Access Bank completes acquisition of Standard Chartered Gambia

Access Bank, the banking subsidiary of Nigeria's Access Holdings, has completed its acquisition of Standard Chartered Bank Gambia after the Central Bank of The Gambia approved the transaction on Friday, 13 June 2025. Governor Buah Saidy confirmed the decision at a press conference, saying the transition had taken place under the oversight of the country's financial regulators, working with both banks and their management teams and boards.

Following the approval, Standard Chartered Bank Gambia will cease banking activities in the country and its banking licence will be withdrawn. Its operations in The Gambia, including its assets, liabilities, staff and branch network, pass to Access Bank, which has taken on Standard Chartered's entire local workforce and operational infrastructure to maintain continuity of service for corporate and retail clients.

END OF A 130-YEAR PRESENCE

The completion ends Standard Chartered's 130-year presence in The Gambia, where the British bank began operating in 1895. Access Holdings has operated a Gambian subsidiary since 2007. That subsidiary will continue to operate while the group considers a possible merger of the two entities.

PART OF A WIDER DIVESTMENT

Standard Chartered said in April 2022 that it would exit seven markets in Africa and the Middle East, and it has since been selling several of its African subsidiaries to Access Bank.

The Gambian completion adds to a series of cross-border acquisitions through which Access Holdings has been expanding its presence in West and East Africa, including a deal for National Bank of Kenya that received approval from regulators in Kenya and Nigeria.