Access Holdings begins $1.5b capital raising amid bank recapitalisation

•Targets N365 billion from rights issue

Access Holdings Plc has unveiled plans to establish a capital raising programme of up to $1.5 billion or “its equivalent.” The programme aims to enhance the group’s financial strength through the issuance of various financial instruments such as ordinary shares, preference shares, alternative tier-1 capital, convertible and/or non-convertible debt, bonds or other capital and/or funding instruments, the bank said.

The programme may be executed through a variety of methods including public offerings, private placements, rights issues, book-building processes or a combination.

The specifics regarding the tranches, series, proportions, dates, pricing, tenor, and other terms and conditions that may be associated will be determined by the Board of Directors, contingent upon securing the necessary regulatory approvals, it said.

Drawing from the programme, the group expects to raise N365 billion specifically via a rights issue of ordinary shares.

The proceeds of the proposed rights issue would be used to support ongoing working capital needs including organic growth funding for its banking and other non-banking subsidiaries.

The plans for the programme were disclosed in the Group’s notice of the second yearly general meeting holding on April 19, 2024, which was published on the Nigerian Exchange portal on March 27, 2024.