Investor confidence in Nigeria’s banking sector has continued to strengthen following the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) reform measures, driving the combined market capitalization of 12 listed deposit money banks to N25.6 trillion as of July 17, 2026.
The figure represents an increase of N9.45 trillion, or 58.6 per cent, from N16.12 trillion recorded at the end of December 2025.
The banking sector’s impressive performance has been underpinned by key CBN reforms, including the ongoing bank recapitalization exercise, improved foreign exchange stability, tighter monetary policy and enhanced corporate governance standards.
With the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) recording a total market capitalization of N157.06 trillion as of July 17, 2026, the 12 listed banks accounted for about 16.3 per cent of the market’s value.
The banks include Access Holdings Plc, First Holdco Plc, Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI), Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO), Zenith Bank Plc, United Bank for Africa (UBA), Fidelity Bank Plc, Sterling Financial Holdings Company Plc, Wema Bank Plc, FCMB Group Plc, Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc and Jaiz Bank Plc.
GTCO retained its position as the most valuable banking stock on the NGX with a market capitalization of N4.72 trillion, up from N3.3 trillion in 2025. Zenith Bank followed closely with N4.68 trillion, compared to N2.54 trillion a year earlier, while First Holdco’s market value more than doubled to N4.36 trillion from N2.01 trillion.
Stanbic IBTC Holdings and UBA also crossed the N2 trillion market capitalization mark, with valuations of N2.65 trillion and N2.01 trillion, respectively.
Among the N1 trillion category, ETI’s market capitalisation climbed from N994.34 billion to N1.56 trillion, while Fidelity Bank rose from N954.03 billion to N1.38 trillion. Access Holdings increased from N1.12 trillion to N1.37 trillion, while Wema Bank’s valuation surged from N818.43 billion to N1.22 trillion.
The gains have also been reflected in share price performance. GTCO’s stock has appreciated by 42.45 per cent year-to-date to close at N129.20 per share, while Zenith Bank recorded an 84.47 per cent year-to-date gain. First Holdco’s share price advanced by 100.31 per cent, supported by strong 2025 full-year results and first-quarter 2026 earnings.
Market analysts attribute the sustained rally to the CBN’s recapitalisation policy introduced in March 2024, which required commercial banks with international licences to maintain a minimum capital base of N500 billion, while banks with national and regional licences were mandated to hold N200 billion and N50 billion, respectively.
The recapitalisation drive was further supported by NGX Invest, the Exchange’s digital platform that simplified public offer and rights issue subscriptions, enabling banks to raise fresh capital more efficiently and attracting greater investor participation.
Commenting on the sector’s performance, Vice President of Highcap Securities Limited, David Adonri, said the banking industry has remained one of the strongest-performing sectors on the NGX, with the recapitalization programme significantly boosting investor demand for bank stocks.
According to him, banks have continued to post strong market performance, with several capital-raising exercises heavily oversubscribed.
He noted that ETI, Jaiz Bank, Wema Bank, First Holdco and Stanbic IBTC Holdings have recorded some of the strongest share price gains in 2026, reflecting sustained investor confidence in the sector’s growth prospects and financial stability.