Nigeria's banking brands dominate
The top four strongest Nigerian brands are banks, led by United Bank for Africa and First Bank of Nigeria, while Fidelity Bank Nigeria has more than tripled its brand value to become fastest-growing Nigerian brand.
Most valuable brands
In 2025, Access Bank retains its position as the most valuable Nigerian brand for the fourth consecutive year, having more than doubled its brand value to NGN893.3bn.
Dangote Cement (brand value up 74% to NGN562.5bn) holds second place, supported by robust profits and a commanding market presence, while GTCO (Guaranty Trust Holding Company) rises to third, nearly tripling its brand value to NGN524.7bn.
Other top banks show solid performances. Zenith Bank (brand value up 80% to NGN 454.8bn) retains fourth, United Bank for Africa (UBA) (brand value up 58% to NGN341bn) drops to sixth, and First Bank of Nigeria (brand value up 168% to NGN289bn) remains in seventh position, all demonstrating resilience despite inflation and currency volatility.
Strongest brands
Notably, UBA and First Bank of Nigeria are the top two strongest Nigerian brands in 2025, while UBA also ranks as the 13th strongest banking brand globally among the top 500 banking brands.
Food brand Flour Mills Nigeria drops to fifth place, despite a 40% increase in brand value to NGN452.9bn.
The brand reported strong revenue growth for 2024, driven by higher sales across its food, agro-allied, and sugar businesses, even in the face of Nigeria’s tough macroeconomic environment.
Further down the top 10, BUA Cement (brand value up 63% to NGN138.7bn) rises to ninth place, while banking brand Stanbic IBTC (brand value up 206% to 229.5bn) climbs from 13th to eighth position. GLO Mobile (brand value up 138% to NGN130.4bn) rises five places to enter the top 10.
Meanwhile, beer brand Hero Lager (brand value down 51% to NGN42.1bn ) has dropped from ninth rank to 20th in 2025, reflecting a decline in the Nigerian alcoholic drinks market.
Brand strength analysis
The Nigeria 25 2025 ranking highlights considerable shifts in the country's strongest brands, with banking brands rising through the ranks to dominate the top 10.
This demonstrates a growing recognition of the sector’s resilience and adaptability, particularly as financial services play an increasingly crucial role in driving Nigeria’s economy forward.
United Bank for Africa has risen from ninth position in 2024 to become the strongest Nigerian brand in 2025, with a BSI score of 92.4/100 and a corresponding AAA+ rating, the highest accolade for brand strength awarded by Brand Finance.
UBA performs strongly across all key research metrics, earning notably high scores in brand familiarity, preference, and consideration, indicating strong consumer trust and loyalty.
Notably, the bank scores exceptionally well on price acceptance, outperforming other leading African peers - such as Capitec in South Africa and Equity Bank in Kenya - on this metric.
During this past year, UBA has prioritised digital banking, innovation, and technology investments, which are crucial drivers of brand strength in Africa’s banking sector.
The focus is aimed at improving the customer experience and deepening engagement with consumers going forward.
First Bank of Nigeria has risen from 11th position to second for brand strength, noting a BSI score of 92.1/100 and a corresponding AAA+ rating.
The bank excels across key metrics, including familiarity, reputation, consideration, and preference.
This improvement reflects its strong focus on innovation, digital transformation, and delivering exceptional customer experiences.
First Bank’s strategic initiatives have significantly enhanced its market position and brand perception, reinforcing its leadership in the sector.
GTCO has fallen from first to third place in brand strength, despite a slight increase in its BSI score to 89.5/100.
Meanwhile, Access Bank has moved up to fourth place, rising from 12th in 2024, driven predominantly by improved performance across key research metrics.