Access Bank acquires Standard Chartered’s subsidiaries in five countries

By Sodiq Adelakun

Standard Chartered Bank has entered an agreement with Access Bank for the sale of shareholding subsidiaries of the Bank in Angola, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, Tanzania and Cameroon.

The announcement was contained in a statement on Friday during an agreement signing ceremony at the headquarters of the Bank in London.

Each transaction remained subject to the approval of the respective local regulators and the banking regulator in Nigeria.

In the presence of senior representatives from both banks, and signed by, the Regional Chief Executive Officer, Africa & Middle East, Standard Chartered, Sunil Kaushal, and the Group Managing Director, Access Bank Plc, Roosevelt Ogbonna.

The statement read in parts, “The agreement with Access for the sale of the bank’s business in Sub-Saharan Africa is in line with Standard Chartered’s global strategy, aimed at achieving operational efficiencies, reducing complexity, and driving scale.

“Access Bank will provide a full range of banking services and continuity for key stakeholders including employees and clients in the Standard Chartered businesses across the five aforementioned countries.

“Access and Standard Chartered Bank will work closely together in the coming months to ensure a seamless transition, with the transaction expected to be completed over the next 12 months.”

Commenting on the agreement, Kaushal, said, “Following on the announcement we made in April last year, the project is now substantially completed with the announcement for the sale of the five markets and the furtherance of a partnership with Access Bank.

“This strategic decision allows us to redirect resources within the AME region to other areas with significant growth potential, ultimately enabling us to better support our clients.

Commenting on the agreement, Ogbonna stated, “We are pleased to sign this agreement today and express our appreciation for being selected as the preferred partner to Standard Chartered Bank through this transaction, in which it is exiting four African markets and refocusing in one.

“As a distinguished regional and international bank with a rich heritage spanning over 150 years, Standard Chartered Bank has built a solid presence in these markets for over 100 years.”