First City Monument Bank (FCMB) has been crowned Nigeria’s Best SME-Focused Bank for 2025 by the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), reaffirming its leadership in supporting small and medium-sized enterprises.

The honour, presented during the 60th Annual Bankers Dinner held in Lagos on November 28, comes as FCMB maintains a commanding 24% share of the banking sector’s ₦1.8 trillion SME disbursements in 2024.

FCMB’s lending strategy is anchored on strengthening the real sectors powering Nigeria’s economy. According to the Nigerian Gross Domestic Product Q3 2024 Report, the bank’s financing is heavily directed toward top-performing industries such as Crop Production (26.51%), Trade (14.78%), Telecommunications (13.94%), Real Estate (5.43%), and Food, Beverage and Tobacco (4.06%).

The CIBN said the award was guided by industry-wide lending data from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), which tracks banks’ contributions to enterprise growth. Beyond financing, FCMB supports entrepreneurs through capacity-building programmes, advisory services, and strategic partnerships designed to enhance business sustainability.

A delegation led by Obaro Odeghe, Executive Director of Wholesale Banking, received the award on behalf of Managing Director/CEO Yemisi Edun. Speaking at the ceremony, Edun said:

“We are truly honoured to be recognised by the CIBN, based on data from the Central Bank of Nigeria.
This award affirms our mission to make a meaningful difference in the lives of Nigerian entrepreneurs, who remain the backbone of our economy.
We will continue to provide accessible finance, technology, and expert guidance to help SMEs grow, boost productivity, and drive national development.”

The event also celebrated individual excellence, with FCMB’s Tooritsemoshe Ojei receiving the Next Generation Class of 2025 Award for outstanding leadership potential.

FCMB, part of the FCMB Group Plc, continues to champion inclusive economic growth by connecting people, capital, and markets within Nigeria and across the diaspora. The latest recognition adds to the bank’s growing list of accolades, including:

• Excellence Award for Promoting Financial Inclusion for Grassroots Entrepreneurs (Mastercard Foundation)
• SME Financier of the Year (Africa) (Global SME Finance Forum/IFC)
• Best Bank with the Highest Impact on First-Time MSME Borrowers (Development Bank of Nigeria)