Business
Union Bank of Nigeria Plc Group Audited Financial Statements for the Year Ended December 31, 2022
Union Bank of Nigeria Plc
Group Audited Financial Statements for the Year Ended December 31, 2022
Strong revenue growth driven by core business deepening
Union Bank has announced the release of its audited financial statements for the year ended 31st December 2022, which reflects strong financial performance despite macroeconomic headwinds.
Union Bank maintained consistent success due to the disciplined execution of its go-to-market strategy focused on deepening its core business while exploring new areas of opportunity to acquire, engage, and retain customers.
Bank Financial Highlights:
● Gross Earnings: up 19% to ₦208.2 billion (₦175.0 billion in 2021), driven by strong
growth in Net Interest Income.
● Net Interest Income: up 33% to ₦59.1 billion (₦44.3 billion in 2021) driven by growth in earning assets.
● Net Operating Income after impairments: up 10% to ₦110 billion (₦99.7 billion in 2021).
● Profit before Tax: up by 47% to ₦30.2 billion (₦20.5 billion in 2021).
● Operating Expenses: marginally grew by 0.4% to ₦79.4 billion (₦79.2 billion in 2021), reflecting tight cost control despite inflationary pressures.
● Gross Loans: up 11% at ₦1.0 trillion (₦899.1 billion in December 2021) as we expand our lending to vital economic sectors of opportunity.
● Customer Deposits: up 9% at ₦1.48 trillion (₦1.36 trillion in December 2021) as we expand our product base and digital channels.
Key Operational Highlights:
Retail & Digital
Digital
• Channels & Platforms: Union Bank in 2022 invested in strengthening its technology architecture to drive key processes and serve more customers through digital and agent channels. Consequently, active users on UnionMobile increased by 15.7% to 3.8 million users, and active UnionDirect Agents grew by 62.7% to 51,737. This led to an increase in transaction value and volume on UnionMobile by 121% and 20.4%, respectively.
In 2022, we launched a chatbot that enabled real-time interactions with customers. The chatbot has resolved 1.3 million customer complaints, demonstrating its effectiveness in streamlining the complaints resolution process. In addition, we have made several other investments to enhance our customers’ experience. As a result, we have seen significant improvements in the efficiency and efficacy of our customer complaints resolution.
• Digital Propositions: Our priority has been to venture into unexplored avenues within the digital space to generate fresh revenue streams for the Bank. As part of this strategy, we have broadened the usage of our personal finance and lifestyle investment application, M36, which was first introduced in 2021. M36 empowers customers to grow, manage and invest their wealth in high-yield instruments through the self-service platform.
Retail Offerings
The Bank grew its retail deposits by 14% to N675.8 billion from N594.9 billion in 2021. Some of the initiatives which contributed to this growth include:
• Save & Win Palli Promo 2: We rolled out the campaign’s second edition and rewarded over 611 customers with a combined sum of ₦55.5 million. The promo aims to generate low-cost deposits.
• Target Savings Campaign: In time for the World Cup, we rewarded 596 customers with ₦26 million in our flagship target savings campaign and closed out our five-year Target Savings Product (TSP) – UnionKorrect Qatar. Ten customers were rewarded with cash prices of ₦5 million, and 375 customers with sports jerseys.
• Workplace Banking: We re-launched Workplace Banking, our exclusive proposition designed to offer employees convenience while providing support to achieve their goals and aspirations.
Citizenship, Sustainability, and Innovation
• In 2022, we prioritised inclusion and sustainability while focusing on business growth. In doing so, we impacted our employees, customers, and the communities we serve while contributing towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
― UnionCares: As a yearly tradition, we extend our assistance to the community by providing food boxes to those in need. In 2022, our staff
contributed to this cause by distributing over 1,700 food packages to families all over Nigeria. Furthermore, we extended our support to 15 Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), such as the Chess in Slums Foundation and the Special Olympics Nigeria, by providing donations to supplement their commendable efforts.
―Quality Education:We partnered with impactful organisations, including Give Girls a Chance and Child Lifeline, to provide full scholarships to twenty
girls and ten boys in Abuja and Lagos. As part of our Financial Literacy Day and World Savings Day activities, we engaged with more than 4000 students and their teachers.
― Youth Empowerment and Development: In July 2022, we successfully graduated 52 new ‘Techies’ from our first-ever Tech Job Boot camp. This recruitment and training program has significantly contributed to accelerating our go-to-market strategy and further consolidating our position as a formidable player in the financial sector.
Union Bank has been a long-standing supporter of LEAP Africa since 2013, enabling them to empower and equip 170 young social innovators and entrepreneurs to scale their community-changing ideas sustainably over the years. Moreover, our sponsorship of the 2022 Leadership, Empowerment, Achievement, and Development (LEAD) Camp by Junior Achievement Nigeria has empowered more than 300 young girls with critical thinking skills. Through this initiative, we have impacted more than 700 girls over the past eight years.
― Employee Volunteering: Our employees have shown unwavering compassion towards communities and social causes. In 2022, over 265 of our
employees devoted nearly 1000 hours to volunteering for various bank- sponsored initiatives. These initiatives included mentoring sessions with the Women’s Technology Empowerment Centre (WTEC), which aims to promote women’s participation in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), financial literacy drives, SME workshop clinics with social innovators, and visits to orphanages to extend their support.
Commenting on the results, Mudassir Amray, MD/CEO, said:
“Despite the macroeconomic headwinds of 2022, we recorded strong performance across key financial and operational indicators. We were focused on our strategy of deepening our core business segments whilst enhancing our digital channels and service propositions to customers. On the back of this, we are increasing our customer acquisition and engagement, translating into higher revenues across our regions.
The Bank’s gross earnings grew by 19% to N208.1 billion from N175 billion in 2021. Whilst non-interest income declined marginally by 1.0%. Net interest income after impairment grew 26.1% to N55.8 billion from N44.2 billion in 2021 on the back of increasing responsible risk assets. Profit before tax closed at N30.2 billion, representing a growth of 47.1% from N20.5 billion recorded in 2021.
In 2023, we will remain focused on executing our strategic initiatives, which are centred on pursuing additional opportunities to diversify our revenue sources while strengthening our core business. We also look forward to completing the merger of Union Bank of Nigeria and Titan Trust Bank, which began in 2022. The transition has gone smoothly, and I am confident that the combination will make us more formidable and well-positioned to capitalise on market opportunities.
As we progress into 2023, I have no doubts that we will scale through all the macroeconomic pressures and sustain this growth momentum with continued support from the new core investors and board and continued trust from our customers to serve them.”
Speaking on the FY 2022 numbers, Chief Financial Officer Joe Mbulu said:
“Our financial performance is a testament to the disciplined execution of our plans for the year and resilience against all odds. While pursuing liability generation and responsible risk assets, we maintained operational efficiency, managing cost drivers and avoiding wastage.
Operating expenses increased marginally by 0.43% due to increased non-discretionary regulatory costs. Our cost-to-income ratio dropped to 72.5% from 79.4% in 2021 due to cost- control measures implemented during the year.
The Bank’s balance sheet remains strong, with total assets increasing by 8.8% to N2.79 trillion due to growing loans and advances to customers. We expanded our net loan book by 11.5% from N868.8 billion in 2021 to N968.9 billion in 2022. In addition, customer deposits increased by 8.8% to N 1.48 trillion.
While we seek to grow our risk assets, maintaining quality assets remains a key priority. As a result, our NPL ratio reduced from 4.3% to 4.0%, and the capital adequacy ratio remained within regulatory limits at 14.4%.
Financial Summary
Balance Sheet (in billions of Naira) Total Assets
Gross Loans & Advances
Customer Deposits
Shareholders’ Funds
Ratios
Coverage Ratio (incl. regulatory risk reserves)
Average Liquidity Ratio (regulatory minimum – 30%)
Non-Performing Loan Ratio Net Asset Value per share Capital Adequacy
Business
BUA Foods Records 91% Surge in Profit After Tax, Hits ₦508bn in 2025
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By femi Oyewale
Business
Adron Homes Unveils “Love for Love” Valentine Promo with Exciting Discounts, Luxury Gifts, and Travel Rewards
Adron Homes Unveils “Love for Love” Valentine Promo with Exciting Discounts, Luxury Gifts, and Travel Rewards
In celebration of the season of love, Adron Homes and Properties has announced the launch of its special Valentine campaign, “Love for Love” Promo, a customer-centric initiative designed to reward Nigerians who choose to express love through smart, lasting real estate investments.
The Love for Love Promo offers clients attractive discounts, flexible payment options, and an array of exclusive gift items, reinforcing Adron Homes’ commitment to making property ownership both rewarding and accessible. The campaign runs throughout the Valentine season and applies to the company’s wide portfolio of estates and housing projects strategically located across Nigeria.
Speaking on the promo, the company’s Managing Director, Mrs Adenike Ajobo, stated that the initiative is aimed at encouraging individuals and families to move beyond conventional Valentine gifts by investing in assets that secure their future. According to the company, love is best demonstrated through stability, legacy, and long-term value—principles that real estate ownership represents.
Under the promo structure, clients who make a payment of ₦100,000 receive cake, chocolates, and a bottle of wine, while those who pay ₦200,000 are rewarded with a Love Hamper. Payments of ₦500,000 attract a Love Hamper plus cake, and clients who pay ₦1,000,000 enjoy a choice of a Samsung phone or a Love Hamper with cake.
The rewards become increasingly premium as commitment grows. Clients who pay ₦5,000,000 receive either an iPad or an all-expenses-paid romantic getaway for a couple at one of Nigeria’s finest hotels, which includes two nights’ accommodation, special treats, and a Love Hamper. A payment of ₦10,000,000 comes with a choice of a Samsung Z Fold 7, three nights at a top-tier resort in Nigeria, or a full solar power installation.
For high-value investors, the Love for Love Promo delivers exceptional lifestyle experiences. Clients who pay ₦30,000,000 on land are rewarded with a three-night couple’s trip to Doha, Qatar, or South Africa, while purchasers of any Adron Homes house valued at ₦50,000,000 receive a double-door refrigerator.
The promo covers Adron Homes’ estates located in Lagos, Shimawa, Sagamu, Atan–Ota, Papalanto, Abeokuta, Ibadan, Osun, Ekiti, Abuja, Nasarawa, and Niger States, offering clients the opportunity to invest in fast-growing, strategically positioned communities nationwide.
Adron Homes reiterated that beyond the incentives, the campaign underscores the company’s strong reputation for secure land titles, affordable pricing, strategic locations, and a proven legacy in real estate development.
As Valentine’s Day approaches, Adron Homes encourages Nigerians at home and in the diaspora to take advantage of the Love for Love Promo to enjoy exceptional value, exclusive rewards, and the opportunity to build a future rooted in love, security, and prosperity.
Business
Why Nigeria’s Banks Still on Shaky Ground with Big Profits, Weak Capital
*Why Nigeria’s Banks Still on Shaky Ground with Big Profits, Weak Capital*
*BY BLAISE UDUNZE*
Despite the fragile 2024 economy grappling with inflation, currency volatility, and weak growth, Nigeria’s banking industry was widely portrayed as successful and strong amid triumphal headlines. The figures appeared to signal strength, resilience, and superior management as the Tier-1 banks such as Access Bank, Zenith Bank, GTBank, UBA, and First Bank of Nigeria, collectively reported profits approaching, and in some cases exceeding, N1 trillion. Surprisingly, a year later, these same banks touted as sound and solid are locked in a frenetic race to the capital markets, issuing rights offers and public placements back-to-back to meet the Central Bank of Nigeria’s N500 billion recapitalisation thresholds.
The contradiction is glaring. If Nigeria’s biggest banks are so profitable, why are they unable to internally fund their new capital requirements? Why have no fewer than 27 banks tapped the capital market in quick succession despite repeated assurances of balance-sheet robustness? And more fundamentally, what do these record profits actually say about the real health of the banking system?
The recapitalisation directive announced by the CBN in 2024 was ambitious by design. Banks with international licences were required to raise minimum capital to N500 billion by March 2026, while national and regional banks faced lower but still substantial thresholds ranging from N200 billion to N50 billion, respectively. Looking at the policy, it was sold as a modern reform meant to make banks stronger, more resilient in tough times, and better able to support major long-term economic development. In theory, strong banks should welcome such reforms. In practice, the scramble that followed has exposed uncomfortable truths about the structure of bank profitability in Nigeria.
At the heart of the inconsistency is a fundamental misunderstanding often encouraged by the banks themselves between profits and capital. Unknown to many, profitability, no matter how impressive, does not automatically translate into regulatory capital. Primarily, the CBN’s recapitalisation framework actually focuses on money paid in by shareholders when buying shares, fresh equity injected by investors over retained earnings or profits that exist mainly on paper.
This distinction matters because much of the profit surge recorded in 2024 and early 2025 was neither cash-generative nor sustainably repeatable. A significant portion of those headline banks’ profits reported actually came from foreign exchange revaluation gains following the sharp fall of the naira after exchange-rate unification. The industry witnessed that banks’ holding dollar-denominated assets their books showed bigger numbers as their balance sheets swell in naira terms, creating enormous paper profits without a corresponding improvement in underlying operational strength. These gains inflated income statements but did little to strengthen core capital, especially after the CBN barred banks from using FX revaluation gains for dividends or routine operations. In effect, banks looked richer without becoming stronger.
Beyond FX effects, Nigerian banks have increasingly relied on non-interest income fees, charges, and transaction levies to drive profitability. While this model is lucrative, it does not necessarily deepen financial intermediation or expand productive lending. High profits built on customer charges rather than loan growth offer limited support for long-term balance-sheet expansion. They also leave banks vulnerable when macroeconomic conditions shift, as is now happening.
Indeed, the recapitalisation exercise coincides with a turning point in the monetary cycle. The extraordinary conditions that supported bank earnings in 2024 and 2025 are beginning to unwind. Analysts now warn that Nigerian banks are approaching earnings reset, as net interest margins the backbone of traditional banking profitability, come under sustained pressure.
Renaissance Capital, in a January note, projects that major banks including Zenith, GTCO, Access Holdings, and UBA will struggle to deliver earnings growth in 2026 comparable to recent performance.
In a real sense, the CBN is expected to lower interest rates by 400 to 500 basis points because inflation is slowing down, and this means that banks will earn less on loans and government bonds, but they may not be able to quickly lower the interest they pay on deposits or other debts. The cash reserve requirements are still elevated, which does not earn interest; banks can’t easily increase or expand lending investments to make up for lower returns. The implications are significant. Net interest margin, the difference between what banks earn on loans and investments and what they pay on deposits, is poised to contract. Deposit competition is intensifying as lenders fight to shore up liquidity ahead of recapitalisation deadlines, pushing up funding costs. At the same time, yields on treasury bills and bonds, long a safe and lucrative haven for banks are expected to soften in a lower-rate environment. The result is a narrowing profit cushion just as banks are being asked to carry far larger equity bases.
Compounding this challenge is the fading of FX revaluation windfalls. With the naira relatively more stable in early 2026, the non-cash gains that once flattered bank earnings have largely evaporated. What remains is the less glamorous reality of core banking operations: credit risk management, cost efficiency, and genuine loan growth in a sluggish economy. In this new environment, maintaining headline profits will be far harder, even before accounting for the dilutive impact of recapitalisation.
That dilution is another underappreciated consequence of the capital rush. Massive share issuances mean that even if banks manage to sustain absolute profit levels, earnings per share and return on equity are likely to decline. Zenith, Access, UBA, and others are dramatically increasing their share counts. The same earnings pie is now being divided among many more shareholders, making individual returns leaner than during the pre-recapitalisation boom. For investors, the optics of strong profits may soon give way to the reality of weaker per-share performance.
Yet banks have pressed ahead, not only out of regulatory necessity but also strategic calculation.
During this period of recapitalization, investors are interested in the stock market with optimism, especially about bank shares, as banks are raising fresh capital, and this makes it easier to attract investments. This has become a season for the management teams to seize the moment to raise funds at relatively attractive valuations, strengthen ownership positions, and position themselves for post-recapitalisation dominance. In several cases, major shareholders and insiders have increased their stakes, as projected in the media, signalling confidence in long-term prospects even as near-term returns face pressure.
There is also a broader structural ambition at play. Well-capitalised banks can take on larger single obligor exposures, finance infrastructure projects, expand regionally, and compete more credibly with pan-African and global peers. From this perspective, recapitalisation is not merely about compliance but about reshaping the competitive hierarchy of Nigerian banking. What will be witnessed in the industry is that those who succeed will emerge larger, fewer, and more powerful. Those that fail will be forced into consolidation, retreat, or irrelevance.
For the wider economy, the outcome is ambiguous. Stronger banks with deeper capital buffers could improve systemic stability and enhance Nigeria’s ability to fund long-term development. The point is that while merging or consolidating banks may make them safer, it can also harm the market and the economy because it will reduce competition, let a few banks dominate, and encourage them to earn easy money from bonds and fees instead of funding real businesses. The truth be told, injecting more capital into the banks without complementary reforms in credit infrastructure, risk-sharing mechanisms, and fiscal discipline, isn’t enough as the aforementioned reforms are also needed.
The rush as exposed in this period, is that the moment Nigerian banks started raising new capital, the glaring reality behind their reported profits became clearer, that profits weren’t purely from good management, while the financial industry is not as sound and strong as its headline figures. The fact that trillion-naira profit banks must return repeatedly to shareholders for fresh capital is not a sign of excess strength, but of structural imbalance.
With the deadline for banks to raise new capital coming soon, by 31 March 2026, the focus has shifted from just raising N500 billion. N200 billion or N50 billion to think about the future shape and quality of Nigeria’s financial industry, or what it will actually look like afterward. Will recapitalisation mark a turning point toward deeper intermediation, lower dependence on speculative gains, and stronger support for economic growth? Or will it simply reset the numbers while leaving underlying incentives unchanged?
The answer will define the next chapter of Nigerian banking long after the capital market roadshows have ended and the profit headlines have faded.
Blaise, a journalist and PR professional, writes from Lagos and can be reached via: [email protected]
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