PremiumTrust Bank has secured upgrades from two Nigerian credit-rating agencies on the back of stronger capitalisation, liquidity, asset quality and profitability, reinforcing the lender’s financial position as it expands its physical and digital operations.
Agusto & Co. upgraded the bank’s long-term credit rating from BBB+ to A- and its short-term rating from A2 to A1, while DataPro Limited raised PremiumTrust Bank’s long-term rating from A- to A and affirmed its short-term rating at A1.
The upgrades place the bank among lenders with stronger assessed capacity to meet their financial obligations, with the agencies citing improvements across key balance-sheet and operating metrics.
A major factor behind the ratings action was the sharp improvement in PremiumTrust Bank’s capital position. The bank’s capital adequacy ratio (CAR) increased from 20.8 percent to 40.8 percent, providing a substantially larger capital buffer relative to its risk-weighted assets.
The bank also recorded a liquidity ratio of 71.1 percent, indicating significant capacity to meet its short-term obligations, while its net interest margin stood at 83.3 percent.
Asset quality remained particularly strong, with the lender reporting a non-performing loan ratio of just 0.2 percent. Its cost of funds stood at 3.2 percent, while a cost-to-income ratio of 23.2 percent pointed to continued operating efficiency.
Agusto & Co. also highlighted PremiumTrust Bank’s pre-tax return on equity of 84.6 percent, which it identified as the highest in Nigeria’s banking industry.
The improved ratings follow the bank’s strong financial performance in 2025, when it recorded N177.1 billion in pre-tax profit and grew total assets to N1.7 trillion.
The performance has strengthened the lender’s financial profile at a time when capital strength, liquidity, asset quality and earnings capacity remain key measures of resilience within Nigeria’s banking sector.
Beyond the headline financial indicators, the rating agencies pointed to the depth of PremiumTrust Bank’s management team, its expanding branch network and digital footprint, as well as its governance, compliance and risk-management frameworks.
The combination of stronger capital and liquidity buffers with low non-performing loans provides the bank with greater capacity to absorb potential balance-sheet shocks while continuing to expand lending and other banking activities.
An A long-term rating signifies a low credit-risk profile and strong capacity to meet financial obligations as they fall due, while an A1 short-term rating represents the highest capacity for timely settlement of short-term financial commitments.
For PremiumTrust Bank, the ratings upgrades could also strengthen market confidence in the institution as it pursues further balance-sheet growth and invests in its distribution channels.
Commenting on the development, Emmanuel Efe Emefienim, managing director and chief executive officer of PremiumTrust Bank, said the upgrades validated the financial and operational foundations established by the lender.
“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,” Emefienim said.
He said the bank’s next priority would be to translate the stronger fundamentals into sustained growth.
“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,” he added.
The latest ratings action provides PremiumTrust Bank with external validation of its capital and earnings trajectory while underscoring the lender’s growing position in Nigeria’s competitive banking market.
With a 40.8 percent capital adequacy ratio, 71.1 percent liquidity ratio, 0.2 percent NPL ratio and N177.1 billion in 2025 pre-tax profit, the bank enters its next phase of expansion with substantially strengthened financial buffers and operating metrics.
