Shareholders of Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO) Plc yesterday approved the payment of N466.38 billion as cash dividends for the 2025 business year.

At the annual general meeting, shareholders approved payment of a final dividend of N11.76 per share, in addition to interim dividend per share of N1 paid earlier to shareholders, bringing total dividend per share for the 2025 business year to N12.76. This represented an increase of 58.9 per cent on total dividend per share of N8.03 paid for the 2024 business year.

Shareholders commended the management of the company for setting a new mark with the highest dividend payout in the Nigerian’s banking sector for the 2025 financial year.

They also applauded the group for meeting Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s N500 billion new minimum capital requirement.

Chief Timothy Adesiyan of Nigerian Shareholders’ Solidarity Association (NSSA) said the board of the company has demonstrated discipline by sustaining dividend payout to shareholders.

Chairman, Pragmatic Shareholders Association of Nigeria, Mrs. Bisi Bakare, said GTCO has made history as the first Nigerian bank to reward shareholders with N12.76kobo dividend payout, urging the management to maintain such a gesture.

Chairman, Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO) Plc, Suleiman Barau, assured the shareholders of sustained growth noting that the group has evolved from a single-line banking institution into a broader financial services ecosystem encompassing banking, payments, funds management, and pension administration.

According to him, the diversified ecosystem allows the group to operate with greater balance across economic cycles, reduces concentration of risk, and broadens the value proposition it offers to individuals, businesses, and institutional clients.

He said: “This diversification is not simply a structural change; it represents a strategic effort to build an institution that can serve customers more comprehensively while creating multiple engines of sustainable growth”.

He said that the continuing management’s discipline underpinned its risk culture as in an environment where macroeconomic conditions remain fluid across many markets, maintaining a healthy balance sheet and strong credit practices is essential.

“The board remains deeply committed to ensuring that the group’s growth is anchored in careful risk assessment, responsible lending practices, and robust internal controls.

“Ultimately, what defines a strong financial institution is not simply its performance in favourable conditions, but its ability to remain stable, trusted, and relevant through periods of uncertainty.

“The durability of our performance reflects years of careful institution-building, disciplined leadership, and shared commitment across the organisation to long-term value creation,”Barau said.

Group Chief Executive Officer, Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO), Segun Agbaje said that the 2025 business year was a year of deepening integration across banking, payments, asset management, and pension businesses with the group leveraging data, digital tools, and operational insight to create frictionless experiences for its customers across Africa and the United Kingdom.

“By connecting our personal and business solutions, we are able to extend the reach of each business line while amplifying the value delivered to customers,” Agbaje said.

He pointed out that 2025 would be remembered as a landmark year in GTCO’s growth and expansion journey with the successful listing of its shares on the London Stock Exchange.

He said: “This historic achievement makes GTCO Plc, the 1st Financial Services Institution in West Africa to list its ordinary shares on London Stock Exchange’s (LSE) main market for listed securities, strengthening our capital base and enhancing liquidity for shareholders”.

He assured that the group is posed to sustain its growth in the period ahead.

“GTCO execution discipline will remain our defining advantage. By integrating our ecosystem offerings, deepening customer engagement, and leveraging platform-driven solutions, we will continue to create meaningful experiences and long-term impact for individuals, businesses, and communities.

“Technology continues to enhance operational efficiency, customer experience, and insight-driven decision making, while a robust balance sheet and disciplined capital management provide the flexibility to act decisively across market cycles.

“In a landscape shaped by macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainties, GTCO enters 2026 confident, resilient, and focused.

“Our ecosystem is stronger, our ambition greater, and our commitment unwavering. Fellow Shareholders, the next chapter of GTCO promises to be as historic as the last, and we are grateful for your continued trust and partnership,” Agbaje said.