Zenpay Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Zenith Bank Plc, has signed an Agreement with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat for the development and deployment of the SMARTAfCFTA Portal to facilitate trade within the African continent.

The agreement which was signed by the Chairman of Zenpay Limited, Dr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu and the Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat, His Excellency Wamkele Mene, at Zenith Bank Headquarters, Ajose Adeogun Street, Victoria Island, Lagos on Friday, May 3, 2024 comes as a follow-up to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which was previously signed by both parties during the 8th Annual Edition of Zenith Bank’s International Trade Seminar on Non-Oil Export which was held on Wednesday, August 8, 2023.

During the agreement signing, Dr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu, Chairman of Zenpay Limited, expressed his enthusiasm for the collaboration with the AfCFTA Secretariat, highlighting its significance given the current understanding of trade flows in Africa.

Dr. Onyeagwu noted, “In Africa, intra-African trade constitutes only about 20% of total trade, with the rest going overseas, despite Africans making up 18% of the world population but contributing less than 5% to global GDP. By trading within Africa, we anticipate building prosperity across the continent.”

He further stated, “This initiative is not driven by profit but by the need to support the African Continental Free Trade Area. It aims to create a unified African market, enhancing economic integration and standardising customs and practices. As we advance this agenda, we expect tosee significant growth and improvement in intra-Africa trade.”

Also speaking during the agreement signing, His Excellency, Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat, shared his delight over the partnership with Zenpay Limited in developing SMARTAfCFTA. He appreciated Jim Ovia, CFR, Founder and Chairman of Zenith Bank Plc, for his commitment to the project.

According to him, “Four years ago, we discussed and envisioned SMARTAfCFTA as a digital platform to empower SMEs and young entrepreneurs in Africa, facilitating their inclusion in trade and boosting intra-African trade. This platform will serve as a repository for crucial trade data, offering insights on rules of origin and market intelligence, thus playing a pivotal role in implementing the AfCFTA agreement. Today is a testament that working together with our African partners in this case, Zenith bank, shows that their commitment goes beyond their progit margins to their stakeholders, but are motivated by our shared duty towards the Continent.”

Speaking about the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) alongside the SMARTAfCFTA portal,  H.E. Mene described PAPSS as “Africa’s payment highway.” He clarified that, unlike PAPSS, SMARTAfCFTA is not a payment platform itself but will be interoperable with PAPSS, allowing functionalities that facilitate easy payments. He emphasised that these platforms complement each other; they are not in competition. “We promote and encourage only one payment platform—PAPSS. Our goal is to integrate the digital ecosystem we are developing into PAPSS. We are committed to fostering innovation within this framework, ensuring it supports a seamless continental payment system without creating competition among platforms.”

SMARTAfCFTA is a digital platform designed to facilitate international trade by providing the necessary information and tools to the African private and public sectors. The Portal aims to streamline and unlock vast opportunities for trade across the African continent, and has the capacity to provide information like trade indicators, market trends, custom tariffs, trade agreements, Rules of Origin, market access requirements of relevant jurisdictions, export potentials, export diversification indicators and contact details of business partners in target markets and other trade-related information about Africa.

About ZENPAY Ltd

Zenpay Ltd is a private limited liability company duly incorporated under the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as a wholly owned subsidiary of Zenith Bank Plc. The company. It is a one-stop revolutionary financial technology (Fintech) company responsible for digital innovation and payments.

In line with its upward growth trajectory, leading financial institution, Fidelity Bank Plc, has posted an impressive 120.1% growth in Profit Before Tax from N17.9bn at the end of Q1 2023 to N39.5bn for Q1 2024.

This was made known in the Bank’s unaudited financial statements released on the issuer portal of the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) on Tuesday, 30 April 2024.

According to the statement, Gross Earnings increased by 89.9% yoy to N192.1bn from N101.1bn in Q1 2023. The increase was led by a combination of interest income (90.7% yoy) and non-interest income (84.0% yoy).

Growth in interest income was primarily spurred by a higher yield environment and strong earning assets base, while the increase in non-interest income was led by double-digit growth in account maintenance charges, FX-related income, trade, banking services, and remittances, supported by increased customer transactions.

Commenting on the results, Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, MD/CEO, Fidelity Bank Plc stated, “We are pleased to report another quarter of strong financial performance driven by our strategic focus on customer-centricity, digital innovation and operational excellence. Despite the challenging macroeconomic environment, we remained resilient and agile, delivering double-digit growth on key income lines while advancing our business sustainability agenda.”

In the period under review, the bank grew Net interest income grew by 89.5% yoy to N99.6bn from N52.6bn in Q1 2023, driven by interest and similar income as the yield on financial instruments improved to 14.7% from 10.1% in Q1 2023 (2023FY: 11.6%).

In line with the steady rise in interest rates through the year, average funding cost increased by 80bps ytd to 5.2%. However, NIM came in at 8.8% compared to 8.1% in 2023FY, as increased yield on earning assets surpassed funding cost to 15.1% from 13.3% in Q1 2023 (2023FY: 13.5%).

Similarly, Total Deposits increased by 17.2% ytd to N4.7tn from N4.0tn in 2023FY, driven by double-digit growth across all deposit types (demand, savings and term). Net Loans and Advances increased by 21.2% to N3.7tn from N3.1tn in 2023FY.

“Beginning the year on this inspiring note reaffirms our strategy of helping individuals to grow, inspiring businesses to thrive and empowering economies to prosper. We are committed to our guidance as we build a more resilient business franchise with a well-diversified earnings base in 2024,” explained Onyeali-Ikpe.

Ranked as one of the best banks in Nigeria, Fidelity Bank is a full-fledged customer commercial bank with over 8.5 million customers serviced across its 251 business offices in Nigeria and the United Kingdom as well as on digital banking channels.

The bank has won multiple local and international awards including the Export Finance Bank of the Year at the 2023 BusinessDay Banks and Other Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards, the Best Payment Solution Provider Nigeria 2023 and Best SME Bank Nigeria 2022 by the Global Banking and Finance Awards; Best Bank for SMEs in Nigeria by the Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2023; and Best Domestic Private Bank in Nigeria by the Euromoney Global Private Banking Awards 2023.

FCMB Group Plc, one of Nigeria’s leading financial institutions, has reported a surge in its digital revenue for the 2023 financial year.

According to the 2023 audited financial results filed with the Nigerian Exchange Limited, FCMB Group’s digital revenue increased by 62.4% in digital revenue to N60.3 billion from N37.1 billion in the previous year.

With a strategic focus on digitalization, the group has successfully expanded its digital offerings, resulting in a significant uptick in revenue derived from digital channels.

In its 2023 financial report, FCMB Group highlighted the strides made in digital retail lending with over 1.6 million loans totaling N100.9 billion accessed, underwritten, and disbursed through digital channels.

Similarly, digital SME lending witnessed significant traction, with over 20,500 loans totaling N177.9 billion disbursed via digital platforms.

The group’s digital wealth propositions also experienced robust growth, with assets under management reaching N15.1 billion, reflecting a substantial increase from N8.5 billion in 2022.

The surge in digital revenue was attributed to the successful execution of FCMB Group’s digital strategy, which prioritizes innovation, customer-centricity, and operational excellence.

By embracing digital payments, wealth management, and lending solutions, FCMB Group has empowered a greater number of customers while driving revenue growth and operational efficiency.

Commenting on the financial performance, FCMB Group highlighted the reduction of its cost-to-income ratio to 66.3%, excluding revaluation gain (48.9% inclusive of revaluation income).

This achievement underscores the effectiveness of the group’s digital initiatives in optimizing costs and enhancing operational efficiency.

The robust financial performance was further underscored by FCMB Group’s profit before tax, which surged to N104.4 billion in 2023, indicating a remarkable 186% year-on-year growth.

Various divisions of the group, including banking, consumer finance, investment management, and investment banking, recorded robust earnings growth, reflecting the overall strength and resilience of the group.

Furthermore, FCMB Group’s gross revenue rose by 82.5% to N516.4 billion from N283 billion, driven by a 61.7% growth in interest income and a 154.4% growth in non-interest income.

Net interest income grew by 44.8%, propelled by an increase in the yield on earning assets.

In addition to its financial achievements, FCMB Group underscored its commitment to environmental sustainability by transitioning 160 branches to solar power, with 78% of its business locations now powered by renewable energy.

The group also secured funding of up to N13 billion from local development finance institutions to support customers in accessing solar energy solutions.

Looking ahead, FCMB Group reiterated its commitment to leveraging its unique group structure to build a technology-driven ecosystem that fosters inclusive and sustainable growth.

With a focus on continued innovation and digitization, FCMB Group is poised to sustain its growth trajectory and deliver value to its customers, shareholders, and communities across Nigeria.