National Investment Bank (NIB) PLC has recorded a remarkable financial turnaround, with its total assets surging from GH¢5.8 billion in December 2024 to GH¢40.9 billion as of June 30, 2026, as Managing Director Chief Dr. Doli-Wura Zakaria attributed the recovery to responsible leadership, collective effort and institutional stewardship.
Speaking at the launch of his book, Rebuilding Confidence, Restoring Strength: The Story Behind the Transformation of NIB, Dr. Zakaria said the bank’s recovery demonstrates that struggling institutions can be restored when leaders take responsibility, empower people and focus on long-term institutional growth rather than personal gain.
He disclosed that the bank’s deposits doubled from GH¢6.4 billion to GH¢12.9 billion, while capital improved from a negative GH¢851 million in December 2024 to a positive GH¢1.64 billion by June 2026. The capital adequacy ratio also rebounded from negative 47 per cent to positive 48.1 per cent, following a GH¢1.97 billion recapitalisation, making NIB the first bank to be recapitalised within four months.
The turnaround also saw profit rise from GH¢3.1 million in 2024 to GH¢344 million in 2025, while the first half of 2026 recorded a further 40 per cent increase over the same period last year. Non-performing loans fell sharply from 77 per cent to 52.21 per cent, and cumulative staff salaries increased by 141.5 per cent over an 18-month period.
Despite the impressive gains, Dr. Zakaria reminded leaders that institutions are held in trust and should be managed for the benefit of future generations.
“Your institution is not yours. You are merely a steward for a season. Keep it well,” he said.
“We do not own what has been entrusted to us. We preserve it, strengthen it and pass it on. Leadership therefore is not about possession. It is about stewardship.”
He explained that the book was not written to celebrate his personal achievements but to preserve lessons from the bank’s transformation for future leaders.
“The story was never intended to celebrate one individual but rather to document a collective effort and preserve lessons that may be useful to others now and into the future,” he said.
Tracing the bank’s journey, Dr. Zakaria recalled that NIB, established in 1963 to finance Ghana’s industrialisation, had reached a critical point by 2024.
“The symbol had cracked. The bank needed more than just money,” he said, adding that the turnaround began with management’s decision to take ownership of the institution’s challenges.
He stressed that sustainable transformation is driven by people rather than systems alone.
“Institutions are ultimately transformed by people. Technology alone does not. Policies and procedures are important, but they do not perform. People do,” he noted.
According to him, employees deliver their best when they are trusted, empowered, developed and inspired by a purpose greater than themselves.
While acknowledging the bank’s progress, Dr. Zakaria cautioned that the journey was far from complete.
“The story is not one of perfection… the work remains unfinished,” he said, adding that institutions are not transformed in a single year but through sustained commitment over many years.
Ending his address with a message of hope, he urged leaders to focus on legacy and nation-building.
“Decline is not destiny. Broken institutions can be rebuilt, and determined people can accomplish more than circumstances often suggest,” he said.
He concluded that the transformation of NIB was “not the story of one man” but “the story of many”, adding: “The tree has been planted. The shade is for others.”
Speaker of Parliament, Rt Hon Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin was the Special Guest of Honour at the book launch chaired by His Royal Majesty, Drolor Bosso Adamtey I of the Shai Traditional Area.
By: Christian Kpesese
