Access Bank Points to Ogun State as Blueprint for Investment-Led Growth

Ogun’s focus on consistent policy, bold infrastructure projects like the Gateway International Airport, and partnerships with banks willing to commit from conception to execution offers a blueprint for growth that goes beyond promises into tangible results. For Access Bank, which now serves over 42 million customers across three continents and maintains a digital and physical network spanning 675 branches, nearly 3,000 ATMs, 50,000 point-of-sale terminals, and 58,000 agents, the collaboration is both strategic and symbolic.

As Nigeria’s competition for investment intensifies, Roosevelt Ogbonna, the chief executive of Access Bank Plc, points to Ogun State as a model for how policy and infrastructure can draw capital and sustain growth.

During a visit to Governor Dapo Abiodun, Mr. Ogbonna led a delegation of senior bank executives and praised the state for what he described as a consistent effort to create a business environment that attracts investors while supporting long-term partnerships.

Mr. Ogbonna said Ogun’s approach stands out because it goes beyond attracting capital to fostering a shared vision between government and private sector.

“I am extremely proud. Ogun State is making a habit of showing Nigerians what a working democracy looks like,” he said, adding that the transformation of ideas into tangible infrastructure underscores the government’s commitment to excellence.

Among the projects highlighted during the visit was the Gateway International Airport, a major infrastructure development that the bank has supported financially. Mr. Ogbonna described the airport as evidence of what coordinated planning and investment can achieve, particularly in a region seeking to position itself as an industrial and logistics hub.

Access Bank has increasingly played a role in financing such large-scale projects across Africa, aligning with a broader trend in which commercial lenders are stepping into gaps left by constrained public budgets and declining concessional funding. Analysts say banks with strong regional footprints are becoming central to infrastructure delivery, particularly in fast-growing economies.

Mr. Ogbonna said the bank remains committed to supporting initiatives that drive economic growth, pointing to infrastructure as a critical enabler of industrialization and trade.

In his remarks, Governor Abiodun described Access Bank as a dependable partner in the state’s development agenda, emphasizing the importance of early financial backing in turning policy ideas into reality.

“They saw the vision from the outset and backed it. A vision without funding is merely a hallucination,” the governor said.

The collaboration, he added, underscores the role of public-private partnerships in delivering large-scale infrastructure and sustaining economic progress, particularly as Nigerian states compete to attract both domestic and international investment.

His remarks come as Access Bank, now one of the largest banks in Africa by customer numbers, continues to scale its footprint and financial performance. The lender serves more than 42 million customers and operates across three continents, with a presence in 12 African countries as well as the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. It also maintains representative offices in China, India and Lebanon. Its physical and digital reach has expanded significantly, with 675 branches, 2,900 ATMs, about 50,000 point-of-sale terminals, and a network of 58,000 agents, alongside 9.8 million active mobile and internet banking users, according to data on its website.

In its 2025 financial statements, the bank reported strong growth across key indicators, with total assets rising into the tens of trillions of naira and profit after tax increasing year on year, driven by expansion in retail banking, digital channels and cross-border operations. 

The bank’s Q3 2025 results showed strong growth, with total assets rising to about $34 billion and nine-month gross earnings increasing 14.1% year on year to approximately $2.6 billion. Profit before tax for the period stood at around $400 million.

The group reported net interest income of about $820 million, even as other income declined by 71%, reflecting a sharper focus on core banking revenue.

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