Nigeria's banking brands dominate
Accounting for 59% of the ranking's total brand value, banks dominate Nigeria's brand value growth in 2025. Pictured: Lagos, Nigeria.
The top four strongest Nigerian brands are banks, led by United Bank for Africa and First Bank of Nigeria, while Fidelity Bank Nigeria has more than tripled its brand value to become fastest-growing Nigerian brand.
Most valuable brands
In 2025, Access Bank retains its position as the most valuable Nigerian brand for the fourth consecutive year, having more than doubled its brand value to NGN893.3bn.
Dangote Cement (brand value up 74% to NGN562.5bn) holds second place, supported by robust profits and a commanding market presence, while GTCO (Guaranty Trust Holding Company) rises to third, nearly tripling its brand value to NGN524.7bn.
Other top banks show solid performances. Zenith Bank (brand value up 80% to NGN 454.8bn) retains fourth, United Bank for Africa (UBA) (brand value up 58% to NGN341bn) drops to sixth, and First Bank of Nigeria (brand value up 168% to NGN289bn) remains in seventh position, all demonstrating resilience despite inflation and currency volatility.
Strongest brands
Notably, UBA and First Bank of Nigeria are the top two strongest Nigerian brands in 2025, while UBA also ranks as the 13th strongest banking brand globally among the top 500 banking brands.
Food brand Flour Mills Nigeria drops to fifth place, despite a 40% increase in brand value to NGN452.9bn.
The brand reported strong revenue growth for 2024, driven by higher sales across its food, agro-allied, and sugar businesses, even in the face of Nigeria's tough macroeconomic environment.
Further down the top 10, BUA Cement (brand value up 63% to NGN138.7bn) rises to ninth place, while banking brand Stanbic IBTC (brand value up 206% to 229.5bn) climbs from 13th to eighth position. GLO Mobile (brand value up 138% to NGN130.4bn) rises five places to enter the top 10.
Meanwhile, beer brand Hero Lager (brand value down 51% to NGN42.1bn ) has dropped from ninth rank to 20th in 2025, reflecting a decline in the Nigerian alcoholic drinks market.
Brand strength analysis
The Nigeria 25 2025 ranking highlights considerable shifts in the country's strongest brands, with banking brands rising through the ranks to dominate the top 10.
This demonstrates a growing recognition of the sector's resilience and adaptability, particularly as financial services play an increasingly crucial role in driving Nigeria's economy forward.
United Bank for Africa has risen from ninth position in 2024 to become the strongest Nigerian brand in 2025, with a BSI score of 92.4/100 and a corresponding AAA+ rating, the highest accolade for brand strength awarded by Brand Finance.
UBA performs strongly across all key research metrics, earning notably high scores in brand familiarity, preference, and consideration, indicating strong consumer trust and loyalty.
Notably, the bank scores exceptionally well on price acceptance, outperforming other leading African peers - such as Capitec in South Africa and Equity Bank in Kenya - on this metric.
During this past year, UBA has prioritised digital banking, innovation, and technology investments, which are crucial drivers of brand strength in Africa's banking sector.
The focus is aimed at improving the customer experience and deepening engagement with consumers going forward.
First Bank of Nigeria has risen from 11th position to second for brand strength, noting a BSI score of 92.1/100 and a corresponding AAA+ rating.
The bank excels across key metrics, including familiarity, reputation, consideration, and preference.
This improvement reflects its strong focus on innovation, digital transformation, and delivering exceptional customer experiences.
First Bank's strategic initiatives have significantly enhanced its market position and brand perception, reinforcing its leadership in the sector.
GTCO has fallen from first to third place in brand strength, despite a slight increase in its BSI score to 89.5/100.
Meanwhile, Access Bank has moved up to fourth place, rising from 12th in 2024, driven predominantly by improved performance across key research metrics.
All rights reserved. © 2022. Bizcommunity.com Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Zawya
11 hours ago
- Zawya
Nigeria: NESG pre-summit dialogue charts roadmap to industrialisation through oil, gas sector
The Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) on Tuesday convened a high-level Pre-Summit Dialogue themed Unlocking Industrial Growth Series: The Evolving Oil and Gas Ecosystem', setting the tone for its upcoming 31st Nigerian Economic Summit (NES #31). The NESG pre-summit dialogue brought together top policymakers, private sector leaders, and academic experts to explore how Nigeria's oil and gas sector can catalyse industrialisation, innovation, and inclusive development. Private Sector Co-Chair of the NESG Industrial Policy Commission, Mansur Ahmed, described the dialogue as both timely and strategic. 'As Nigeria's reform agenda advances, today's discussion is essential to charting a path that transforms our oil wealth into sustainable industrial growth,' he said in his opening remarks. Despite being Africa's largest oil producer, Nigeria lags in industrial competitiveness. Highlighting this concern, Mr. Kelvin Emmanuel, Thematic Lead of the NESG Oil and Gas Thematic Group, noted that Nigeria ranks 8th on the 2024 African Industrialisation Index and 98th globally on the UNIDO Competitive Industrial Performance Index. 'With a manufacturing value added per capita of just $216, far below South Africa's $645 and Egypt's $524, Nigeria's oil wealth has sustained an extractive development model instead of fueling technology-driven industrialisation,' he observed. Ahmed called for urgent reforms that align with the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and continental initiatives like the African Union's Agenda 2063 to reverse the trend. Ms. Laura Ani, Senior Researcher at the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, said Nigeria stands at a turning point. 'We must shift from merely earning oil revenue to using it as a foundation for industrial transformation. This means linking resource management to coordinated innovation and industrial policy,' she argued. Adding an academic lens, Dr. Aminu Abdullahi Isyaku, Head of the Geology and Mining Department at the University of Abuja, emphasised the need for a 'Triple Helix Model', structured collaboration among government, industry, and academia. 'Research and Development is no longer optional. Deepening local content and aligning academic curricula with industry demands are essential for creating value-added industries,' he noted. From the private sector, Mrs. Funmi Ogbue, CEO of Zigma Limited, pointed to global best practices. Citing Norway as a model, she underscored the importance of stable policies, long-term contracts, Research and Development investments, and export-driven strategies. 'We need consistent, integrated public-private collaboration. Short-term or politically driven efforts will not deliver the transformation Nigeria urgently needs,' she warned. Regulatory insights were provided by Dr. Taiwo Ogunleye, Associate Professor at the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, who stressed that implementation, not legislation, is the real challenge. 'The Petroleum Industry Act already contains the tools for transformation. Full enforcement of provisions on indigenous participation, licensing, R&D, and infrastructure is key,' he noted. At the end of the session, stakeholders agreed that aligning this vision with frameworks like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) would be critical to unlocking long-term prosperity. The session also concluded with a unified commitment to pushing for a robust, innovation-led industrial policy anchored on Nigeria's oil and gas assets. Copyright © 2022 Nigerian Tribune Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Zawya
11 hours ago
- Zawya
Zambia's dollar bonds drop over debt indicator worries
NAIROBI - Concerns over Zambia's weakening ability to deal with its debt burden pushed the country's international bonds sharply lower on Wednesday, after the International Monetary Fund published its latest assessment of the southern African nation. Zambia's 2053 dollar-denominated bond lost more than 4 cents in early trading to bid at 68.542 cents on the dollar, hitting a one-month low and falling below the 70 cents threshold below which asset managers consider a country's debt distressed. By 1048 GMT it had pared some of the losses to trade at 69.466 cents, Tradeweb data showed. The drop comes in the wake of the IMF executive board approving the fifth review of Zambia's current lending programme late on Tuesday. As part of the sign-off, the Fund published its latest economic and debt figures, showing Zambia's debt-carrying capacity - or the assessment of a government's ability to handle its debt - remained weak, with the composite indicator used to gauge the level weakening to 2.58, from 2.62 previously. Zambia - together with Ukraine and Sri Lanka - was one of the countries issuing so-called state contingent debt instruments as part of its restructuring, instruments that are designed to lure investors with a promise of better payouts if certain economic or fiscal targets are achieved. Disappointment over the key indicator going in the wrong direction weighed on bonds, analysts said. "A 2.69 cut-off is needed for two semi-annual consecutive reviews for the 2053 bond to become a higher-paying 2035 bond during the 2026-28 observation period," said Samir Gadio, Africa strategist at Standard Chartered, referring to the terms of the bond that was created when Zambia restructured its debt. Zambia overhauled its bilateral debt in a deal struck last year after it opted to restructure its debt under the G20's Common Framework initiative, a process that also involved combining $3 billion of bonds into two new ones with their own payment schedules and conditions. The downward revision of the Southern African nation's composite indicator score was mainly caused by a worsening of the import coverage ratio, market participants said, adding that there was still room for it to improve. "There is still a strong chance that the score will be upgraded in 2026," said Anthony Simond, senior emerging markets debt portfolio manager at Aberdeen.
Zawya
12 hours ago
- Zawya
South Africa: Sibanye-Stillwater wants US to impose tariffs on Russian palladium
Sibanye-Stillwater has asked the United States to consider imposing a tariff on Russian palladium imports to support the long-term viability of US supplies, in a move that could increase volatility in palladium prices. The petition filed by Johannesburg-based Sibanye-Stillwater adds another layer of uncertainty to prospects for platinum group metals (PGMs) after a rally in prices so far this year due to lower first-half production in South Africa and thin liquidity in the spot market. "We believe that Russian palladium imports are being sold below market prices due to various factors, beginning primarily after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022," Sibanye-Stillwater's chief executive Neal Froneman said in a statement on the company's website dated July 31. "Obtaining relief from dumped and subsidised Russian imports will give Sibanye-Stillwater, its employees, and the entire US PGM industry, an opportunity to compete on a more level playing field," he added. A final decision on the petition is likely within 13 months. Russia's Nornickel, the world's largest palladium producer with a 40% share of global mined output, declined to comment. Sibanye-Stillwater, which has production assets in South Africa and the United States, suffered its second consecutive full-year loss last year after writing down $500m of its US palladium assets amid low prices. Spot palladium prices are up 31% so far this year, and the outlook for the rest of the year is positive for miners: analysts forecast in a Reuters poll in July that the palladium price would rise in 2025 for the first time in four years, aided by platinum's rally. "Although placing duties on Russian metal would not necessarily impact the market balance of palladium, it could result in the re-routing of global physical metal flows, leading to price volatility," analysts at Heraeus said. Russia and South Africa are the top suppliers of palladium to the United States, according to the Trade Data Monitor. For Russia, China is the second-largest buyer of the metal after the United States. Russian palladium imports to the US increased 42% year-on-year to more than 500,000 troy ounces in January-May, according to Heraeus. PGMs, used widely to clean exhausts in gasoline vehicles, have so far avoided both US sanctions imposed on Russian companies over the Ukraine war and any import tariffs announced by Donald Trump. All rights reserved. © 2022. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
