By Peter.
First City Monument Bank (FCMB) just walked away with the biggest SME banking trophy in Nigeria: Best SME-Focused Bank 2025, handed out by the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) at the 60th Annual Bankers Dinner.
The numbers behind the win are brutal for the competition:
→ FCMB single-handedly delivered 24% of the entire banking industry’s N1.8 trillion SME loans in 2024 → That’s more than any other bank in Nigeria – by a mile.
CBN data (yes, the actual regulator’s numbers) was used to pick the winner. No lobbying, no PR spin – just cold, hard disbursement figures.
Why FCMB Is Eating Everyone’s Lunch on SMEs
- They’re laser-focused on the exact sectors powering Nigeria’s GDP right now: Crop Production (26.51%), Trade (14.78%), Telecoms (13.94%), Real Estate, Food & Bev.
- It’s not just loans – they run training bootcamps, give free advisory, and connect businesses to markets.
- Result? Thousands of first-time borrowers who never thought a bank would touch them.
FCMB’s Wholesale Banking ED Obaro Odeghe collected the award and didn’t mince words:
“This is validation from the toughest judge – the Central Bank’s own data. SMEs are the real engine of Nigeria’s economy, and we’re all-in: accessible finance, tech, advice, everything they need to scale. When SMEs win, Nigeria wins.”
Bonus flex: FCMB staffer Tooritsemoshe Ojei also scooped the Next Generation Class of 2025 Award the same night.
This is now the fourth major SME gong FCMB has bagged in 12 months – including:
- Mastercard Foundation’s Financial Inclusion Award
- Global SME Finance Forum/IFC’s Africa SME Financier of the Year
- Development Bank of Nigeria’s Highest Impact on First-Time MSME Borrowers
If you’re an SME owner still hearing “no” from your bank… maybe it’s time to slide into FCMB’s DMs.
#FCMB #BestSMEBank2025 #CIBN #NigerianSMEs #BankingOnNaija
