UBA Ghana Continues to Lead Banking Industry with Lowest NPL Ratio as Loan Book More Than Doubles

UBA Ghana Ltd is recording the lowest Non-Performing Loan (NPL) ratio in Ghana’s banking industry for the first half of 2026, while simultaneously achieving significant growth in its customer loan portfolio.

According to the Ghana Banking Sector NPL Ratios and Loan Growth analysis for H1 2026, UBA Ghana recorded an NPL ratio of 1.7%, maintaining the Bank’s lead among the 23 banks assessed and significantly outperforming the industry average of 16.1%.

The performance also represents a substantial improvement from UBA Ghana’s 17.3% NPL ratio in H1 2025, reflecting a 15.6 percentage-point improvement within a year.

Significantly, the improvement in asset quality was achieved alongside strong credit growth. UBA Ghana’s customer loans and advances increased from GH¢722 million in H1 2025 to GH¢1.504 billion in H1 2026, representing growth of 108.3%.

This means that while UBA more than doubled its lending to customers, it simultaneously recorded the strongest asset-quality position in the industry through recoveries and remediation of existing delinquent loans.

Commenting on the performance, Kenneth Amponsah, Chief Risk Officer of UBA Ghana, attributed the results to the Bank’s disciplined approach to credit risk management, portfolio monitoring, responsible lending, and remedial credit management.

“Achieving an NPL ratio of 1.7% while growing our customer loan portfolio by more than 100% is a strong validation of our approach to risk management. For us, growth and asset quality must go hand in hand. Our focus is not simply on expanding credit, but on ensuring that we lend responsibly, understand the businesses and customers we support, and maintain strong monitoring throughout the life of every facility.”

Significantly Ahead of the Regulatory Threshold

UBA Ghana’s 1.7% NPL ratio is also substantially below the 10% regulatory threshold, placing the Bank in a strong position as the industry works towards improving overall asset quality.

The sector recorded an improvement in its overall NPL ratio from 23.1% in H1 2025 to 16.1% in H1 2026. The analysis showed that 17 banks improved their NPL positions during the period, while five deteriorated.

UBA’s performance, however, stands out, with its 1.7% ratio representing a considerable margin below both the regulatory benchmark and industry average.

Mr. Amponsah said the Bank would continue to maintain strong risk-management standards as it expands lending to productive sectors of the Ghanaian economy.

“The significant growth in our loan book demonstrates our commitment to supporting our customers and the wider economy with the financing they need to grow. At the same time, maintaining the lowest NPL ratio in the industry demonstrates that this growth is being pursued with discipline and a clear appreciation of risk.”

“As we continue to grow our lending portfolio, we will remain focused on robust credit assessment, early identification of emerging risks, proactive portfolio management and working closely with our customers to build sustainable businesses.”

Supporting Sustainable Economic Growth

UBA Ghana’s performance comes as the banking industry continues to expand credit to businesses and households.

Industry loans to customers increased from GH¢71.3 billion in H1 2025 to GH¢107.2 billion in H1 2026, representing growth of 50.3%.

UBA Ghana’s 108.3% loan growth was therefore more than twice the industry’s reported growth rate, highlighting the Bank’s increasing role in providing credit to customers while maintaining strong asset quality.

“Our diversified loan portfolio and focus on our SME loans, AfCFTA loans to support export and consumer loans have contributed to this growth. Total support to SMEs for the period under review is about GH¢1.5 billion,” Mr. Amponsah noted.

He added that the Bank has also included ESG principles in its loan assessment to ensure that the loan book is anchored on sustainable support to the economy and ensure that these loans are repaid by the customers.

The Bank says it will continue to leverage its risk-management framework, customer relationships and extensive African network to provide responsible financing to businesses and individuals, while safeguarding depositors’ funds and maintaining a healthy loan portfolio.

For UBA Ghana, the combination of industry-leading asset quality and strong loan growth reinforces the Bank’s commitment to sustainable growth and prudent risk management as it continues to support businesses and economic activity across Ghana.

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