Access Holdings Plc reported a 5.9% rise in nine-month profit to ₦474.168 billion, while faster growth in interest expense limited gains in net interest income.
Unaudited consolidated statements for the period ended Sept. 30, 2026, showed profit after tax increased from ₦447.548 billion in the first nine months of 2025. Profit before tax totaled ₦667.364 billion, up from ₦616.248 billion, and gross earnings rose 2.3% to ₦3.990 trillion from ₦3.901 trillion. Profit before tax rose 8.3%, outpacing the increase in gross earnings. Access Holdings released the results Monday, Nov. 2.
Interest income reached ₦3.105 trillion, up 6.9%, while interest expense climbed 10.1% to ₦1.812 trillion. Net interest income, the amount left after interest expense, rose to ₦1.292 trillion from ₦1.258 trillion. Interest expense on customer deposits increased to ₦1.245 trillion from ₦805.624 billion. Interest expense on deposits from financial institutions fell to ₦370.478 billion from ₦579.896 billion.
Lower impairment charges supported the results. Net impairment charges on financial assets declined 73.5% to ₦92.908 billion from ₦349.985 billion. With those charges deducted, net interest income was ₦1.200 trillion, 32.1% above the prior-year period. Net fee and commission income rose 12.4% to ₦534.938 billion from ₦475.918 billion.
The increase after impairment was much larger than the 2.7% gain before impairment, as the charge fell sharply. The company said lower impairment charges, higher after-impairment net interest income and increased fee income demonstrated resilience in core earnings. The consolidated figures cover the holding company and its subsidiaries.
Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Innocent Chukwunweike Ike said the results showed progress toward “sustainable shareholder returns.” In the company’s results release, Ike said, “Our nine-month results reflect continued progress in translating the strength and scale of Access Holdings into sustainable shareholder returns.”
