Ecobank Cameroon celebrates 25 years of Economic performance
By Ndumbe Bell Joseph Gaston in Douala
From a small 2001 start-up bank to Bank of the Year in 2025, Ecobank Cameroon is marking 25 years of operations under the theme “25 Years of Shared Success.”
The campaign was launched on August 14 in Douala by Managing Director Gwendoline Abunaw, also Head of the Ecobank CEMAC Cluster. Her message: "this anniversary is not just about Ecobank, it is about Cameroon".
In 25 years Ecobank Cameroon started 2001 and part of Ecobank Transnational Inc, now present in 33 African countries. They have over FCFA 1 trillion invested in businesses and government initiatives, over FCFA 1 billion invested in Corporate Social Responsibility, impacting thousands of children, more than 1,000 Cameroonians have built careers at the bank and over 2,000 young people have been trained through internships and development programs.
“More than 1000 Cameroonians have made a career here… Over 2000 young people have been trained,” MD Abunaw said at the launch.
The anniversary comes at the bank’s strongest financial moment ever. For 2025, Ecobank Cameroon posted a net profit of FCFA 27.292 billion ($48.6 million), up 30% from FCFA 21.05 billion in 2024, the highest since 2001.Total assets were up FCFA 617 billion, an increase of 5 percent. Loan portfolio was reported to be FCFA 234.3 billion, up 51 percent. Net banking income was reported to be FCFA 55.11 billion, up 10 percent. Dividend was reported to be FCFA 24.5 billion to shareholders, or FCFA 245,440 per share, up 30 percent.
The results exceeded budget by 34% and were driven by the Group’s growth, transformation, returns (GTR) strategy, digitalization, and tighter risk management. For the second year running, The Banker Magazine named Ecobank Cameroon Bank of the Year 2025 for its customer-centric innovation.
Ecobank is characterise by faster service. Its internal Transformation Squad cut account opening time by 65% and halved credit approval from 6 days to 3 days. Through its Ellevate programme, SME and women finance has disbursed over FCFA 4.8 billion to more than 2,000 women-led businesses since mid-2024.
After 25 years, Ecobank Cameroon has moved from challenger bank to systemic bank. Record profit, top awards, and a push for SMEs and women entrepreneurs show a model where profit and impact go together. As MD Abunaw put it, the next 25 years will be about proximity staying close to entrepreneurs, youth, and professionals building Cameroon.
