{"id":107770,"date":"2025-12-20T17:55:26","date_gmt":"2025-12-20T17:55:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=107770"},"modified":"2025-12-20T17:55:26","modified_gmt":"2025-12-20T17:55:26","slug":"first-atlantic-bank-will-run-a-proper-and-decent-business-to-protect-shareholder-value-ceo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=107770","title":{"rendered":"First Atlantic Bank will run a \u201cproper and decent business\u201d to protect shareholder value \u2013 CEO"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n \t<\/i> Read Time:<\/span>3 Minute, 28 Second <\/div>\n\n <\/div>
\"First<\/p>\n

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of First Atlantic Bank, Odun Odunfa, has assured shareholders that the bank will prioritise sound governance, disciplined growth and ethical business practices to protect their investments following its Initial Public Offering (IPO) and listing on the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE).<\/p>\n

Speaking in an interview with Joy News at a celebratory lunch event held at the Labadi Beach Hotel on Friday, December 20, Mr Odunfa said the bank is fully aware of shareholder expectations but will not compromise long-term sustainability in pursuit of short-term gains.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe only thing we can promise investors is that we\u2019re going to run a decent business, a proper business,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

According to him, while the bank publishes forecasts and aims to meet market expectations, its operations are shaped by broader economic conditions and regulatory requirements that demand prudence.<\/p>\n

\u201cOurs is a regulated business. We publish forecasts, and we try to deliver. Our business is affected by many things\u2014the macros, the micros. It\u2019s affected by all sorts of indices,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n

Mr Odunfa stressed that investor confidence in the bank was earned through discipline and transparency, qualities he said would remain non-negotiable even after becoming a publicly listed company.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will aspire to meet market expectations, but we will not cut corners to do so. We will do our business properly. We\u2019re going to build to last,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He explained that shareholders who participated in the IPO did so after extensive due diligence, which affirmed the bank\u2019s business model and governance standards.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter all, the investor class or the investor group did a deep due diligence on us, and they found us suitable. The reason they found us suitable is because we\u2019ve done things in a certain way,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n

Mr Odunfa said the successful subscription of the IPO reflects growing confidence not only in First Atlantic Bank but also in Ghana\u2019s improving economic environment.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt says a lot about the confidence in the system right now, in our business,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He pointed to key macroeconomic indicators, including relative currency stability, easing inflation and regulatory reforms, as factors supporting investor optimism.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve seen how the cedi has trended. You\u2019ve seen how inflation has trended. You\u2019ve heard how our regulator has positioned itself\u2026 I think it\u2019s a good time for Ghana,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

The CEO said the decision to list locally was deliberate, noting that Ghanaian participation in the capital market is essential to its growth.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re Ghanaians, we\u2019re in Ghana. Where else would we list?\u2026 If Ghanaians don\u2019t believe in the Ghanaian Stock Exchange, nobody else will,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Beyond shareholder value, MMrdunfa said the IPO would help broaden the bank\u2019s investor base, deepen governance structures and support expansion plans, including investments in digitisation, regional growth and staff development.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have to broaden the investor base, and we have to deepen governance\u2026 We\u2019re investing heavily in digitisation across Africa, West Africa, and Africa. We\u2019re also investing a lot in the human capital,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Reflecting on the bank\u2019s journey, including its restructuring and merger with Energy Bank to meet the Bank of Ghana\u2019s minimum capital requirements, Mr Odunfa said the experience reinforced the importance of doing things right.<\/p>\n

\"First
MD\/CEO of First Atlantic Bank, Odun Odunfa.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cGrowth does not come easy. If you\u2019re going to do a good thing, you have to go through a process\u2026 If you do things properly, you will do well, and people would recognise it in the long run,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Founded in 1994 and licensed as a universal bank in 2011, First Atlantic Bank has grown through consolidation and steady expansion. Its IPO and subsequent listing on the Ghana Stock Exchange on Friday, December 19, marked a major milestone in its evolution into a publicly owned institution.<\/p>\n

Mr Odunfa said the bank\u2019s commitment to shareholders remains clear: disciplined management, ethical operations and long-term value creation.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey should expect that they\u2019ve invested in a good business that will continue to grow and we\u2019ll continue to do things properly,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"FirstManaging Director and Chief Executive Officer of First Atlantic Bank, Odun Odunfa, has assured shareholders that the bank will prioritise sound governance, disciplined growth and ethical business practices to protect their investments following its Initial Public Offering (IPO) and listing on the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE). Speaking in an interview with Joy News at a [\u2026]<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":107771,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_2277560469115098_106292521332774":"","twitter_aToxNzczMzI3Njk4OTg4ODUxMjAxOw==_1773327698988851200":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1904,12,8724,14229,14227,1996,1883,14228,10,9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-107770","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-banking-and-finance","category-business","category-first-atlantic-bank","category-first-atlantic-bank-ipo","category-gse-listing","category-in-focus","category-national","category-odun-odunfa","category-politics","category-popular"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/107770","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=107770"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/107770\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/107771"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=107770"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=107770"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=107770"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}