FCMB named Nigeria’s best SME-focused bank for 2025 by CIBN

First City Monument Bank (FCMB) has been recognised as Nigeria’s Best SME-Focused Bank for 2025 by the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), further cementing its leadership role in financing small and medium-sized enterprises across the country.

The award, presented at the 60th Annual Bankers Dinner held in Lagos on 28 November 2025, celebrates FCMB’s substantial contribution to Nigeria’s SME ecosystem.

The bank currently holds a commanding 24 per cent share of the banking industry’s ₦1.8 trillion total SME disbursement for 2024, according to data provided by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

FCMB’s lending portfolio strongly aligns with Nigeria’s highest-performing economic sectors as highlighted in the Q3 2024 Nigerian GDP Report.

These sectors include crop production (26.51 per cent), trade (14.78 per cent), telecommunications (13.94 per cent), real estate (5.43 per cent), and food, beverage and tobacco (4.06 per cent)—all key drivers of national growth.

Beyond financing, FCMB supports entrepreneurs through capacity-building programmes, advisory services, digital tools and strategic partnerships aimed at helping businesses scale sustainably.

Representing FCMB’s Managing Director and CEO, Mrs Yemisi Edun, Executive Director of Wholesale Banking, Obaro Odeghe, said the award reinforces the bank’s unwavering commitment to SMEs.

“We are truly honoured to be recognised by the CIBN, based on data from the Central Bank of Nigeria. This recognition affirms our purpose as an institution committed to making a meaningful difference in the lives of Nigerian entrepreneurs, who are the backbone of our economy,” he said.

“We will continue to support SMEs with accessible finance, technology, and expert advice. By strengthening these businesses, we boost productivity and contribute directly to national development.”

The CIBN, Nigeria’s foremost professional body for bankers, organised the awards to spotlight excellence, innovation and resilience within the financial sector.

FCMB’s achievement was further underscored by the recognition of Tooritsemoshe Ojei, a bank staff member, who received the Next Generation Class of 2025 Award for outstanding leadership potential in the industry.

FCMB, a member of FCMB Group Plc, has established itself as a champion of inclusive economic growth, with a longstanding record of empowering entrepreneurs and expanding financial access across Nigeria.

This new honour adds to an impressive list of awards, including the Excellence Award for Promoting Financial Inclusion for Grassroots Entrepreneurs (Mastercard Foundation), SME Financier of the Year (Africa) from the Global SME Finance Forum/IFC, and Best Bank with the Highest Impact on First-Time MSME Borrowers from the Development Bank of Nigeria.

With the 2025 recognition, FCMB reaffirms its position as a leading institution driving SME development, job creation, and economic transformation in Nigeria.