Review of the results indicated that the bank recorded an outstanding growth of 179 per cent in pretax profit from N382.23-million in the first quarter of 2005 to N1.06-billion in the corresponding period of 2006. This result was achieved from gross earnings of N5.57-billion which represents a 100 percent growth over N2.76-billion returns for the corresponding period in 2005.

Similarly, the bank's full year financials showed that total deposit increased by 280 percent from N32.6 billion to N110.9 billion and total asset and contingencies grew by 151 percent to N204.6-billion.

The bank which also grew its earnings by 80 percent from N7.5-billion in 2004 to N13.4-billion in 2005. The cost to income ration of the bank also reduced from 85 per cent to 66 per cent in the period, resulting in an operating profit of N3.2-billion.

Access Bank is one of the 25 banks that achieved the N25-billion minimum equity requirement ahead of the Central Bank of Nigeria December 31, 2005 deadline, has grown its capital base over the last 18 months from N2.7-billion in 2004 to about N30-billion in 2006. This growth was achieved largely by its successful public offer in October 2004 and the acquisition of Capital Bank International and Marina International Bank.

The Bank has also grown its balance sheet by 353 percent from N45-billion in 2004 to N204-billion in 2006. All performance indices as shown by the bank have pointed to a fruitful reward to shareholders at the end of the financial year as the bank is beginning to enjoy the full benefit of its acquisition of Capital Bank International and Marina International Bank.