Guaranty Trust Bank Plc has obtained the approval-in-principle of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to commence the formal process of the reorganisation of the Bank to a financial holding company, which will be implemented by means of a scheme of arrangement between the Bank and its shareholders pursuant to the Companies and Allied Matters Act.
The Bank has also obtained the “No-objection” of the Securities & Exchange Commission in connection with the proposed Scheme.
Under the Restructuring, it is proposed that the issued shares in the Bank be exchanged on a one-for-one basis for the shares in a financial holding company. The Bank’s existing Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs) are also proposed to be exchanged on a one-for-one basis for new GDRs to be issued by the financial holding company.
The Board of Directors of GTBank made the decision to embark on the Restructuring following a comprehensive strategic evaluation of the operating and competitive environment of the Nigerian banking sector in the near term. The Board expects that the financial holding Company will have greater strategic flexibility to adapt to future business opportunities as well as market and regulatory changes than is currently the case.