Banking
First Bank pre-tax profit rises by 125% in Q2
First Bank of Nigeria Plc has announced 125 per cent increase in its profit before tax for the half year ended 30th June, 2012.
First Bank of Nigeria Plc has announced 125 per cent increase in its profit before tax for the half year ended 30th June, 2012.
A breakdown of the bank’s unaudited results for the period filed with the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, showed that the pre-tax profit rose to N54.1 billion, as against N24.1 billion in equivalent period of 2011.
The bank also reported 26 per cent in gross earnings to N182.3 billion from N145.1 billion in 2011, while non-interest income rose by 48 per cent to N44.5 billion compared to N30.1 billion in 2011.
The operating income grew to N153.3 billion compared to N126.3 billion in 2011, representing 21 per cent increase over the period.
Cost to income ratio witnessed 58.3 per cent within the period, as against 69.3 per cent growth in 2011, while impairment charges for credit losses stood at N9.1 billion compared to N14.4 billion reported in the same period of 2011.
Commenting on the results, Bisi Onasanya, Group Managing Director of the bank explained that growth in pre-tax profit was driven by strong revenue growth, lower impairment charges and modest growth in operating expenses, saying “This translated into annualised after tax return on equity of 25 per cent.”
He noted that the result was a demonstration of the resilience of the bank’s business. He said, “Given the backdrop of global economic uncertainty, declining oil prices and its resulting impact on the domestic economy, FirstBank recorded 125 per cent growth in the Group’s profit before tax. It was particularly pleasing to see the strength of the Group’s retail franchise, as we were able to grow deposits over the half year period by 13 per cent, in an environment of tight liquidity management, high interest rates and higher velocity of money as a result of the increasing deployment of electronic channels across various segments of the economy. Notwithstanding these headwinds, we were able to moderate the impact on our cost of funds.
“We are pleased with the continuing progress in our transformation agenda, which is focused on driving efficiencies in our business. The focus over coming periods will be to consolidate and build on those gains as we refine our business and operational platform to ensure we achieve our set objective of excellent service delivery as a basis to expand business volumes. We will continue to stratify our customer base, provide bespoke products across our various customer segments and with the needs of our customers being of primary concern. We strongly believe that this customer centric focus will increase the productivity of our staff as well as optimise our asset base as we focus on performance and results.”
Other highlights of the results showed that it recorded Year-on-year increase of 17 per cent in net loans and advances to customers to N1.5 trillion from N1.2 trillion in the same period of 2011 and year to date growth of 17 per cent to N1.3 trillion in December, 2011.
Year-on-year deposit growth of N2.2 trillion was 15 per cent increase over N1.9 trillion reported in the previous year, while Non-Performing Loans, NPL, ratio stood at 2.7 per cent, as against 4.0 per cent in the previous year.
Banking
Millions of customers still stranded worldwide 24 hours after GT Bank online operations suffered attacks
By Yemie ADEOYE
GT Bank, one of Nigeria’s leading banks, with operations across Africa and the United kingdom, and with an asset base of about US$3.11 trillion is under a cyber attack which has left millions of its customers across the world stranded in the last 24 hours.
The bank which was renowned for its seamless online operations at inception has suffered dwindling online efficiency in recent years and this current attack didn’t come as a surprise to many of its numerous customers. However, it is becoming worrisome that over 24 hours after its online operations went down, the bank has not been able to arrest the situation and restore its online services.
Several customers of the bank took to their X (formerly known as twitter) handles to express their frustrations at the bank, as several of the customers in the diaspora are unable to access their accounts and carry on with their transactions. A customer , Jeff55 who lamented on his X handle about the development, stated that it is a thing of shock that a bank of this size couldn’t afford to have the necessary tools and experts to ensure a full protection of its online operations in this age and time.
Another customer Dimma stated that while Cybersecurity training may seem tedious, the recent #GTBank hack is a stark reminder that everyone is just a click away from a devastating attack.
Several media organisations had reported that hackers have stolen GT Bank website, and intercepted customers Data in massive phishing operation.
At the time of filing this report, Biztellers.com.ng checks on the banks website shows that it is still down and unaccessible, and neither GT Bank media and communications unit nor any of its agencies or surrogates have commented officially on the development.
Banking
Tinubu commends increased crude production to 1.61 mbpd
Says output surge buoyed by reforms he announced in May 2024 to address gaps in PIA
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Sunday declared a resurgence in the oil & gas industry, commending the increased crude production to 1.6 million barrels per day.
The president, who said this in a national broadcast, maintained that the resurgence was buoyed by the reforms he announced in May 2024 to address the gaps in the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
Nigeria’s crude oil output got a boost to 1.61 million barrels per day in July 2024 through the president’s directive and the industry leadership provided by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
Acknowledging what he called a resurgence of the once-declining oil and gas industry in his Sunday-morning broadcast to the nation, President Tinubu said that oil investors are coming back to Nigeria.
He said; “Our once-declining oil and gas industry is experiencing a resurgence on the back of the reforms I announced in May 2024 to address the gaps in the Petroleum Industry Act. Last month, we increased our oil production to 1.61 million barrels per day, and our gas assets are receiving the attention they deserve. Investors are coming back, and we have already seen two Foreign Direct Investments signed of over half a billion dollars since then.
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“Fellow Nigerians, we are a country blessed with both oil and gas resources, but we met a country that had been dependent solely on oil-based petrol, neglecting its gas resources to power the economy.
We were also using our hard-earned foreign exchange to pay for and subsidise its use. To address this, we immediately launched our Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (CNG) to power our transportation economy and bring costs down.
This will save over two trillion Naira a month, being used to import PMS and AGO and free up our resources for more investment in healthcare and education.
“To this end, we will be distributing a million kits of extremely low or no cost to commercial vehicles that transport people and goods and who currently consume 80% of the imported PMS and AGO.
“We have started the distribution of conversion kits and the setting up of conversion centres across the country in conjunction with the private sector. We believe that this CNG initiative will reduce transportation costs by approximately 60 per cent and help to curb inflation.”
Banking
FBN Holdings On Course For AGM
Plans are in top gear for the 11th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the FBN Holdings Plc.
The management made this disclosure in a notice it filed with the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) on Thursday, where it averred that it has not been served with any court order against the proposed AGM.
According to notice, which was signed by the acting Company Secretary, Adewale Arogundade, FBN Holding said, “The attention of FBN Holdings Plc (the Company) has been drawn to recent media reports purporting that the Company has received a Court Order stopping it from holding the Annual General Meeting (AGM) scheduled for August 15, 2023.
“We confirm that this assertion is a false narrative as the Company has, as at the date hereof, not been served with any court order to stop the forthcoming AGM.
“Suffice to mention that the AGM is a statutory meeting of Shareholders that must be held in accordance with the law, further to which the Company will notify the regulators and the public as appropriate if there is any lawful order to restrain the Company from conducting same.
“We hereby assure our esteemed Shareholders that the AGM shall hold on August 15, 2023, as planned and we look forward to their attendance and active participation at the meeting.”
However, court orders published in national dailies showed that the Federal High Court in Lagos had issued an order against the financial institution, barring it from holding its 11th AGM.
The order was entered pursuant to a petition by Olusegun Onagoruwa, in suit No: FHC/L/CP/1271/2022. It was addressed to the bank and some other bank officials.
It read, “Take notice that unless you obey the directives in the judicial order contained in the order made on July 15, 2022, by the Federal High Court, Lagos, by refraining from proceeding with the 11th Annual General Meeting of FBN Holdings Limited proposed for August 15, 2023, from seeking approval to issue or raise share capital in any manner whatsoever, from appointing or confirming the appointment of new directors, or in any other manner taking any step towards implementing, actualising enforcing resolution of the 10th Annual General Meeting of FBN Holdings Plc held on June 20, 2022, or in any other manner overreaching, disobeying or undermining the said order of a court, you will be guilty of contempt of court and you will be liable to be committed to prison and to there imprisoned.”
Biztellers brought you a report that a segment of shareholders had staged a protest at the headquarters of the bank on Monday, calling for the AGM to be held, as well as soliciting regulatory interventions.
It is expected that at the AGM, FHN Holdings is poised to breathe life into plans to seek shareholders’ approval to raise N150bn fresh capital via a rights issue and elect new directors including billionaire, Femi Otedola and Samson Ariyibi among other resolutions.