Ecobank Group, the pan-African lender headquartered in Lomé, raised its profit before tax 12% to $737mn in the first nine months of 2026, the group said on October 27. Because first-half profit had risen only 6% to $423mn, the third quarter alone produced $314mn, about 21% more than a year earlier, by our calculation.
Analysis: The recovery follows a first half in which WAEMU profit rose just 1% in dollars and declined 4% at constant exchange rates, while Nigeria also underperformed. Ecobank again described both regions as more subdued than others in its nine-month statement, without providing the geographic breakdown. It is therefore unclear whether its Togolese and wider WAEMU businesses contributed materially to the third-quarter acceleration. The non-performing loan ratio held at 7.5%, within management's 6–8% full-year target. Detailed nine-month accounts should clarify which regions generated the stronger quarter.
Source: Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI), Lomé, Ecobank Transnational Incorporated, 9M 2026 results press release (Lomé, October 27, 2026), as reproduced by Wakat Séra, 9M 2026; Ecobank Group (HQ Lomé), Ecobank Group 9M 2025 results, as reported by BusinessGhana, November 1, 2025, 9M 2025; Ecobank Group (HQ Lomé), Ecobank Transnational Incorporated, 1H 2026 earnings release (Lomé, July 28, 2026), NGX doclib, H1 2025; Ecobank Group (HQ Lomé), Ecobank Transnational Incorporated, 1H 2026 earnings release, NGX doclib, H1 2026; Ecobank Group (HQ Lomé), Ecobank Transnational Incorporated 1H 2026 earnings release (Lomé, 28 July 2026), H1 2026