Nigerian lenders recorded a combined N209.18bn in account maintenance charges during the first quarter of 2026, reflecting a 14.07 per cent increase from the N183.37bn posted in the same period of 2025.
The figures are based on a review of the unaudited financial results of 11 listed banks on the Nigerian Exchange, excluding FCMB Group and Unity Bank, which had yet to release their Q1 statements.
The analysis also indicated that total fee and commission income rose to N984.47bn, up from N866.30bn recorded a year earlier, representing a 13.64 per cent year-on-year growth.
Account maintenance fees, regulated by the Central Bank of Nigeria, apply to current accounts and are designed to cover the operational cost of maintaining active transactional accounts.
Among the banks, Zenith Bank recorded the highest account maintenance income at N25.07bn. Ecobank Transnational Incorporated reported N118.06bn under cash management and related charges, while Access Holdings generated N16.68bn.
Others include Guaranty Trust Holding Company with N15.12bn and United Bank for Africa with N13.26bn.
In terms of overall fee and commission earnings, Ecobank led with N237.80bn, followed by Access Holdings at N205.03bn, UBA at N124.07bn, First Holdco at N96.12bn, and Zenith Bank at N84.79bn.
Growth rates varied across institutions, with GTCO recording the fastest rise in account maintenance charges at 42.15 per cent, while Sterling Financial Holdings and Wema Bank also posted notable increases.
However, some banks reported declines, including Fidelity Bank and Stanbic IBTC Holdings, which saw slight drops in related fee income.
Overall, the data highlights continued reliance on non-interest income streams by Nigerian banks amid evolving economic conditions.
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