E-Financial
Access Holdings Gets Regulatory Approval to Acquire Majority Stake in ARM Pensions
Access Holdings Plc has disclosed that Access Golf Nigeria Limited, a majority shareholder of Access Pensions Limited and a subsidiary of Access Holdings, has received the necessary regulatory clearances for its proposed acquisition of a majority equity stake in ARM Pensions Managers (PFA) Limited (ARM).
According to the statement, the National Pension Commission and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission have both granted their ‘no-objection’ and approval, respectively, for the transaction.
Subject to the receipt of relevant regulatory approvals, it is intended that following the acquisition, the operations of ARM and Access Pensions will be merged to create Nigeria’s second largest Pension Fund Administrator (PFA) by Assets Under Management.
Commenting on this transaction, Dr. Herbert Wigwe, the Group Chief Executive, of Access Holdings, said: “We are pleased to have reached this transformative milestone in our pension fund administration journey.
“The proposed combination of ARM Pension with Access Pensions will not only create sustainable stakeholder value but will also contribute positively to the growth and development of the pension industry. We anticipate an exciting future for the combined entity.”
Speaking on the transaction, the Group CEO of ARM Holding Company Limited Jumoke Ogundare, said: “The market in which we operate is ripe for consolidation and I am confident that the proposed combination will create a formidable pension funds administration business leveraging Access Group’s expansive distribution network and innovation culture to deliver sustainable value to stakeholders.”
The statement from the group noted that the completion of this transaction is contingent upon obtaining all requisite regulatory approvals. Access Holdings remains committed to keeping the market informed in line with its disclosure obligations.
It would be recalled that Access Holdings announced that its flagship subsidiary, Access Bank PLC (Access Bank) has entered into a definitive agreement with the Ugandan-based Finance Trust Bank (FTB) and its selling institutional shareholders for the acquisition of a majority equity stake in FTB.
This was contained in a notice to the Nigerian Exchange Limited, the investment public, and made available to the media.
The deal will also see Access Bank concurrently acquiring the shares currently held by FTB’s Institutional Shareholders who have sought to exit to a strategic, long-term shareholder.
According to a statement from the Group. the transaction is subject to regulatory approvals by the Central Bank of Nigeria and Bank of Uganda and is expected to close in the first half of 2024, following the fulfillment of customary conditions precedent. Following the anticipated closing of the transaction, Access Bank would own an estimated 80% shareholding in FTB.
It noted that coming at a time when commercial banks in Uganda are looking to increase their capital, this strategic acquisition presents an opportunity for Access Bank to partner with FTB and its stakeholders to create more significant opportunities for financial inclusion, product diversification, and, ultimately, greater customer-centricity.
Access Bank’s presence in over 20 countries globally presents a robust platform that FTB’s customers can leverage to boost trade opportunities with the rest of the world.
Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) has called for comments from financial services industry stakeholders in the country, policy makers and the general public towards the ongoing revision of the International Association of Deposit Insurers (IADI) Core Principles for Effective Deposit Insurance System.
The proposed revision launched by IADI in May 2025, is a significant step towards enhancing the resilience and relevance of deposit insurance frameworks in the face of an evolving global financial landscape.
Specifically, the revision is aimed at comprehensively addressing structural changes, including digital innovation, the growing role of deposit insurers in resolution, and lessons learned from the banking turmoil in March 2023, which is the most significant systemic stress event since the 2007-09 global financial crisis.
The IADI Core Principles are used by jurisdictions, including Nigeria, as a benchmark for assessing the quality of their deposit insurance systems and for identifying gaps in their deposit insurance practices and measures to address them.
The Core Principles are also used by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank in the context of the Financial Sector Assessment Programme (FSAP), to assess the effectiveness of jurisdictions’ deposit insurance systems and practices.
The first set of the Core Principles was issued jointly by the IADI and the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS) in June 2009 while the document is subjected to periodic revision order to keep it up-to-date with evolving trends on the global financial system landscape.
As a founding and committed member of IADI, NDIC recognises the importance of the ongoing revision and hereby invites stakeholders and the general public to actively participate in the process by reviewing the document on the lin
Onafriq, Africa’s largest digital payments network, has celebrated a major milestone, connecting nearly 1 billion mobile money wallets and 500 million bank accounts across the continent.
According to a statement released by the company, Onafriq has evolved from a mobile money switch to a comprehensive omnichannel payments network, facilitating seamless transactions and financial inclusion.
The company’s network now connects 961 million registered mobile wallets and 464 million registered bank accounts, with over 2,000 cross-border payment corridors supported.
Speaking on the achievement, Dare Okoudjou, Founder and CEO of Onafriq, said, “We remain fully committed to connecting every individual and business in Africa with each other and the world.”
Okoudjou noted that the company has grown in lockstep with the continent’s digital evolution, from mobile money to bank accounts, remittances, and real-time trade.
As Onafriq embarks on its next chapter, the company aims to develop infrastructure with local relevance while maintaining the scale of its pan-African infrastructure.
A prime example is Nigeria, where Onafriq is developing a unique payments stack that combines the strength of its cross-border network with the regulatory and foreign exchange realities of one of Africa’s most dynamic economies.
The company is also exploring blockchain infrastructure and stablecoin integrations to facilitate near-instant, programmable payments, aligning with the objectives of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
“We are increasingly focused on creating infrastructure with local depth,” Okoudjou said.
With extensive experience, wide reach, and a proven execution track record, Onafriq remains dedicated to building a payment infrastructure that unlocks prosperity across borders and within local communities.
United Bank for Africa (UBA) has informed its customers that, in compliance with a new directive from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), charges for USSD banking services will no longer be deducted from bank accounts, effective June 3, 2025.
In a notice sent to customers, the bank explained that the charges would now be deducted directly from users’ mobile airtime balances, in line with the NCC’s newly introduced End-User Billing (EUB) framework.
It said the new model aimed to ensure transparency in USSD transactions and shift billing responsibility to mobile network operators.
According to UBA, each USSD session would now cost ₦6.98 per 120 seconds, saying that customers initiating transactions would receive a prompt to provide consent at the start of each session, and airtime would only be debited if the bank is available to process the request.
The bank advised customers who are not comfortable with the new billing arrangement to opt for other digital banking alternatives such as the UBA mobile app and internet banking platform, which remain fully operational and user-friendly.
UBA reaffirmed its commitment to providing secure and accessible digital services, and encouraged customers to choose the channel that best suits their banking needs.
The policy marks a significant shift in Nigeria’s digital banking ecosystem and is expected to address longstanding disputes over USSD service charges between telecom operators and financial institutions.
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