Nigerian Banks Dominate Brand Value Growth in 2025; Access Bank Reigns Supreme for Fourth Consecutive Year
Lagos, Nigeria – For the fourth year running, Access Bank has solidified its position as Nigeria’s most valuable brand, nearly doubling its brand value to NGN893.3bn in 2025. This achievement underscores a broader trend: banks are overwhelmingly driving brand value growth in Nigeria, accounting for a remarkable 59% of the total brand value across the ranking.
The financial sector’s dominance is further evidenced by the fact that the top four strongest Nigerian brands are all banks, spearheaded by United Bank for Africa (UBA) and First Bank of Nigeria. Furthermore, Fidelity Bank Nigeria stands out as the fastest-growing Nigerian brand, having more than tripled its brand value.
Most Valuable Brands: A Deeper Dive
While Access Bank leads the pack, several other brands have shown impressive growth:
- Dangote Cement secures the second position with a 74% increase in brand value to NGN562.5bn, propelled by strong profits and market leadership.
- GTCO (Guaranty Trust Holding Company) climbs to third place, seeing its brand value nearly triple to NGN524.7bn.
- Other leading banks also showcased robust performances despite the challenging macroeconomic environment marked by inflation and currency volatility:
- Zenith Bank increased its brand value by 80% to NGN454.8bn, retaining fourth place.
- United Bank for Africa (UBA), despite a 58% rise in brand value to NGN341bn, slipped to sixth position.
- First Bank of Nigeria demonstrated significant resilience, with its brand value surging by 168% to NGN289bn, holding steady at seventh place.
Beyond the banking sector, Flour Mills Nigeria, a prominent food brand, saw a 40% increase in brand value to NGN452.9bn, though it dropped to fifth place. Its strong revenue growth in 2024 was attributed to increased sales across its food, agro-allied, and sugar businesses.
Further down the top 10, BUA Cement (brand value up 63% to NGN138.7bn) moved to ninth, while banking brand Stanbic IBTC (brand value up 206% to NGN229.5bn) made a significant leap from 13th to eighth. GLO Mobile also entered the top 10, rising five places with a 138% increase in brand value to NGN130.4bn.
Conversely, beer brand Hero Lager experienced a notable decline, dropping from ninth to 20th position with a 51% decrease in brand value to NGN42.1bn, reflecting a downturn in Nigeria’s alcoholic drinks market.
Brand Strength Analysis: Banking Sector’s Resilience
The 2025 Nigeria 25 ranking reveals significant shifts in brand strength, with banking brands increasingly dominating the top ranks. This trend underscores the sector’s adaptability and crucial role in driving Nigeria’s economic progress.
- United Bank for Africa (UBA) has emerged as the strongest Nigerian brand in 2025, climbing from ninth place in 2024. It achieved an impressive Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 92.4/100 and an AAA+ rating, the highest possible accolade for brand strength from Brand Finance. UBA’s strong performance across metrics like brand familiarity, preference, and consideration indicates deep consumer trust. Notably, it excelled in price acceptance, surpassing other leading African banks like Capitec (South Africa) and Equity Bank (Kenya). This strength is attributed to UBA’s strategic prioritization of digital banking, innovation, and technology investments, aimed at enhancing customer experience.
- First Bank of Nigeria also saw a significant improvement in brand strength, rising from 11th to second place with a BSI score of 92.1/100 and an AAA+ rating. Its success is linked to a strong focus on innovation, digital transformation, and delivering exceptional customer experiences, which have bolstered its market position and brand perception.
- GTCO moved from first to third in brand strength despite a slight increase in its BSI score to 89.5/100.
- Access Bank, in addition to being the most valuable, improved its brand strength ranking significantly, moving from 12th to fourth place, driven by better performance across key research metrics.
The report collectively highlights the Nigerian banking sector’s robust performance, not just in terms of financial value but also in cultivating strong, trusted brand identities within a dynamic economic landscape.
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