<< Back             Poser >> PremiumTrust Bank gets dual credit rating upgrades Business By Henry Obetta PremiumTrust Bank has received dual credit rating upgrades from Agusto& Co. and DataPro Limited, underscoring its financial strength, sound risk management and growth trajectory. Agusto upgraded the Bank’s long-term rating from BBB+ to A- and short-term rating from A2 to A1, while DataPro upgraded its long-term rating from A- to A and affirmed its short-term rating at A1. The upgrades followed the Bank’s strong performance, with a pre-tax profit of N177.1 billion and total assets of N1.7 trillion in 2025. Commenting, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Emmanuel Emefienim, said: “These upgrades are a strong validation of the fundamentals we have built at PremiumTrust Bank. From inception, we have been deliberate about establishing our presence and building an institution with the financial strength, resilience, and operating discipline to compete in the Nigerian banking industry. “Our focus now is on converting this momentum into sustained growth. We are strengthening our balance sheet, expanding our physical and digital footprint, and investing in the capacity needed to serve our customers and support the businesses and communities across our markets.” The agencies cited the Bank’s robust capitalisation, with its capital adequacy ratio rising from 20.8% to 40.8%, liquidity ratio of 71.1%, and net interest margin of 83.3%. Asset quality remained sound, with an NPL ratio of 0.2%, while cost-to-income ratio stood at 23.2%. Four years into operation, the Bank has grown to 33 branches nationwide, alongside continued investment in digital banking. Vanguard	Naira depreciates to N1,362/$ in parallel market The Naira yesterday depreciated to N1,362 per dollar from N1,357 in the parallel market on Monday. West Africa must modernise agriculture for food security – Experts Experts have called for the urgent modernisation of agriculture across West Africa, stressing the need to move beyond increased production and focus on transforming agricultural value chains to ensure food security and improved nutrition amid growing climate and population pressures. Climate change threatens Nigeria’s food systems as farmers count losses ….experts call for urgent, sustainable measures to mitigate impacts By Gabriel Ewepu ABUJA — Nigeria’s food system is facing growing threats from climate change as erratic rainfall, prolonged dry spells, flooding, rising temperatures, pests and diseases disrupt farming activities, slash yields and leave farmers counting losses running into billions of Naira. The situation, according to […] World Bank: Fuel price to slow Nigeria’s poverty reduction •Says rising pre-election spending may derail reforms •Raises Nigeria’s 2026 growth forecast to 4.3% •Projects 15.7% inflation rate for 2026 •44% of firms in Nigeria, Kenya adopt AI, power constraints threaten gains By Babajide Komolafe, Economy Editor The World Bank has warned that elevated fuel prices could slow Nigeria’s poverty reduction efforts despite an expected […] Government releases GH¢9.1b covering six quarters of DACF to MMDAs – Ayariga Mr Mahama Ayariga, the Minister of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, has announced government's release of GH¢9.1 billion, covering six quarters of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) to Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) nationwide. Cedi was worst African currency in quarter 2, 2026 – World Bank According to the World Bank, the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East initially exerted broad-based pressure on African currencies.