Banks directory 2026
Banks in Nigeria
Fidelity Bank, Stanbic IBTC, Ecobank Nigeria, FCMB, Union Bank of Nigeria, Jaiz Bank and Providus Bank are the mid-market and Islamic CBN names Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt interviews keep adding. Jaiz is the dedicated Islamic name; family boards that refuse a conventional Zenith facility start there. NIBSS, which runs NIP, is what a Lagos till actually closes — not another CBN licence. NGX listings make Access, Zenith, GTCO and UBA readable from the tape; that does not turn this page into a size table. Treat the list as a naira cash-and-LC map for plant treasurers and hospital CFOs, not as a Victoria Island deposit poster.
Updated September 2026 · Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) — licensed banks, prudential rules, naira corridor and payment systems as of September 2026 · 14 named accounts
CBN
Central Bank of Nigeria — licensing, prudential rules and naira-corridor oversight
NGX
Exchange where Access, Zenith, GTCO, UBA and peers report as listed issuers
5
Lagos commercial names that still dominate most corporate panels on this map
NIBSS
Switch behind NIP instant credits a cashier in Lagos or Abuja reconciles against
Named accounts
Top banks in Nigeria
| # | Company | HQ | Type | Segments | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Access Bank | Lagos | Local | ||
| 02 | Zenith Bank | Lagos | Local | ||
| 03 | GTBank (GTCO) | Lagos | Local | ||
| 04 | First Bank of Nigeria | Lagos | Local | ||
| 05 | United Bank for Africa (UBA) | Lagos | Regional | ||
| 06 | Fidelity Bank | Lagos | Local | ||
| 07 | Stanbic IBTC | Lagos | MNC | ||
| 08 | Ecobank Nigeria | Lagos | Regional | ||
| 09 | FCMB | Lagos | Local | ||
| 10 | Union Bank of Nigeria | Lagos | Local | ||
| 11 | Jaiz Bank | Abuja | Local | ||
| 12 | Providus Bank | Lagos | Local | ||
| 13 | NIBSS | Lagos | Operator | ||
| 14 | Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) | Abuja | Government |
Primary research
These are the banks whose customers we survey in Nigeria
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How the market is structured
How the Lagos spine, Jaiz and CBN naira rules share a Nigerian treasury
Local
Access, Zenith, GTBank, First Bank, Fidelity, FCMB, Union Bank, Jaiz and Providus — the domestic commercial and Islamic books that still set most Lagos panels.
- Access Bank
- Zenith Bank
- GTBank (GTCO)
- First Bank of Nigeria
- Fidelity Bank
- FCMB
- Union Bank of Nigeria
- Jaiz Bank
- Providus Bank
Multinational
Stanbic IBTC as the Standard Bank chair multinational treasurers still put on a naira and trade slide beside Access or Zenith.
- Stanbic IBTC
Regional
UBA and Ecobank Nigeria as the pan-African parents that already bank the same group in Accra, Nairobi or Lomé.
- United Bank for Africa (UBA)
- Ecobank Nigeria
Islamic windows, digital banks & regulators
CBN writes the licence and the naira corridor. NIBSS is the NIP slip a till closes against long before the acquirer’s brand is named.
- NIBSS
- Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)
Market structure
What a Lagos or Abuja healthcare CFO actually needs
The working list is naira cash that can take HMO, NHIA or private receipts, an LC bank still willing to release dollars when a device lands at Apapa or Tin Can, payroll that clears CBN KYC, and NIBSS acquiring a till can finish before the outpatient desk shuts. Access, Zenith or GTBank is the listed commercial chair. First Bank is the public or up-country chair. Jaiz is the Islamic chair after a conventional sheet has already been refused. CBN still binds the corridor when the RM sits on the Island. Keep the CBN circular and the relationship-manager pitch on different pages of the same brief.
What is moving
What is moving banking in Nigeria
Lagos commercial spine next to up-country historic books
Access, Zenith and GTBank still hold most private operating cash; First Bank and UBA remain the chairs treasurers add when a public-adjacent or up-country receipt is in the mix.
Naira and dollar circulars as a launch gate
Device and ingredient LCs reprice the week CBN moves allocation. An Access or Zenith line is a launch workstream, not a back-office chore.
Jaiz as a second map
Jaiz takes the family boards a conventional GTBank sheet cannot enter, so the naira map has to be interviewed twice.
NIBSS as the cashier-facing rail
Lagos and Abuja outpatient tills hit NIP first. The merchant question is NIBSS plus whichever CBN book acquired the day.
BioNixus fieldwork
How BioNixus studies banks in Nigeria
- Lagos hospital-CFO walks on how Access, Zenith and GTBank split naira operating cash and device LCs.
- Abuja clinic-treasurer walks on why First Bank or UBA still sits beside a listed commercial chair when an NHIA receipt arrives.
- Lagos outpatient tills logged against NIBSS slips to see which CBN book closed the day.
- Abuja sharia-board conversations on Jaiz versus a conventional Zenith sheet.
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Who licences banks in Nigeria?
The Central Bank of Nigeria. NIBSS operates NIP inside that perimeter. NIBSS is a settlement company, not a CBN commercial charter.
Is GTBank the same legal entity as GTCO?
GTBank sits inside the GTCO holdco. Cashiers still say GTBank. Confirm which entity is on the facility letter before a tender.
Which Nigerian books should a hospital treasurer put on the first slide?
Access, Zenith or GTBank for a private listed chair; First Bank or UBA if public-adjacent or up-country cash is in the mix; Jaiz if the board wants an Islamic book. Add NIBSS as the rail.
Why does the naira corridor belong on a banking map?
Hard-currency LCs for drugs and devices freeze the week CBN tightens allocation. A finished NAFDAC pack still sits at Apapa if the issuing bank has no dollars.
What does BioNixus study about Nigerian banks?
Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt treasury walks with private-hospital and distributor CFOs; how panels split Access versus Zenith versus First Bank; and which book actually acquires a NIBSS outpatient till.
Is this a ranking of Nigerian banks by assets?
No. Sequence follows the chairs Lagos and Abuja treasurers actually keep, not a CBN asset table. Order is not size.
Sources
Data sources & methodology
This directory aggregates publicly available company and channel facts — filings, brand sites, and BioNixus fieldwork in Nigeria. It is an editorial snapshot of the accounts we study, not a share ranking and not a substitute for NielsenIQ, IQVIA, or another syndicated feed.
Primary register: Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) — licensed banks, prudential rules, naira corridor and payment systems, consulted 2026-09-05. Company classification (Local / MNC / Regional / islamic windows, digital banks & regulators) reflects ownership and role in Nigeria, not size.
- Central Bank of Nigeria licensed-bank and circular materials
- NGX disclosures of Access, Zenith, GTCO, UBA, Fidelity and peer listed names
- NIBSS scheme materials; public pages of Stanbic IBTC, Ecobank Nigeria, Jaiz and Providus
- BioNixus Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt treasury, LC and NIBSS till work, 2023–2026
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