United Bank for Africa (UBA) and Access Bank have been recognised among Nigeria’s strongest brands in 2025, according to Brand Finance’s ‘Nigeria 25 2025’ report.
The latest rankings highlight significant shifts in brand valuation, with financial institutions dominating the top 10 and accounting for 59% of the total brand value.
For the fourth consecutive year, Access Bank has retained its position as Nigeria’s most valuable brand, more than doubling its brand value to N893.3 billion.
Following closely behind is Dangote Cement, which secured second place, backed by strong profits and a commanding market presence. The company’s brand value rose by 74% to N562.5 billion.
Meanwhile, Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO) surged to third place, nearly tripling its brand value to N524.7 billion, solidifying its standing as a powerhouse in Nigeria’s financial sector.
Banking Giants Strengthen Their Market Position
The report highlights solid performances among other leading financial institutions as Zenith Bank retained its fourth-place ranking, with its brand value climbing 80% to N454.8 billion.
United Bank for Africa (UBA), despite a 58% increase in brand value to N341 billion, dropped to sixth place, while First Bank of Nigeria, showing strong resilience despite economic challenges, maintained its seventh-place ranking, with its brand value soaring 168% to N289 billion.
Other Major Brand Movements
Among other major brands, Flour Mills Nigeria slipped to fifth place despite a 40% rise in brand value to N452.9 billion. The company reported robust revenue growth, driven by increased sales across its food, agro-allied, and sugar divisions, despite Nigeria’s challenging macroeconomic landscape.
BUA Cement rose to ninth place, with its brand value growing 63% to N138.7 billion. Stanbic IBTC climbed from 13th to eighth position, following an impressive 206% increase in brand value to N229.5 billion, while GLO Mobile, marking significant brand strength, surged five places into the top 10, with its brand value up 138% to N130.4 billion.
On the declining end, beer brand Hero Lager suffered a 51% drop in brand value, falling from ninth place in 2024 to 20th in 2025, reflecting a broader downturn in Nigeria’s alcoholic beverage market.
The Brand Strength Index (BSI) Score
According to the report, UBA rose from ninth place in 2024 to become Nigeria’s strongest brand in 2025, achieving a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 92.4/100 and an AAA+ rating, the highest brand strength accolade awarded by Brand Finance.
UBA has excelled across key brand metrics, earning high scores in familiarity, preference, and consumer trust, reinforcing its loyal customer base.
Notably, UBA outperforms top African banking peers, such as Capitec in South Africa and Equity Bank in Kenya, in price acceptance metrics, demonstrating competitive market positioning.
First Bank of Nigeria also saw a significant boost, moving from 11th to second place in brand strength with a BSI score of 92.1/100 and an AAA+ rating.
The bank has focused heavily on innovation, digital transformation, and delivering high-quality customer experiences, which have substantially improved its market position and perception.
Despite a slight increase in its BSI score to 89.5/100, GTCO dropped from first to third place in brand strength. Meanwhile, Access Bank climbed from 12th to fourth place, driven by strong improvements across key research metrics.
The Nigeria 25 2025 rankings showcase the financial sector’s resilience and adaptability, particularly as banking brands continue to play a crucial role in driving Nigeria’s economic growth.
What you should know
- Access Holdings reported a pre-tax profit of N222.78 billion for the first quarter of 2025, marking a 9.89% increase compared to the same period last year.
- This performance was largely supported by strong growth in interest income, which rose by 58.28% year-on-year to N980.68 billion.
- While the bank recorded a surge in interest income in Q1 2025, this was heavily offset by a 71.32% jump in interest expenses to N760.47 billion, shrinking net interest income by over 20% to N220.21 billion.
