Nigerian commercial banks earned a total of N224.69 billion from electronic banking services and ATM/card-related fees in the first quarter of 2026, reflecting a 12.56% increase compared to N199.61 billion in the same period of 2025.
An analysis of the unaudited financial statements of 11 listed lenders revealed robust growth in digital revenue streams as more customers embraced electronic transactions.
Key Growth Areas
Income from electronic banking and e-business activities rose by 11.57% to N177.97 billion, while revenue from ATM and card management fees grew by 16.48% to N46.70 billion.
This contributed to a broader 13.64% increase in overall fee and commission income across the reviewed banks, which reached N984.47 billion during the quarter.
Leading Contributors
Access Holdings topped the list with N55.71 billion from e-banking channels. Other major earners included:
– UBA – N46.93 billion
– Ecobank – N35.53 billion
– GTCO – N21.90 billion
– Zenith Bank – N21.54 billion
Fidelity Bank posted the fastest growth in this segment, with a remarkable 164.9% surge to N8.81 billion, largely driven by ATM-related charges.
Digital Revenue Share
Electronic channels now make up a significant portion of many banks’ non-interest income. For example, e-banking contributed 37.82% of UBA’s total fee revenue and 27.2% of Access Holdings’ fee income.
The upward trend aligns with increasing digital adoption across the economy and ongoing reforms in the banking sector aimed at deepening financial inclusion and modernising payment systems.
Analysts expect this momentum to continue as more Nigerians shift toward cashless transactions, supported by improving economic conditions and policy initiatives promoting digital financial services.
