Access Holdings Under Fire, Forced To Pledge 122% Dividend Hike In 2025

Access Holdings has come under fire by frustrated shareholders and forced to pledge 122% dividend hike in 2025.

NewsOnline Nigeria reports that Access Holdings Plc has capitulated to shareholder pressure, vowing to more than double its interim dividend to ₦1 per share in 2025, a steep 122% increase over the 45 kobo paid last year.

This Nigeria news platform understands that the concession was made at the Group’s 3rd Annual General Meeting (AGM) on May 15, 2025, after frustrated shareholders demanded a greater slice of the bank’s growing profits, citing its solid 2024 earnings and expanding international footprint.

Shareholder Revolt Yields Dividend Victory

 

NewsOnline Nigeria reports that the Acting Group CEO Bolaji Agbede made the promise amid mounting calls for higher returns:

ALSO: How Access Bank Staff Stole N5.7 Billion From Customer’s Account – Witness

“We will be able to do ₦1 interim dividend, and we will go the extra mile in delivering,” she assured, pointing to the Group’s strong earnings base across Africa and beyond.

If fulfilled, the ₦1 interim dividend would mark the highest in Access Holdings’ history, matching payouts by peers such as Zenith Bank, GTCO, and UBA, banks that outperformed Access in earnings per share (EPS) in 2024.

How Access Compares

• Access Holdings EPS (2024): ₦16.71

• Zenith Bank EPS: ₦32.87

• GTCO EPS: ₦35.44

• UBA EPS: ₦21.73

NewsOnline Nigeria reports that despite lagging in EPS, Access now appears compelled to compete through payouts, as banks leveraged currency devaluation windfalls to deliver bumper dividends.

Final Dividend Approved Amid Boardroom Tension

Meanwhile, NewsOnline Nigeria reports that shareholders approved a ₦2.05 final dividend, bringing the total for 2024 to ₦2.50 per share an 11.36% yield at current share prices at the AGM. The bank paid out a staggering ₦109.3 billion in final dividends, signaling its intent to appease investors.

However, boardroom tensions emerged over the re-election of directors, with a failed attempt to bundle the vote into a single motion. Shareholders insisted on individual accountability, forcing a split vote on each director.

By the Numbers:

• Total 2024 Dividend: ₦2.50 per share

• Total Payout: ₦317.2 billion over 5 years

• 5-Year Dividend CAGR: 44.9%

• Q1 2025 Profit: ₦182.75 billion (+14.7% YoY)

• 2024 Full-Year Profit: ₦642.2 billion (+3.7% YoY)

Bottom Line:

Access Holdings’ dividend hike pledge is less a celebration and more a strategic retreat, a sign of shareholder assertiveness and rising expectations in Nigeria’s competitive banking sector.