By: Tijani Salako.

Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (GTCO) has reaffirmed its commitment to building a leading Africa-focused financial institution, maintaining that its strategic priorities remain centered on customer experience, innovation and ecosystem expansion.

Speaking at a media parley, the Chief Communications Officer of GTCO, Oyinade Adegite, highlighted the Group’s transition into a financial holding company structure comprising its banking services, funds management, pension and payments businesses, all wholly owned subsidiaries under the Group.

The company said its core objective remains unchanged to build a resilient institution out of Africa that delivers exceptional financial services across customer segments, including corporates, small businesses, retail customers, students and families at different stages of life.

The Chief Communications Officer Adegbite noted that GTCO remains focused on strengthening its financial ecosystem by providing comprehensive solutions across all touchpoints. Customer experience, she said, remains central to the strategy, citing the Group’s banking application, which currently maintains a 4.5-star rating on app stores. According to the company, this reflects sustained investment to ensure the platform remains functional, reliable and accessible.

As part of its retail strategy, the Group recently enhanced its Quick Credit offering by increasing loan limits and introduced Quick Airtime and data purchase options, while continually upgrading its 737 USSD platform and card services. For small businesses, GTCO said it is leveraging transaction data from customer collections to enable quicker access to spontaneous financing, particularly for merchants with limited POS infrastructure.

Within its pension subsidiary, the Group is positioning to take advantage of the Personal Pension Plan (PPP) introduced by the National Pension Commission, targeting individuals in both structured and unstructured employment, including freelancers. It noted that the initiative aligns with its broader objective of promoting long-term financial planning and wealth creation.

Its asset and wealth management business is also focused on expanding access to investment products, enabling more retail customers to participate in high-yield market opportunities.

GTCO reaffirmed its commitment to supporting small businesses through its annual Food & Drink Festival and Fashion Weekend, both of which mark their ninth editions this year. The platforms continue to provide entrepreneurs with opportunities to launch products, engage customers and access new markets.

Through its payments subsidiary, GTCO also continues to host its annual hackathon, bringing together students to develop technology-driven solutions to real-world challenges. The company described the initiative as evidence of the depth of talent within Nigeria’s youth population and the country’s growing knowledge economy.

The Group also highlighted its “Waste-for-Gas” initiative, which supports women in underserved communities by exchanging recyclable waste for gas cylinders. The programme is aimed at reducing health risks associated with firewood use and promoting environmental cleanliness, with plans to expand beyond Lagos to reach additional communities.

Meanwhile, the Group announced that its annual autism advocacy walk will hold later this year as part of its ongoing corporate social responsibility commitments.

However, the company described the media as a critical source of truth and urged journalists to deepen analytical coverage of the financial services sector as the Group continues its growth trajectory more than three decades after its establishment.