In a statement released on Saturday, May 31, 2025, Access Bank announced that it had completed the acquisition of 100% of the capital of the Kenyan National Bank of Kenya (NBK) from Kenya Commercial Bank Group (KCB Group) from Kenya Commercial Bank Group (KCB Group) as part of its expansion plan on the continent.

In order to strengthen its shares in a rapidly changing market, the Nigerian banking group should merge the Kenyan bank, which has 77 branches, with its subsidiary already operational in East Africa's largest economy. According to Access Holding, Access Bank's parent company, “Access Bank has completed the acquisition of all of NBK's issued share capital from KCB Group after receiving all required regulatory approvals in Kenya and Nigeria.” The acquisition of NBK is an important step in consolidating Access Bank's presence in Kenya, where it already has a subsidiary present in 12 counties through 23 branches. According to the managing director of Access Bank, Roosevelt Ogbonna, quoted in the press release, “the completion of this transaction represents an important step in our efforts to unlock the vast potential of the East African market. Kenya is a hub for regional trade, and with NBK now part of the Access Bank family, we are well positioned to leverage our combined strengths to offer our customers high-impact banking solutions.”

NBK and Access Bank Kenya will continue to operate independently for a transitional period, before merging their businesses. For Roosevelt Ogbonna, “Access Bank will merge NBK with Access Bank Kenya to create one of Kenya's leading banks. The merger will strengthen the bank's position as a leading pan-African institution, improving its ability to boost intra-African trade and serve its customers in global markets