Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO) has obtained approval from the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) to extend the filing deadline for its audited half-year 2026 financial results to September 30, becoming the third major Nigerian bank in a week to secure such an extension.
In a notice filed with the NGX on Wednesday, GTCO’s Company Secretary, Erhi Obebeduo, said the extension was necessitated by the need to obtain regulatory approval from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) before publishing the results.
The notice said the company’s Board had already approved the H1 2026 results on July 28, but the bank was still awaiting sign-off from the CBN, its primary regulator, ahead of public disclosure.
“The company may publish its audited results earlier than the revised deadline should regulatory approval be obtained sooner,” the notice stated.
GTCO’s request follows similar extensions granted to Access Holdings and Zenith Bank within the same week.
Access Holdings had its deadline pushed to September 30, citing audit finalisation alongside pending CBN approval, while Zenith Bank secured a six-week extension to October 9, also pending regulatory sign-off.
Under NGX rules, listed companies are typically required to file unaudited half-year results within 30 days.
Banks awaiting CBN approval on audited interim statements, however, are granted a 60-day baseline ordinarily around August 28 with provision to formally request further extensions, an allowance all three lenders have now invoked.
Analysts say the concentration of extension requests among three of Nigeria’s largest banks in the same week points to a broader review backlog at the CBN rather than concerns specific to any single lender.
GTCO’s Board-approved status ahead of the extension request suggests the delay is procedural rather than a signal of restated or problematic financials, market watchers noted.
The bank had earlier reported a pre-tax profit of N302.89 billion for the first quarter of 2026, up 0.88 percent year-on-year.
Profit after tax, however, declined 15.42 per cent to N218.13 billion, which the bank attributed to higher tax liabilities. Its fintech subsidiary, Habari Pay, recorded a more than twofold increase in pre-tax profit to N3.75 billion during the period.
Market analysts say attention will now turn to whether other Tier-1 lenders, including United Bank for Africa, First Bank of Nigeria and Stanbic IBTC, follow suit with similar extension requests in the coming days, as well as whether the pace of CBN’s review process draws further commentary from regulators and investors.
