The audited results of 2016 for 14 banks quoted on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) have shown a 22 per cent increase in total loans and advances to their customers from N13.315 trillion in 2015, to N16.372 trillion in the year under review.

The financial results of the banks reviewed by THISDAY showed deliberate efforts by the banks, mostly to support operators in the real sector of the economy.

Similarly, the total profit after tax (PAT) of the 14 banks rose marginally to N452 billion in 2016, up from the N442.451 billion recorded the previous year; just as their total gross earnings climbed to N4.007 trillion in the reviewed year, as against the N3.441 trillion recorded in 2015.

The banks’ results reviewed were Zenith Bank Plc, Access Bank, FBN Holdings, United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA), Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, First City Monument Bank, Unity Bank, Wema Bank and Union Bank.

Others included Fidelity Bank, Sterling Bank, Stanbic IBTC Holdings, Diamond Bank and Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI).

But one of the listed banks, Skye Bank, had notified the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) that its results would be released next week.

A breakdown of the figures, however, showed that while FBN Holdings’ loans and advances increased to N2.084 trillion in the reviewed year, up from N1.817 trillion the previous year; Zenith Bank Plc’s financial statement also showed the bank gave out N2.289 trillion as loans and advances to its customers, compared with the N1.989 trillion recorded the previous year.