• Ghana’s First Atlantic Bank approved to operate in Liberia

• Liberia entry follows $60M IPO on Ghana Stock Exchange in 2025

• FAB aims to support regional trade with tailored banking services

First Atlantic Bank (FAB) of Ghana has received regulatory approval to operate in Liberia, the lender said on Monday.

The move adds a new market to FAB’s West African footprint as it seeks to build a multi-country banking network to serve businesses and individuals with cross-border activities.

In Liberia, FAB plans to offer trade finance, lending, savings and payment services, and said it will adapt its products to local market conditions. It added that Liberia could become a hub for regional trade, with a local presence helping to support payments, import and export financing and cash flow management.

Liberia’s banking system has nine commercial banks. All but one are foreign-owned, with the Liberia Bank for Development and Investment the only locally owned lender. Banks accounted for 96.2% of financial sector assets at the end of 2024, according to the country’s central bank.

IPO precedes expansion

FAB listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange on Dec. 19, 2025, selling 101.7 million ordinary shares at 7.30 cedis ($0.67) each and raising 742 million cedis. It was Ghana’s first initial public offering in more than seven years.

The listing strengthened the bank’s equity base, providing funding for projects and supporting its expansion in West Africa, while widening its shareholder base by attracting new investors.

FAB began operations in 1995 and operates as a universal bank serving individuals, small and medium-sized enterprises and institutions.

Chamberline Moko