Keypoints
- Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria has been ranked the number one Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) Financial Adviser by deal value in West Africa.
- The bank received the top honor at the DealMakers Africa Annual Gala Awards held in Lagos, surpassing several global and regional competitors.
- The ranking is based on transaction data from 2025, reflecting the bank’s execution of high-value, complex financial transactions across the region.
- Ms. Yemisi Deji-Bejide, Head of M&A for Africa, attributed the success to the bank’s deep regional expertise and commitment to the African corporate finance ecosystem.
Main Story
Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria has solidified its dominance in the West African corporate finance space, emerging as the leading M&A financial adviser by deal value for 2025.
The announcement was made following the DealMakers Africa Annual Gala Awards, where the bank was recognized for its strategic role in facilitating the region’s most significant corporate consolidations and acquisitions.
The awards, which serve as a continental benchmark for financial excellence, utilize objective criteria such as transaction size, volume, and execution complexity to determine rankings.
According to Ms. Yemisi Deji-Bejide, Managing Director and Head of M&A for Africa, the recognition highlights a “vibrant and active” practice that remains focused on driving high-impact deals across key sectors.
The bank’s performance comes during a period of significant restructuring in West Africa’s financial and energy sectors, where complex cross-border transactions have required sophisticated advisory services.
By clinching the top spot, Standard Chartered has demonstrated its ability to navigate the unique regulatory and economic landscapes of the ECOWAS sub-region.
The Issues
While the high deal value is a sign of market maturity, the primary challenge for M&A advisers in West Africa remains deal completion risk amidst currency volatility and shifting regulatory environments. Standard Chartered must solve the problem of maintaining this momentum as global interest rates and local inflationary pressures affect the “cost of capital” for potential acquirers. Additionally, while “deal value” is a prestige metric, the bank faces increasing competition from boutique advisory firms that are becoming more aggressive in “deal volume,” particularly in the burgeoning fintech and renewable energy sectors.
What’s Being Said
- “This achievement reflects our vibrant and active M&A practice in the region and underscores Standard Chartered’s commitment to Africa,” stated Ms. Yemisi Deji-Bejide, Managing Director and Head of M&A, Africa.
- Ms. Joke Adu, Head of Corporate Affairs, noted that the recognition underscores the bank’s “strong presence and execution capability” in the West African landscape.
- DealMakers Africa organizers emphasized that the rankings are determined by “objective criteria such as transaction size and volume,” as well as “execution complexity and value creation.”
- Investment analysts in Lagos suggest that Standard Chartered’s top ranking is likely linked to major divestments in the oil and gas sector and the ongoing recapitalization exercise in the Nigerian banking industry.
What’s Next
- Standard Chartered is expected to leverage this ranking to attract more “Tier-1” mandates, particularly as the Nigerian banking sector’s recapitalization deadline approaches in 2026.
- The bank will likely focus on “complex cross-border” deals in the energy transition space, aligning with the global push for renewable infrastructure seen in recent IRENA reports.
- Further investment in regional expertise is anticipated, as the bank seeks to “deepen its impact across the continent” and maintain its lead over regional rivals like Chapel Hill Denham and various South African institutions.
Bottom Line
Standard Chartered’s top ranking by deal value is a clear indicator of its strategic grip on the West African “big ticket” market, proving that despite economic headwinds, the region remains a high-stakes arena for global financial advisory services.
