Ecobank Group reports US$801m pre-tax profit

…revenues rise to US$2.45bn in 2025

• Profit before tax increased by 21 percent to US$801 million, reflecting sustained growth across business lines and markets
• Net revenues rose by 17 percent to US$2.45 billion, driven by strong performance in both Corporate and Investment Banking and Consumer and Commercial Banking
• Efficiency improved with a cost-to-income ratio at a record 48.3 percent, while customer deposits grew by US$4.9 billion to reach US$25.3 billion, strengthening funding and liquidity
• The ETI Board has recommended a dividend payout of US$40 million or 0.16 US cents (US$0.0016) per share, subject to shareholder approval at the Annual General Meeting

Ecobank Group, the leading pan-African financial services Group, has delivered a strong set of financial results for the year ended 31^st December 2025, reflecting continued execution of its Growth, Transformation, and Returns (GTR) strategy and deliberate growth across its businesses.

Profit before tax grew by 21 percent year-on-year to US$801 million, while net revenues rose by 17 percent to US$2.45 billion, driven by solid performances in both Corporate and Investment Banking, and Consumer and Commercial Banking. Growth was supported by increased client activity, higher trade volumes, and continued expansion in payments and lending across the Group’s extensive network.

The Group’s diversified Pan-African business model continued to underpin our resilience and our operational and financial performance. Central, Eastern and Southern Africa (CESA) emerged as the fastest-growing region, while Anglophone and Francophone West Africa delivered strong profitability supported by improved funding costs, trade flows, and treasury activities. Operationally, efficiencies improved as revenue growth outpaced cost increases, resulting in a record cost-to-income ratio of 48.3 percent, an improvement from 52.8 percent a year ago.

The Group maintained a robust balance sheet, with solid capital and liquidity buffers. Corporate and Investment Banking (CIB) recorded strong momentum, achieving a 40 percent increase in profit before tax to US$697 million, backed by growth in trade finance, cash management, and capital markets.

Similarly, Consumer and Commercial Banking (CCB) delivered substantial results, with profit before tax rising by 27 percent to US$480 million, supported by robust deposit mobilisation and heightened lending activity, rising by 33 percent. Across our CIB and CCB businesses, customer deposits grew by US$4.9 billion to US$25.3 billion, reflecting significant transaction flows and deepened customer engagement, while loans, driven by trade finance and digitally enabled lending, rose to US$12.8 billion.

Asset quality pressures increased during the year, primarily driven by higher non-performing loans in Nigeria linked to legacy exposures and the exit from regulatory forbearance. The Group has taken prudent steps to strengthen its balance sheet, including raising expected credit loss reserves to 7.8 percent of gross loans from 5.7 percent. The total capital adequacy ratio of 16.7 percent remains comfortable above minimum regulatory requirements by 420 basis points.

This resilience drove sustained value for our shareholders, marked by a return on tangible equity (ROTE) of 27.8 percent. Reflecting this strong financial position, the ETI Board has recommended a dividend payout of US$40 million or 0.16 US cents ($0.0016) per share, subject to shareholder approval at the Annual General Meeting.

Jeremy Awori, Chief Executive Officer of Ecobank Group, said: “Our 2025 performance has further demonstrated that our Growth, Transformation and Returns (GTR) strategy, along with our diversified pan-African business model, is yielding positive results.  This includes a return on tangible shareholders’ equity of 27.8 percent and a record cost-to-income ratio of 48.3 percent, down from 52.8 percent a year ago, with improvements across various businesses and regions.”

He added: “We continued to invest in enhancing our solutions and customer interactions across both physical and digital channels, resulting in a 1,000-basis-point increase in customer satisfaction to 70 percent. Furthermore, we made significant progress in key turnaround subsidiaries in the CESA region, including Kenya, Uganda, and Zambia, where efficiency ratios have improved markedly.”

“Overall, these achievements would not have been possible without the dedication of approximately 14,000 Ecobank employees across Africa, who have embraced our ongoing transformation and prioritised meeting our customers’ needs. I am proud of their efforts,” he concluded.

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