Banking Sector Tops Ranking in 2025 Most Valuable Brands

The 2025 rankings of Nigeria’s most valuable brands have been released, revealing a strong industry-wide lead for the banking sector, which accounted for a dominant 58.6% share of total brand value across the country.

The annual report, highlights the most economically influential brands across various industries, based on market strength, consumer perception, and financial performance.

According to the data, financial institutions continue to maintain their grip on consumer trust and corporate influence, significantly outpacing other sectors in brand equity.

The banking industry’s 58.6% share underscores the sector’s resilience, innovation, and expansive customer base, further cementing its role as the engine of Nigeria’s formal economy.

Following banking, the engineering industry ranked second with 15.2% of total brand value, a result analysts attribute to the growth in infrastructure projects, local manufacturing, and expansion in energy solutions. Food brands followed closely at 12.3%, reflecting Nigeria’s large consumer base and the continuous demand for essential goods.

Meanwhile, beverage categories had mixed performances. Beer brands secured 6.5% of the brand value market, outperforming spirits, which lagged behind at just 0.6%. Industry watchers say regulatory restrictions and changing consumer preferences could explain the lower brand performance of alcoholic spirits.

The oil and gas sector, long regarded as a pillar of the Nigerian economy, accounted for only 3.5% of total brand value this year. Experts point to global energy transitions and declining consumer-facing visibility as reasons for its modest showing.

Telecommunications firms represented 2.7% of total value—an unexpected figure given the sector’s crucial role in digital connectivity. While telecoms remain critical to national infrastructure, intense competition and falling average revenue per user may have impacted overall brand valuations.

Retail rounded out the rankings at 0.5%, highlighting both opportunities and challenges in Nigeria’s largely informal trade environment. Despite rapid urbanization and growing consumer spending, formal retail brands still face stiff competition from unbranded markets and logistics bottlenecks.

The report reflects a maturing Nigerian economy where financial institutions and essential services continue to shape consumer sentiment and corporate performance. The 2025 rankings not only provide a snapshot of economic influence but also offer insight into the evolving dynamics of brand strength and sectoral competitiveness in Africa’s largest economy.