final forfeiture of N81.1 million to the Federal Government of Nigeria in favour of Sterling Bank.
The money was part of the N2.5 billion stolen by some customers of Sterling Bank and transferred to their own use as well as to the use of some third-party beneficiaries, owing to a system glitch experienced by the bank.
On October 2, 2025, the court granted an interim forfeiture order of the fund and also directed the publication of the same in a national newspaper for any interested party to show cause why the money should not be finally forfeited to the federal government.
When no one came forward to claim the money, Justice Yelim Bogoro on Monday, March 9, 2026, ordered the final forfeiture of the funds.
The matter was brought before the court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after a petition from the financial institution on July 18, 2022.
The anti-graft agency, in its investigations, traced the stolen funds to various accounts, including that of a customer, Sulaiman Kehinde Ojora, who was one of the major beneficiaries of the monumental fraud.
Investigation further revealed that Sulaiman Kehinde Ojora fraudulently concealed the sum of N43.0 million in the account of his friend, Taiwo Oluwaseyi Alawode (Account No. 1233126860), domiciled in Access Bank, and the sum of N122.2 million in the account of his wife, Aminat Olatanwa Ojora (Account No. 0072889319), domiciled in Sterling Bank.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Parallex Bank Limited said it has completed the recapitalisation requirement of the Central Bank of Nigeria, surpassing the N50 billion minimum capital threshold for regional commercial banks ahead of the March 31, 2026, deadline.
The feat reinforces the bank’s position as a financially resilient and strategically forward-looking institution within Nigeria’s evolving banking landscape while positioning it for accelerated growth.
The development now places Parallex Bank among financial institutions that have complied with the apex bank’s directive aimed at strengthening the capital base of deposit money banks, improving financial system stability, and enhancing the sector’s capacity to support economic growth.
Speaking on the development, Mr Olufemi Bakre, the managing director of the lender, said the milestone underscores the belief that excellence, when consistently pursued, delivers sustainable results.
He added that the strengthened capital position will enable Parallex Bank to expand its lending capacity, deepen financial inclusion, and continue delivering innovative, customer-focused financial solutions across various segments of the economy.
“With this strengthened capital position, Parallex Bank is better equipped to expand lending, deepen financial inclusion and continue delivering innovative, customer-focused banking solutions across the retail, SME and corporate segments of the economy,” he said.
The recapitalisation exercise, announced in March 2024 by the CBN, is expected to strengthen the resilience of Nigeria’s banking sector and enhance its capacity to support economic growth.
Mr Bakre commended the bank’s stakeholders, particularly the Board of Directors, for their strategic guidance, oversight, and timely support, which he said were instrumental in ensuring that the recapitalisation requirement was met within the stipulated timeframe.
According to him, the Board’s commitment to strong governance and long-term value creation provided the foundation for disciplined capital planning and effective execution across the institution.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A leading provider of consumer and business financing solutions in Nigeria, Zedvance Finance Limited, intends to increase its lending to commercial entities in the country by 160 per cent in 2026.
Last year, it provided N96 billion loans to support enterprises across key sectors of the economy, including oil and gas, automotive, logistics, renewable energy, fintech, e-commerce, trade distribution value chains, agri-businesses and others.
This year, Zedvance, a subsidiary of Zedcrest Group, plans to push this amount higher to N250 billion across key economic sectors, including off-grid power, smart devices and home equipment, vehicle dealerships and mobility platforms, agribusiness and manufacturing, consumer and industrial goods distribution and hospitality.
This expansion reinforces its mission to accelerate enterprise growth by providing faster and broader access to credit across Africa.
“We are proud of our accomplishments so far, especially the impact we’ve made in sectors that are critical to economic development,” said the Managing Director of Zedcrest Group, Mr Adedayo Amzat.
“Through solar and asset on-lending, we have helped to expand energy access and improve income opportunities for gig workers by financing mobility asset platforms across Nigeria.
“Because our customers are at the heart of our business, we were intentional about designing our flagship product, Liquidity Solutions, to allow businesses to unlock faster credit delivery across all high-growth sectors. This has proven impactful as we continue to witness our clients record great successes,” Mr Amzat further said.
Leveraging its 11-year legacy, Zedvance’s Commercial Solutions business, launched in 2025, has in just one year become a major driver of credit expansion, achieving one of the highest loan disbursement rates among financial institutions, empowering thousands of local enterprises and boosting economic growth.
Through offerings such as working capital, invoice/PO financing, equipment and trade finance, and ecosystem-based solutions, Zedvance enables access to liquidity for buy-now-pay-later providers, asset acquisition, and cross-border credit lines for imports & exports, aiding business expansion and strengthening operational resilience in a dynamic economic environment.
On his part, the acting executive director for Commercial Solutions, Mr Ayooluwa Oladimeji, said Zedvance leverages technology, product innovation, deep sector expertise and risk-moderated structures to deploy diverse funding solutions, including multi-currency credit lines, BNPL facilities, and equipment financing across automotive, renewable energy, manufacturing, fintech, and trade distribution sectors.
“In 2025 alone, Zedvance Commercial Solutions business recorded tremendous growth, driven by strong partnerships and a rapidly expanding portfolio. We are proud to have supported a range of businesses, including Shekel Mobility, Tradegrid, Sapphire, CredPal and other ecosystem partners.
“Beyond these successes, our focus remains on strengthening credit access across Africa’s commercial ecosystems to enable businesses to scale with confidence and resilience,” he said.
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