Nigeria’s most innovative bank, Wema Bank Plc, has emerged the best performing bank in the first half of year 2022 financial year with a weighted average score of of 2.83 points, beating 12 other bank’s.

According to a special report on the Nigerian banking performance in the first half of 2022 prepared by Nairametrics, Wema Bank ranked first in one category, second in three categories and third in one category. Stanbic IBTC and First Bank came second and third respectively..

The key metrics considered in the report are total asset growth, loan book growth, profit growth, cost-to-income ratio movement, and return on average equity.

The 13’reviewed banks which are listed on the Nigerian Exchange posted a net profit of N1 trillion in 2021 from N887.1 billion recorded in 2020.

The 13 reviewed banks are Wema Bank, First Bank of Nigeria, FCMB, GTB, Jaiz Bank, Access Bank, and Stanbic/IBTC. Others are UBA, Sterling Bank, Unity Bank, Union Bank, Zenith Bank, and Fidelity Bank.

During the first six months of 2022, the thirteen banks posted an aggregate of N501.1 billion as profit after tax, representing an increase of 13.1% compared to N443.17 billion recorded in the corresponding period of 2021

The banks grew their bottom line despite headwinds ravaging the global economy as the energy crisis triggered a significant surge in the operational costs of businesses operating in the country, while some banks were forced to ration their operating hours in a bid to manage the rise in the cost of operation.

Wema Bank came first in the category of

Leading bank’s by customer deposits growth . The bank recorded ±30.2 percent customer deposit growth during the review period, followed by Fidelity Bank and Access Bank with +13.1 percent and +12.8 percent respectively.

Wema Bank came second in three other categories – total assets growth rate (+13%), loan book growth rate (+19.9%) and profit after tax growth rate {+47.8%}.

Stanbic IBTC , the second place winner, ranked first in total asset growth rate and leading bank’s by cost to income ratio growth rate

First City Monument Bank (FCMB) is in hot soup as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court has ordered the bank to pay N540.5 million in damages to Pastor Emmanuel Omale of the Divine Hand of God Prophetic Ministry and his wife, Deborah over false claim that they laundered N573 million for former chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu.

Delivering judgement in the suit, Yusuf Halilu, the judge, held that the bank breached its “duty of care to the claimants,” the Omales and their church.

The judgment was on the suit marked: FCT/HC/CV2541/2020 filed by Mr. Omale, his wife and the church.

The judge held that the evidence before the court showed that the bank admitted error in its report to the NFIU of entries in the account of Divine Hand of God Prophetic Ministry which was accused of laundering money on Mr. Magu’s behalf.

Mr. Halilu also said the bank claimed that the purported N573 million was wrongly reflected as credit entry in Divine Hand of God Prophetic Ministry’s account by its reporting system, which it recently upgraded.

The judge held that FCMB admitted the error, which brought incalculable damage to the reputation of the claimants both within and outside the Nigeria – depleting their church’s membership.

Mr. Halilu said the claimants provided sufficient evidence to establish case of negligence against FCMB.

Consequently, the judge awarded N200 million as aggravated damages; N140.5 million as specific damages and N200 million as general damages.