Nigerian banks: Access – new kid on the block

More than any other of the big five – and in stark contrast to some banks in Lagos – the entry hall of Access’s headquarters has a welcoming and upbeat feel. It is, perhaps, partly because this is the newest institution to enter the top tier of Nigerian banks. Access’s ability to stay in the top five by assets will be largely dependent on the success of its acquisition last year of Intercontinental, which before the 2009 bailouts was Nigeria’s sixth-biggest bank. The fact that Access’s executives have been able to move into Intercontinental’s headquarters might be cause for hope.