Three years into its five-year strategic plan, Access Holdings has said it will leverage data and technology to enhance access, reduce transaction costs, and accelerate financial inclusion, particularly for women, youth, and rural communities, as the lender enters the optimisation stage.
Access Bank’s customers have complained of unfair and unexplained charges, poor customer service, unauthorised transactions through the automated teller machines (ATMs) withdrawals and via Access Bank transfers, amongst others
However, Bolaji Agbede, Acting Group Chief Executive Officer, while reaffirming the institution’s strategic blueprint anchored on a structured progression: scale, optimise, and sustain, which began in 2022 and runs until 2027, has promised that things will change for the better from the optimisation stage.
This strategic plan, which has driven the group’s aggressive expansion across Africa and into key global markets, is now in the optimisation phase, and it is expected to unlock significant value for stakeholders as the organisation heads toward 2027.
She noted that as the institution moves deeper into the optimisation phase, shareholders and stakeholders will begin to see the full benefits manifest, especially in terms of profitability, capital efficiency, and returns on investments.
“Our approach has always been clear: scale first through strategic expansion, then optimise through consolidation, synergy realisation, and operational efficiency. During the scale-up phase, a considerable amount of funding is required to drive investments in people, systems, infrastructure, and acquisitions. She explained that Access Holdings’ strategic plan, which runs through to 2027, also places financial inclusion and impact at the core of its growth agenda, expanding digital access and scaling low-cost delivery platforms to onboard millions of previously unbanked and underserved individuals and MSMEs across Africa into the formal financial system.
“This is part of a broader strategy to enhance intra-Africa trade, empower smallholder businesses, and strengthen the value chain across key sectors including agriculture, commerce, and manufacturing”, Agbede noted.
The Acting Group CEO stated that the 2024 financial results demonstrate that the group’s investments are already yielding meaningful outcomes, citing gross earnings which rose to N4.878 trillion from ₦2.594 trillion in 2023, while profit before tax increased by 19 per cent to N867.0 billion. Total assets surged by 55.5 per cent to N41.498 trillion, reinforcing Access Holdings’ position as one of Africa’s most formidable financial services institutions.
Access Holdings has also deepened its footprint in more than 20 markets, including key subsidiaries in the UK, France, South Africa, and major trade corridors in Asia and the Middle East in strategic investments, which are now contributing to a more diversified earnings base and positioning the group as a global player from Africa.
“We are confident that as we approach 2027, the full impact of our strategic moves will become evident. This is about growing bigger and becoming better, faster, and more resilient,” Agbede stated.
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