The concluded the 2020 financial year on a strong note with growth of assets by 78.84 percent from N1.04 trillion to N1.86 trillion between 2019 and 2020.
Noting that “as resounding success in a period of significant challenges in the operating environment on account of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy”, the bank said the Group’s financial statement demonstrates resilience and strength.
“It also indicates synergy with the various interventions developed by the Federal Government, the Central Bank as well as other strategic partners towards ameliorating the impact of the pandemic on Nigerian enterprises,” a statement by the bank on Monday said.
“The 78.9 percent increase of the Group’s assets was driven to a large extent by the successful debt syndication of €1 billion and $1 billion that were concluded in March and December 2020, respectively,” it said.
The Group’s total equity increased by 14.8 percent from N293.08 in the previous year to N336.48 billion in 2020.
As a reflection of the adverse impact of the challenging operating environment on growth of new facilities, loans and advances grew marginally in 2020 by 1.3 percent to N749.84 billion from the 2019 position.
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Although Profit Before Tax fell by 9.6 percent from N39.34 billion in 2019 to N35.54 billion, the bank explained that it was largely due to the economic slowdown in the year as well as the various interventions and support initiated by the bank for its customers were responsible for this result.
In line with the directive by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) towards supporting Nigerian enterprises following the adverse impact of COVID-19, the bank reviewed and restructured all its managed projects under the CBN intervention programme with interest rate reduction from 9 percent to 5 percent per annum for a period of one year and moratorium extension of three months (with a possible extension up to 12 months).
The bank also directly implemented the following palliatives for its customers in the year:
Reduced interest rates on all BOI-funded projects from 10 percent to 8 percent pa, with effect from April 1, 2020 for one year and extended additional moratorium of (three months) on principal repayment.
This palliative led to a reduction of the bank’s Interest Income by N6.3 billion.
The challenging business environment also led to an increase in loan loss provision by N6.4bn.
Additionally, the bank worked with funding partners, notably Nigerian Content Development Management Board, to reduce the interest rates on credit facilities approved under its managed fund from 8 percent pa to 6 percent pa, which also include extension of moratorium period.
As part of its corporate social responsibility disposition, the bank donated the sum of N962 million towards the Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID) initiative.
The bank’s performance was crowned with many awards during the period under review. In recognition of the successful conclusion of the bank’s €1 billion syndicated loan facility in March 2020 as well as its sustained support for SMEs in Nigeria, the bank was bestowed with the Deal of the Year (Debt) and SME Bank of the Year awards, respectively, at the African Banker Awards organised by the Africa Development Bank.
The bank also won the best bank in Support of Manufacturing Award at the second edition of the Manufacturing Excellence Award by The Guardian Newspaper Nigeria.
