Global Credit Rating (GCR) has affirmed NOVA Merchant Bank Limited’s national scale long and short-term ratings of BBB(NG) and A3(NG) respectively.

The rating agency, in a statement made available to The Star on Wednesday, said NOVA was rated on the basis of its strong capital base as well as its financial position, adding: “The ratings of NOVA Merchant Bank Limited reflect its sound capitalisation and good risk position, as characterised by minimal non-performing loans (NPL), and credit losses.”

Citing the rationale for the ratings, GCR said: “NOVA Merchant Bank operates within the Nigerian merchant banking subsector and continues to drive the evolution of its market position through the launch of bespoke customer-centric products/solutions and innovations to improve value propositions and meet the specific needs of its clients.

“The bank’s capitalisation is considered sound, with capital adequacy ratio maintained above regulatory threshold of 10%” as at December 2021, reinforcing the headroom for risk asset growth and overall balance sheet capacity,” it noted.

According to GCR, NOVA Merchant Bank maintains stable funding and adequate liquidity, adding that NOVA MB’s funding structure is predominantly made up of deposits.

“At FY21, total deposits accounted for 95% of the funding base (FY20: 93.1%), with customer deposits increasing by 30.4% during the year, on the back of improved deposits mobilisation capacity,” it added.

Speaking on the development, the NOVA Managing Director/CEO, Nath Ude, said: “GCR’s affirmations of NOVA’s investment grade ratings and stable outlook, are instructive. The rating rationale succinctly reflects the sound governance, robust risk management and unrivalled record of asset quality. More importantly, the ratings construct underscores the strong credibility of the Bank, as highlighted by the adequate liquidity and stable funding metrics.

“With continuous investment in people and technology, and more importantly innovative partnerships with credible clients, NOVA is primed to positively disrupt the merchant banking space, with the vision to unlock opportunities for our clients across the key growth sectors of the Nigerian economy,” Ude said.

The Chairman of the Bank, Phillips Oduoza, noted that given the challenging macroeconomic environment, the ratings demonstrate the efficiency of the governance structures put in place to ensure long-term sustainability of the Bank.

NOVA Merchant Bank offers an integrated suite of financial solutions covering Financial Intermediation, Wholesale Banking, Investment Banking, Asset Management, Wealth Management, Trade Services, Transaction Banking, Cash Management, and Digital Banking.

The Star