FCMB Group Plc, in its audited results for December 31, 2022, showed a 35.5 per cent growth in gross revenue to N283 billion from N212 billion the previous year.
This, the group said, was driven by a 35.5 per cent growth in interest income and a 26.9 per cent growth in non-interest income.
Similarly, it reported a Profit before Tax (PBT) of N36.6 billion, representing a 61 per cent Year-on-Year growth. Double-digit growth was recorded across all business segments, with the banking group growing by 71.7 per cent, while the consumer finance, investment management, and investment banking segments grew by 25.6 per cent, 45.7 per cent, and 26.7 per cent respectively.
The company, which proposed a dividend of 25 kobo per share, also delivered impressive environmental, social and governance results in climate action, financial inclusion, food security, community initiatives, customer acquisition, and digital transformation.
It switched 12 additional branches to solar power in 2022, removing 75 per cent of its branch network from grid/diesel generators, and provided micro-loans totaling N13 billion to 120,000 MSMEs. The agency banking arm extended its partnership to 100,000, acquiring over 211,000 customers. Working alongside partners, FCMB supported 280,000 smallholder farmers, created over 600,000 jobs, and helped deliver Africa’s first cassava-based Sorbitol Factory.
Customer confidence remained strong as deposits rose 25.1 per cent to N1.94 trillion in December 2022 from N1.55 trillion the previous year, while loans and advances witnessed a 12.4 per cent surge to N1.20 trillion as against N1.06 trillion in 2021.
sets increased by 19.6 per cent from N2.50 trillion to N2.98 trillion in December 2022.
Investment banking (advisory and primary debt and equity capital markets) transaction value consummated by the Group rose to N857.1 billion in 2022, compared to N582.9 billion in 2021.
This delivered a 47 per cent growth in fees from capital raise and financial advisory services over the period. The financial service Group’s Assets under Management (AUM) also sustained its growth trajectory rising to N783.7 billion in 2022, up by 49.0 per cent from N525.7 the prior year.
Net interest income grew 34.2 per cent to N122.0 billion for the first twelve months of 2022, compared to N90.9 billion in 2021. This was driven by a growth in the yield on earning assets from 11.0 per cent to 12.7 per cent, which increased Net Interest Margin (NIM) from 6.2 per cent to 7.0 per cent.
The overall customer base of FCMB Group grew by 18.4 per cent to 10.9 million, as it acquired an additional 1.7 million customers in the period, including 250,000 customers from Pension Fund Administrator (PFA acquisition), compared to 900,000 in 2021.
This Group’s digital transformation drive witnessed enhanced performance across all business segments. Digital Payments, Wealth, and Lending continued to empower more customers, resulting in a 42.0 per cent growth in digital revenues from N26.1 billion in 2021 to N37.1 billion in 2022. Thus, digital revenues accounted for 13 per cent of gross earnings from the 12% contribution in 2021.
In digital retail lending, First City Monument Bank and Credit Direct Limited, subsidiaries of the Group, underwrote and disbursed over 962,000 loans, totaling N42.1 billion, as at December 31, 2022, a growth of 17.1 per cent and 24.9 per cent, respectively, from the prior year. Through the Bank’s digital SME lending channels, over 21,000 loans, totaling N165.2 billion, were accessed, underwritten, and disbursed, a growth of 1.9 per cent and 43.7 per cent, respectively.
