Unity Bank Plc’s earnings of N1.3 billion through electronic banking channels in H1 2020 has placed the lender among the top 10 highest earners in Nigeria. This was according to a Nairametrics research report released recently.
The Bank’s performance is not unconnected with its aggressive push in digital banking in recent years as it spearheaded the launch of several cutting-edge digital baking solutions including a youth-focused mobile banking solution called UniFi and a robust internet banking platform.
Recall that earlier this year, the lender also launched multi-lingual USSD banking, the first in Nigeria’s banking industry. These gains come on the back of aggressive reforms embarked on by the bank over the past three years which saw the Bank returning to a profit position in 2019 when it recorded a N4.061 billion gross profit.
The Bank continued its impressive performance in 2020 as it declared gross earnings of N22.8 billion in the period between January and June 2020.
According to the retail lender’s unaudited financials submitted to the Nigeria Stock Exchange, the half-year gross earnings rose 11 per cent to N22.865 billion from N20.547 billion in the corresponding period of 2019. Profit Before Tax, PBT grew by 7 per cent from N1.051 billion in half-year 2019 to N1.120 billion in the period under review. This is even as the Profit After Tax, PAT, equally rose by 7 per cent to N1.030 billion from N967.514 million in the corresponding period of 2019.
A further review of the H1 financial statement showed that the agribusiness-focused lender grew its deposit by 19 per cent to N306.472 billion from N257.691 billion as at December 2019. It’s total operating income also grew by 14 per cent to N12.138 billion from N10.688 billion in the same period in 2019.
