LEADERSHIP Bank of the Year 2026: PremiumTrust Bank

For its exceptional financial performance, rapid growth in a challenging environment, digital innovation, and commitment to customer-focused banking, PremiumTrust Bank is the Bank of the Year 2026.

Established in 2022, PremiumTrust Bank has, in a remarkably short period, demonstrated that exceptional performance in banking is not determined by age or size alone, but by the ability to translate capital, innovation, sound strategy and strong execution into sustainable growth, customer value and economic impact.

In just four years of operation, PremiumTrust Bank has evolved from a newly licensed institution into one of Nigeria’s most dynamic and fastest-growing commercial banks. Its rise has been marked by early profitability, exceptional balance-sheet growth, strong capitalisation, digital innovation, growing customer confidence and an increasingly significant footprint across the country.

Incorporated in October 2021 and granted a regional banking licence in December of the same year, PremiumTrust Bank commenced operations with the opening of its first branch in Port Harcourt in April 2022. The institution made an immediate impression on the industry. Within months of commencing operations, it earned significant recognition, winning Bank of the Year and Nigeria’s Fastest Growing Bank at the BAFI Awards in 2022.

Those early honours proved more than symbolic. They foreshadowed the remarkable growth trajectory that would follow.

PremiumTrust Bank achieved break-even and recorded a Profit Before Tax of N14.1 billion in its first full year of operations in 2023. By December 2024, its Profit Before Tax had quadrupled to N57.4 billion, while total assets surpassed the N1 trillion mark. Equally remarkable was its Return on Equity of 107 per cent, reflecting an exceptional ability to deploy capital efficiently and generate value.

The momentum accelerated further in 2025. By the end of the year, the bank’s total assets had approached N2 trillion, while Profit Before Tax rose dramatically to N177 billion. The figures represent an extraordinary expansion in both profitability and scale for a bank that only commenced operations in 2022.

Beyond the impressive headline numbers, the bank’s growth reflects increasing customer confidence and a growing capacity to support economic activity. Its deposit base expanded from N451.910 billion in 2024 to N755.599 billion, while its loan book grew significantly from N173.265 billion to N373.166 billion. This growth demonstrates the bank’s increasing ability to mobilise savings and channel financial resources towards businesses, entrepreneurs and other productive sectors of the economy.

PremiumTrust Bank’s transformation from a regional institution to a national commercial bank further underscores the strength of its strategy and the speed of its execution. In May 2023, barely a year after commencing operations, the bank upgraded to a commercial bank with national authorisation, significantly expanding its operations and positioning it for a more prominent role in Nigeria’s financial system.

Its commitment to sustainable growth was further demonstrated in August 2025, when it met the N200 billion minimum capital requirement for national commercial banks, seven months ahead of the regulatory deadline. By meeting the recapitalisation requirement well ahead of schedule, PremiumTrust Bank demonstrated financial strength, strategic foresight and readiness for the next phase of growth in Nigeria’s banking industry.

The bank has also continued to expand access to its services. By December 2025, its branch network had grown to 30 branches nationwide, providing a stronger physical presence to complement its rapidly expanding digital infrastructure.

While physical expansion remains important, PremiumTrust Bank has equally demonstrated a clear understanding that the future of banking will increasingly be shaped by technology, convenience and a seamless customer experience.

A major milestone in this regard came in March 2025 with the launch of the Blayzz App. In less than a year, the platform attracted more than 120,000 customers, processed over 800,000 transactions, and facilitated transaction values exceeding N17 billion. The platform’s rapid adoption reflects the growing acceptance of the bank’s digital offerings and its determination to build a technology-driven institution capable of meeting the expectations of a new generation of customers.

This combination of digital innovation and physical accessibility reflects a modern phygital banking model, enabling PremiumTrust Bank to serve customers through both technology-driven channels and an expanding nationwide branch network.

The bank’s story is therefore not simply one of rapid expansion. It is a story of disciplined execution, strategic clarity and an ability to convert ambition into measurable results. From achieving profitability in its early years to surpassing the N1 trillion asset threshold, approaching N2 trillion in total assets, recording N177 billion in Profit Before Tax, strengthening its capital base ahead of regulatory requirements and expanding its branch network across the country, PremiumTrust Bank has consistently demonstrated an impressive capacity to deliver.

Its rapid growth has been supported by digital transformation, strong customer adoption, capital strength, expanding access to financial services and a commitment to supporting businesses, entrepreneurs and the wider economy. These achievements distinguish PremiumTrust Bank not merely as a young institution that has grown quickly, but as a bank that is increasingly demonstrating what focused leadership, innovation and disciplined execution can achieve in Nigeria’s highly competitive financial services industry.

In an industry where longevity and size have traditionally been regarded as major measures of strength, PremiumTrust Bank has established a compelling alternative narrative: that a relatively young institution, armed with the right strategy, leadership, technology and commitment to customers, can compete effectively and achieve exceptional results.

With its outstanding financial performance, remarkable growth trajectory, strong capitalisation, strategic national expansion, digital transformation, regulatory readiness and growing contribution to financial inclusion and economic development, PremiumTrust Bank has earned its place among the most outstanding institutions in Nigeria’s banking industry.

For redefining what a young Nigerian bank can achieve through innovation, disciplined execution and exceptional growth, PremiumTrust Bank is Bank of the Year 2026.