Guaranty Trust Holding Company Chief Executive Officer, Segun Agbaje, says the group is no longer worried about competition from fintech firms, pointing to the strong performance of its digital payments arm, HabariPay.

Agbaje made the remarks in an interview with Nairametrics CEO, Ugo Obi-Chukwu, on the sidelines of GTCO’s Annual General Meeting in Lagos.

He noted that HabariPay’s performance, which posted a profit of N9.7 billion in 2025, reflects the group’s expanding footprint in Nigeria’s digital payments space.

Agbaje said Guaranty Trust Holding Company initially saw the rapid growth of fintech firms as a significant disruption risk but responded by developing its own digital platform to remain competitive in the space.

“Everybody was really nervous about fintech, so we built our own speed boat. That’s Habari,” Agbaje said.
“Habari is competing very, very effectively and it means we are not scared about the threat of fintechs any longer. We have a very strong engine to compete with them.”

He added that 2025 was a strong year for the group, stressing that GTCO maintained solid earnings quality and strong performance across its core operations.

“For us, it’s been a really good year. 2025 quality of earnings was really good. It has allowed us to pay a healthy dividend. All indices are right. We made up the revaluation gains of 2024. Core business is strong,” he said.

Agbaje also said the bank’s recent performance had validated its long-term strategy, especially at a time when investors were sceptical about the stock.

He noted that the results reinforced confidence in the group’s direction and execution.

“I remember we were trying to get people to buy this stock at 44 Naira and we’re trying to convince them. I think what has happened is vindication for us,” he added.

Agbaje had earlier disclosed that Guaranty Trust Holding Company’s three most profitable non-banking subsidiaries in 2025 were fintech, asset management, and pensions.

He noted that HabariPay stood out as the strongest performer among the group’s non-bank businesses.

HabariPay recorded a profit of N9.7 billion in 2025.

Guaranty Trust Fund Managers posted a profit of N9 billion.

Guaranty Trust Pension Managers earned N1.7 billion.