Wema Bank

Wema Bank Plc.

Company type	Public NSE :WEMABANK
Industry	Financial services
Founded	2 May 1945
Headquarters	54 Marina, Lagos Island Lagos State, Nigeria
Key people	Ademola Adebise, Managing Director/Chief executive officer; Babatunde Kasali, Chairman
Products	Retail banking, Commercial Banking, Corporate banking
Services	Banking
Total assets	$1.3bn (2016)
Number of employees	1,317
Website	www.wemabank.com

Wema Bank Plc, commonly known as Wema Bank, is a Nigerian commercial bank. It is licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria; the regulator of the nation's banking sector. As of 2019, Wema bank operates the largest digital banking system in Nigeria, ALAT By Wema, which is fully in use in all of the nation's thirty seven states and territory. Wema Bank is the fastest growing commercial bank in Nigeria.

History

The bank was established on May 2, 1945, as a private limited liability company (under the old name of Agbonmagbe Bank Limited). The bank was founded on May 2, 1945 as Agbonmagbe Bank by the Late Chief Mathew Adekoya Okupe. He set up the first branches of the bank which were in Ebute-metta, Sagamu, Abeokuta and Ijebu-Igbo. The bank remained his until it was taken over by Western Nigeria Marketing Board and later renamed Wema Bank Limited in 1969. Since then, Wema Bank has gone on to be Nigeria's longest surviving indigenous bank. It was granted a commercial banking license and commenced banking activities during the same year. Wema Bank converted to a public limited liability company in 1987. In 1990, the Bank was listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. It trades under the symbol: WEMABANK. It was granted a Universal Banking License in February 2001.

In 2009, the Bank underwent a strategic repositioning exercise spearheaded by a new management team that has seen its finances and profile rise considerably which finally culminated into it taking a sound strategic decision to operate as a commercial bank with a regional scope in South-South Nigeria, South-West Nigeria, Lagos and Federal Capital Territory in 2011.

In December 2015, Wema became a national bank, with a capital base of over N43.8billion having met the regulatory requirements for the National Banking license as stipulated by the Central Bank of Nigeria

Ownership

Wema Bank Plc. is a publicly-traded limited liability company, trading under the symbol WEMABANK on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. According to the company website, the shareholding in the bank is as depicted in the table below:

Centenary Bank Stock Ownership

Rank Name of Owner Percentage Ownership 1 Neemtree Limited 27.54 2 Odu'a Investment Company Limited 10.01 3 Petrotrab Limited 8.54 4 SW8 Investment Limited 8.02 5 Other Private Investors 45.89 Total 100.0

Leadership

Mr Babatunde Kasali is the Chairman of the Bank; Ademola Adebise is the Managing Director/CEO; Moruf Oseni is the Deputy Managing Director. Other members of the Board of directors include Wole Akinleye, Folake Sanu, Adebode Adefioye, Abubakar Lawal, Samuel Durojaye, Tina Vukor-Quarshie, Omobosola Ojo and Abolanle Matel-Okoh.

Branch Network

Wema Bank operates a network of over 149 branches and service stations backed by a robust ICT platform across Nigeria. Wema Bank today has become one of the Founding Signatories of the Principles and for Responsible Banking, committing to strategically align its business with the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

Digital Transformation

ALAT By Wema

Wema Bank launched the first fully digital bank in Nigeria, ALAT By Wema, in May 2017. In a bid to redefine experiential banking in Nigeria, the branchless, paperless bank reduced the stress of having to walk into a branch to open an account with a seamless sign up process using a mobile phone, PC or tablet.

Hackaholics – The Wema Bank Hackathon

In March 2019, it hosted Hackaholics - its first hackathon.

See also

• List of banks in Nigeria
• Economy of Nigeria