United Bank for Africa (UBA) has been named the strongest brand in Nigeria, according to the latest 2025 Brand Value Report released by Brand Finance.
The report reveals that the banking sector continues to dominate the brand landscape, accounting for 58.6% of the top 25 most valuable brands in the country.
Key Findings
Brand Finance estimates the combined brand value of the top 10 companies in Nigeria at $2.515 billion. Brand value, as defined by experts, represents the monetary worth of a brand, often measured through market capitalisation or estimated sale value.
Access Bank Leads in Brand Value
For the fourth consecutive year, Access Bank has retained its position as the most valuable Nigerian brand. The bank more than doubled its brand value to N893.3 billion ($455.9 million) in 2025.
It is followed by Dangote Cement, which climbed to second place with a 74% increase in brand value, reaching N562.5 billion ($352 million), buoyed by strong profits and a dominant market share.
Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO) rose to third place after nearly tripling its brand value to N524.7 billion ($328 million), while Zenith Bank maintained its fourth position with a significant 80% increase to N454.8 billion ($285 million).
UBA and First Bank Show Strong Momentum
UBA saw a 58% jump in brand value to N341 billion ($213 million), ranking sixth in brand value, while First Bank of Nigeria recorded N289 billion ($181 million), retaining the seventh position. Both banks demonstrated impressive resilience amid economic headwinds such as inflation and currency volatility.
Flour Mills Nigeria, BUA Cement, and Others
Despite a 40% increase in brand value to N452.9 billion ($284 million), Flour Mills Nigeria dropped to fifth place. The company achieved strong revenue growth in 2024, driven by robust performance across its food, agro-allied, and sugar divisions, despite a challenging macroeconomic environment.
BUA Cement climbed to ninth position with a 63% rise in brand value to N138.7 billion ($87 million), while Stanbic IBTC recorded a remarkable 206% increase to N229.5 billion ($144 million), jumping from 13th to eighth.
GLO Mobile also made a notable leap, with its brand value surging by 138% to N130.4 billion ($82 million), moving up five spots to break into the top 10.
Brand Strength: UBA Tops, FirstBank, others Trail
Beyond monetary valuation, Brand Finance’s Brand Strength Index (BSI) ranks UBA as the strongest Nigerian brand in 2025.
The bank soared from ninth place in 2024 to the top spot this year with a BSI score of 92.4 out of 100 and a prestigious AAA+ rating. UBA outperformed peers in brand familiarity, preference, and consideration, reflecting deep consumer trust and loyalty.
UBA also excelled in price acceptance, surpassing notable African counterparts such as Capitec (South Africa) and Equity Bank (Kenya). This achievement is credited to the bank’s strategic investments in digital banking, innovation, and technology to enhance customer experience and deepen market engagement.
Details of the report show that First Bank of Nigeria climbed from 11th to second in brand strength, with a BSI score of 92.1 and an AAA+ rating.
Accordingly, the bank’s improved ranking reflects its strong performance across reputation, familiarity, and customer preference, driven by ongoing digital transformation and customer-centric strategies.
Meanwhile, GTCO dropped from first to third in brand strength, despite a slight uptick in its BSI score to 89.5, while Access Bank made a major leap from 12th to fourth position, reflecting significant improvement across all brand performance metrics.
