Access Holdings is sitting on N446.6 billion in subsidiary investments, a figure that works out to about 19.29 percent of its shareholders' funds as of 30 September. That number matters because the Central Bank of Nigeria has rules about how much of its own capital a bank can tie up in subsidiaries, and Access is now in the conversation about whether it clears that bar.
Reports suggest the holding company is weighing an exit from at least one of its foreign subsidiaries to bring itself into compliance. No specific market or entity has been named publicly, so the details of which operation could be on the table remain unclear.
For a group that has spent years building an aggressive pan-African and international footprint, any divestment would mark a notable shift in direction. Watch this space closely.
Originally published by Premium Times.