Business
Access Holdings Clarifies Non-Payment of Dividend Amid Strong 2025 Earnings
BY NKECHI NAECHE-ESEZOBOR— Access Holdings Plc on Thursday reaffirmed its commitment to long-term shareholder value following a strong financial performance in 2025, while explaining the reason for not declaring dividends for the year ended December 31, 2025.
The clarification was made during the Group’s Full Year 2025 Investors and Earnings Call, where management addressed shareholder concerns over the absence of dividend payments despite strong earnings growth.
The Group stated that the decision not to pay dividends was not due to weak earnings or cash flow challenges, but was tied to regulatory and prudential compliance issues that must be resolved before approvals can be granted. Group Managing Director/CEO, Innocent C. Ike, noted that the company remains committed to rewarding shareholders and maintaining its long-standing record of consistent dividend payments.
Access Holdings recorded strong growth in its 2025 financial results. Gross earnings rose by 13.3 percent to ₦5.53 trillion, driven by growth in net interest income and a 40.9 percent increase in fees and commissions to ₦585.07 billion. Profit before tax grew by 16.2 percent to ₦1.01 trillion, marking the first time the Group crossed the ₦1 trillion threshold in profit before tax.
The Group’s total assets expanded by 24.2 percent to ₦51.56 trillion, supported by the successful integration of newly acquired subsidiaries. Its cost-to-income ratio improved from 56.7 percent to 51.7 percent due to disciplined cost management, while capital adequacy remained strong at 18.2 percent at the holding company level and 20.2 percent for the banking subsidiary.
Access Holdings explained that while dividends were proposed at both half-year and full-year stages in 2025, regulatory approvals were not secured. The half-year issue related to Section 7.1 of the CBN Guidelines for Financial Holding Companies, which has now been resolved through a successful private placement. However, at full-year, another issue arose under Section 19(8)(c) of BOFIA concerning limits on investments in foreign banking subsidiaries relative to shareholders’ funds.
The Group said it has been granted a 12-month window to address the issue and plans to partially divest from some banking subsidiaries while retaining majority ownership. Management assured investors that Access Holdings remains focused on regulatory compliance, capital strength, and sustainable long-term value creation, with the goal of restoring dividend payments once all conditions and approvals are satisfied.
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BY NECHI NAECHE-ESEZOBOR—The Securities and Exchange Commission has said it is placing artificial intelligence, data analytics and technology-driven regulation at the centre of Nigeria’s capital market reforms to attract both local and foreign investments.
Speaking at the FSDH Investor Conference 2026 in Lagos, the Director-General of the SEC, Emomotimi Agama, said the future of global investing would increasingly depend on the quality of intelligence, data and technology supporting investment decisions rather than the size of capital alone.
According to him, the era of “intelligent investing” has already arrived, driven by artificial intelligence, real-time analytics, distributed ledger technology and algorithmic systems that are reshaping how investments are priced, allocated and protected globally.
He said, “We are at the threshold of what scholars and practitioners are calling the era of intelligent investing — a paradigm in which data does not merely inform decisions, but actively participates in them.”
Agama noted that the SEC had embarked on what he described as the most comprehensive regulatory reform agenda in its history to ensure Nigeria remains competitive in the evolving global investment environment.
He explained that the Commission’s reforms were aimed at creating a forward-looking market structure capable of supporting intelligent investing through faster settlement systems, tokenised securities and deeper derivatives markets.
According to him, the Commission’s seven-pillar capital market infrastructure vision includes plans to achieve T+1 settlement cycles, expand digital assets regulation and build a comprehensive framework for tokenised securities.
The SEC boss said the Commission was also developing governance frameworks for artificial intelligence applications in the capital market to ensure transparency, accountability and investor confidence.
“We are developing AI governance frameworks for capital market participants — frameworks that demand explainability, accountability and algorithmic fairness. An investor in Nigeria deserves to know not only what decisions were made on their behalf, but how those decisions were reached,” he said.
Agama stated that intelligent investing must be inclusive and accessible to ordinary Nigerians, adding that the SEC’s fintech-bank integration strategy targets about 20 million retail investors across the country.
He said technology and data-driven investing tools could democratise access to wealth creation opportunities for small businesses, artisans and low-income earners who had previously been excluded from formal investment systems.
The SEC DG also stressed the importance of collaboration between regulators, financial institutions, fintech firms and investors in building a resilient and technology-driven market ecosystem.
According to him, Nigeria’s capital market reforms and adoption of intelligent investing frameworks would strengthen investor confidence, improve market transparency and position the country as a leading investment destination in Africa.
He added that the Commission was strengthening investor protection through enhanced enforcement mechanisms, financial literacy programmes and the establishment of a dedicated Investor Protection Department.
Agama said, “Confidence is the ultimate asset in a capital market. Every disclosure we enforce, every fraud we prosecute, every investor we educate adds to the stock of market confidence.”
He further noted that Nigeria’s growing role in African capital market integration and digital finance initiatives would help channel long-term investments into infrastructure, gender finance and other critical sectors of the economy.
The SEC DG commended FSDH Merchant Bank for creating a platform for stakeholders to discuss the future of intelligent investing, adding that collaboration and data-sharing among market participants would be critical to building globally competitive financial markets in Nigeria.
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Air Peace has announced another disruption to its Lagos–London Gatwick service after one of its international flights was forced to return to Lagos due to what the airline described as airspace-related operational issues.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the airline said the incident affected its scheduled Lagos–London Gatwick service of 13 May 2026.
According to the airline, the aircraft returned safely to Lagos after encountering what it described as “enroute access issues” involving the airspace authorities of an African country.
“As a result of the development and the need for immediate operational clarification with the relevant authorities, the aircraft safely returned to Lagos in accordance with established international aviation procedures,” the airline said.
Air Peace said the London service was subsequently rescheduled while discussions with the relevant authorities continued.
The airline added that affected passengers were informed about the development and provided with support services and other necessary assistance following the disruption.
“Air Peace sincerely apologises to all affected passengers for the inconvenience caused by the unforeseen disruption which was beyond our control,” the airline stated.
The incident adds to a growing number of operational disruptions involving airlines in Nigeria in recent months, with passengers increasingly raising concerns over delays, cancellations, rescheduled flights and mid-journey returns.
For many travellers, such incidents have continued to fuel frustration over uncertainty in flight schedules, operational reliability, and passenger experience within the country’s aviation sector.
READ ALSO: Air Peace says aircraft replaced, Gatwick passengers accommodated after incident
PREMIUM TIMES had also earlier reported several disruptions involving Air Peace operations, including passenger complaints linked to delays, cancellations and operational challenges affecting some domestic and international routes.
Although the airline has repeatedly attributed many of the disruptions to operational challenges, technical issues, bird strikes and Jet A1 aviation fuel-related constraints, the incidents have continued to attract public attention, particularly as more Nigerian travellers rely on the carrier for regional and international flights.
Air Peace said it remains committed to operational safety, regulatory compliance and passenger service across its network.
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