Access Bank Cameroon reported total assets of CFA465.105 billion at September 30, 2026, down from CFA501.418 billion a month earlier. The CFA36.313 billion decline, equivalent to 7.2%, was driven mainly by a sharp reduction in interbank positions and investment holdings, while fixed assets increased significantly. Lending to customers remained almost unchanged, according to the bank's published monthly financial statements.
The September decline erased half of the CFA72.469 billion increase recorded between the end of May and the end of August. Despite the latest contraction, the bank's balance sheet remained CFA36.156 billion, or 8.4%, above its level at the end of May. Total assets represent the value of the bank's assets at a given date. A reduction in that figure does not mean the bank incurred a loss of the same amount.
Interbank Positions Decline on Both Sides of the Balance Sheet
On the asset side, other interbank and demand treasury operations fell from CFA145.417 billion at the end of August to CFA89.159 billion in September. The CFA56.258 billion decline, equivalent to 38.7%, was the largest movement among the asset categories disclosed in the bank's monthly statements. Investment securities, securities received under repurchase agreements and securities purchased outright also declined, from CFA199.150 billion to CFA185.142 billion. That represents a reduction of CFA14.008 billion, or 7%.
Together, these two asset categories fell by CFA70.266 billion in a single month. Their combined share of the balance sheet dropped from 68.7% to 59%, although they still accounted for the majority of the bank's assets. The financial statements do not provide a breakdown of the investments held in these categories. On the liability side, amounts recorded under demand balances owed to banks and other financial institutions declined from CFA81.698 billion to CFA51.884 billion.
That represents a decrease of CFA29.814 billion, or 36.5%. Interbank positions therefore contracted on both sides of the balance sheet. However, the published statements do not establish whether these movements were connected, resulted from transactions reaching maturity or reflected other treasury operations. Fixed assets moved in the opposite direction. Their value rose from CFA60.836 billion to CFA88.213 billion, an increase of CFA27.377 billion, or 45%, in one month.
Fixed assets now account for nearly 19% of the bank's total assets, compared with 12.1% at the end of August. Accruals, adjustment accounts and other assets also increased by CFA6.225 billion to CFA16.235 billion. These increases partly offset the decline in investment holdings and interbank operations. However, the available figures do not show whether the rise in fixed assets resulted from new acquisitions or accounting reclassifications.
Customer Financing Increases by Just CFA351 Million
Customer deposits fell by CFA9.885 billion in September, from CFA361.950 billion at the end of August to CFA352.065 billion at September 30. That represents a decline of 2.7%. Demand deposits decreased by CFA13.345 billion to CFA298.513 billion, while savings account balances fell by CFA2.3 billion to CFA2.9 billion. Term deposits, however, increased by CFA5.760 billion to CFA50.652 billion. These figures represent outstanding balances at the reporting dates, rather than the total deposits and withdrawals recorded during the month.
Direct loans to customers reached CFA65.487 billion, compared with CFA64.372 billion a month earlier. The increase amounted to CFA1.115 billion, or 1.7%. Within that category, medium-term loans rose by CFA6.519 billion to CFA58.045 billion, while short-term loans declined by CFA5.404 billion to CFA7.442 billion. Customer debit account balances also decreased, from CFA21.633 billion to CFA20.869 billion.
When these balances are added to direct loans, the bank's identifiable customer financing totaled CFA86.356 billion at the end of September, compared with CFA86.005 billion at the end of August. The increase was therefore limited to CFA351 million, or 0.4%, over the month. Despite this modest growth, customer financing accounted for a larger share of the balance sheet, rising from 17.2% to 18.6%. This change was mainly due to the decline in total assets rather than a substantial increase in lending.
Investment securities and related holdings, at CFA185.142 billion, still represented more than twice the amount of identifiable customer financing. Another notable change appeared on the liability side, where provisions for risks increased from CFA23.881 billion to CFA26.860 billion. The CFA2.979 billion increase represents a rise of 12.5%.
However, the monthly statement does not identify the risks covered by these provisions. The increase alone is therefore insufficient to conclude that the quality of the bank's loan portfolio has deteriorated.
Baudouin Enama