Shareholders of Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc have commended the management of the financial institution for the highest dividend payout of N12.76 in the Nigerian banking sector for the 2025 financial year.

The shareholders at GTCO’s 5th Annual General Meeting also praised the Group’s 2025 financial performance and its compliance with the Central Bank of Nigeria’s N500bn minimum capital requirement, according to a statement.

Speaking at the AGM, the President of the Nigerian Shareholders’ Solidarity Association, Chief Timothy Adesiyan, expressed satisfaction with the dividend payout, noting that the board has demonstrated discipline in sustaining returns to shareholders.

Another shareholder, the Chairman of the Pragmatic Shareholders Association of Nigeria, Mrs Bisi Bakare, also commended the payout of N12.76 kobo for the 2025 financial year, describing GTCO as the first Nigerian bank to achieve such a dividend level, and urged management to sustain the performance.

The Group had declared an interim dividend of N1.00 per share for the half year ended June 2025 and a final dividend of N11.76 kobo, bringing the total payout to N12.76 kobo for the 2025 financial year.

Responding to shareholders, the Board Chairman of GTCO, Suleiman Barau, said the Group has evolved from a single-line banking institution into a broader financial services ecosystem covering banking, payments, funds management, and pension administration.

He said, “This diversification is not simply a structural change; it represents a strategic effort to build an institution that can serve customers more comprehensively while creating multiple engines of sustainable growth.”

Barau added that diversification enables the Group to manage risks more effectively across economic cycles while broadening its value proposition. “In an environment where macroeconomic conditions remain fluid across many markets, maintaining a healthy balance sheet and strong credit practices is essential,” he said.

He also stated that the Board remains focused on risk management, responsible lending, and internal controls, noting that institutional strength is reflected in long-term stability rather than short-term performance.

The Group Chief Executive Officer, Segun Agbaje, said 2025 was a year of deeper integration across the Group’s businesses. “Across our Banking, Payments, Asset Management, and Pension businesses, we leveraged data, digital tools, and operational insight to create frictionless experiences for our customers across Africa and the United Kingdom,” he said.

Agbaje said the integration of personal and business solutions has strengthened the Group’s service delivery and expanded value across its operations. He noted that 2025 was a landmark year following GTCO’s listing on the London Stock Exchange.

“This historic achievement makes GTCO Plc the first financial services institution in West Africa to list its ordinary shares on the London Stock Exchange’s main market for listed securities, strengthening our capital base and enhancing liquidity for shareholders,” he said.

Looking ahead to 2026, Agbaje said the Group will focus on execution discipline, ecosystem integration, and technology-driven efficiency. “In a landscape shaped by macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainties, GTCO enters 2026 confident, resilient, and focused,” he said. “Our ecosystem is stronger, our ambition greater, and our commitment unwavering. The next chapter of GTCO promises to be as historic as the last.”