Polaris Bank posts N27.8bn profit in first year of operation

By Afusat Adeoye

Polaris Bank, in its first audited financial result for the year ended 31st of December, 2020 recorded a whopping Profit-Before Tax (PBT) of N27.8billion.

The result which suggests a compelling narrative of Nigeria’s banking industry followed from the turn-around initiatives are undertaken by the leadership of the Bank led by the Chief Executive Adetokunbo Abiru.

According to the Bank’s first full-year financial result, Polaris Bank Limited posted a gross earnings figure of N150.8bilion and a Profit Before Tax (PBT) of N27.8billion within the first full year of operation. The achievements coming in the first year of operations of the institution is a clear validation of regulatory induced interventions in the bank.

The Bank also closed the 2019 financial year with total assets of N1.1trillion and Shareholders Fund of N83billion. A review of the results shows positive performance across most major key prudential ratios: capital adequacy, liquidity, Non-Performing Loans which is now significantly in compliance with stipulated regulatory requirements.

This result is coming amidst the highly challenging business environment which forced many businesses to cut down on their operating expenses.

The published result shows that Polaris Bank’s Capital Adequacy (14%) and liquidity (81%) ratios are well above regulatory requirements demonstrating strong prudential compliance and assuring a strong capital buffer, careful liquidity management and resilience.

The Bank’s customer deposits stood at N857.9billion even as the Bank continues to focus on stable, low-cost deposits and well-diversified portfolio devoid of high concentration. Likewise, the loan book stood at N261billion in December 2019 providing the Bank with the desired headroom to accommodate the required growth in risk assets to support the nation’s economic growth.

The Bank equally recorded a Return on Equity (ROE) and Return on Assets (ROA) of 33.0 per cent and 2.4 per cent for the year-end December 2019 respectively. Commenting on the Bank’s performance, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer (MD/ CEO) of Polaris Bank Limited, Mr Adetokunbo Abiru said that: “the emergence of Polaris Bank on September 21, 2018, has heralded new dawn as it laid the foundation for institutional competitiveness and service innovation in Nigeria’s challenging banking space.”

He further noted, “Our strategy which anchors on rebuilding the franchise and strengthening the balance sheet position provide enablers for ongoing initiatives towards lean operations and efficient balance sheet management devoid of capital erosion risks.

Expressing satisfaction with the Bank’s new corporate governance regime, the Chief Executive Officer noted that “We shall continue to run an ethically governed Bank upholding sound risk management practices and proactively taking measures to mitigate the impact of the adverse business environment while the Board and Management continues to guide the Bank towards a path of sustainable growth.

Polaris Bank’s performance has assured a strong positive outlook for earnings, margins, and profitability improvement in its cautious pursuit of loan growth, a sustained strategy for operational efficiency, funding cost optimization, and efficient deposit mix.

The headroom for loan creation no doubt presents an opportunity for improved margins. Going into the year 2020 and despite the challenging macroeconomic environment, The Bank says it is poised to reap the benefits of its investment in both the capacity of its employees to improve service experience as well as in critical infrastructures that will support the digitization of its operations.

Polaris Bank is a future-determining Bank committed to the delivery of industry-defining products, services, and digital platforms across all the sectors of the Nigerian economy. The Bank is a member of the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI), which seeks to engage the private sector and the global financial sector to help create a financial sector that serves people and the planet while delivering positive impact.