First City Monument Bank (FCMB) has earned recognition as Nigeria’s Best SME Focused Bank for 2025. The Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria announced the win during its 60th Annual Bankers Dinner in Lagos. The honour reflects FCMB’s strong commitment to supporting small and medium-sized enterprises nationwide.
The bank secured this position with a leading 24 per cent share of the industry’s N1.8tn SME disbursement for 2024. This achievement highlights its active role in boosting business growth across key sectors. FCMB said its financing initiatives target the real engines of Nigeria’s economy.
Data from the Q3 2024 GDP report support this focus. The bank’s investments align with top-performing sectors like Crop Production, Trade, and Telecommunications. Other supported areas include Real Estate and the Food, Beverage, and Tobacco industry. The CIBN based its selection on lending data supplied by the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Beyond financing, FCMB continues to empower entrepreneurs through training, advisory programmes, and strategic partnerships. These efforts help business owners tackle challenges and achieve sustainable expansion.
The bank’s Executive Director of Wholesale Banking, Obaro Odeghe, received the award on behalf of the Managing Director, Yemisi Edun. He stated that the recognition strengthens FCMB’s drive to uplift the SME landscape. He also reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to providing accessible finance, technology, and expert guidance.
The event also celebrated a staff member, Tooritsemoshe Ojei, who won the Next Generation Class of 2025 Award. FCMB noted that it remains dedicated to inclusive growth across Nigeria and abroad.
This new honour adds to several recent awards recognising the bank’s impact on SMEs and financial inclusion.
