FCMB Shareholders approve N23.08bn dividend after record profit

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

Shareholders of FCMB Group Plc have approved a total dividend payout of N23.08 billion for the 2025 financial year, endorsing all resolutions presented by the Board at the company’s 13th Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Lagos on June 30, 2026.

The meeting, attended physically and virtually, also approved the re-election of Mr. Ladi Jadesimi and ratified the appointment of Mrs. Adepeju Adebajo as directors.

Shareholders further elected members of the Audit Committee and authorised the Board to determine the remuneration of the company’s external auditors.

The approvals came on the back of a strong financial performance despite challenging economic conditions.

FCMB Group reported profit before tax of N202.1 billion for the year ended December 31, 2025, representing an 81 per cent increase from N111.9 billion recorded in the previous year. Profit after tax rose by 142 per cent to N177.3 billion, while gross revenue climbed 42.5 per cent to N1.13 trillion. Return on equity also improved to 23.2 per cent.

The Group recorded double-digit profit growth across all business segments, with the Banking Group posting a 110 per cent increase in profit before tax. Consumer Finance, Investment Banking and Investment Management grew by 107 per cent, 90 per cent and 29 per cent, respectively. The company said the strong momentum continued into the first quarter of 2026.

Chairman Ladi Jadesimi said the results underscored the resilience of FCMB’s diversified business model.

“We remain steadfast in our objective of balancing immediate shareholder returns with the need to retain sufficient capital to support long-term expansion, strengthen our competitive positioning and optimise value creation for all stakeholders,” he said.

Group Chief Executive Ladi Balogun described 2025 as a transformative year driven by collaboration across the Group’s businesses, adding that the completion of FCMB’s recapitalisation programme had positioned it for its next phase of long-term growth.

Shareholder representatives commended the Board and management for the company’s performance and dividend payout. Mrs. Bisi Bakare, National Coordinator of the Pragmatic Shareholders Association of Nigeria, said the dividend reflected management’s commitment to creating shareholder value despite economic headwinds.

Mr. Boniface Okezie, National Chairman of the Progressive Shareholders Association of Nigeria, praised FCMB’s support for small businesses, noting that the Group provided N537.5 billion in financing to SMEs in 2025, including N51 billion to women-owned businesses.

Shareholder Mr. Eric Akinduro also applauded the improvement in asset quality, citing a decline in the Group’s non-performing loan ratio to 5 per cent from 5.95 per cent.

FCMB reported an 8.2 per cent increase in total assets to N7.63 trillion, while consumer and SME lending rose 24 per cent to N930 billion. Assets under management also increased 24.2 per cent to N1.70 trillion, reinforcing the Group’s diversified earnings base and long-term growth strategy.

The approved dividend was paid on July 30, 2026, to shareholders whose names appeared on the register of members at the close of business on June 15, 2026.