CCA Bank names new board chair, sets sights on wider African expansion.

CCA Bank revealed that Essimi Ngono is expected to assume office on January 1, 2027, subject to approval by the Central African Banking Commission, COBAC. 

He will succeed Albert Nkemla, who will remain at the helm of the wider CCA Bank Group and oversee its continental growth strategy.

According to the bank, the transition creates a two-level governance structure designed to separate the management of its domestic banking operations from the strategic direction of the expanding financial group. 

The bank said under the arrangement, the Board of CCA Bank will focus on operational performance, risk management and strengthening the bank’s position in the domestic market. 

The Group chairmanship, headed by Nkemla, will concentrate on strategy and expansion across Africa CCA Bank explained.

The orientation was presented to directors and executives of the different CCA Bank entities during the first joint session of their Boards of Directors held in Douala on September 17.

It is worth mentioning that the governance changes come as CCA Bank reports significant growth in its balance sheet, deposits and lending operations since becoming a universal bank.

According to figures released by the institution, CCA Bank Cameroon grew from a cooperative established with an initial capital of 4.125 million FCFA to a bank with total assets of 1,304 billion FCFA by the end of August 2026.

The bank said its balance sheet increased from 222 billion FCFA at the end of 2018 to 1,304 billion FCFA at the end of August 2026. 

The institution puts the increase at 487%, representing average annual growth of about 26%. According to CCA Bank, customer deposits rose from 201 billion FCFA to 986 billion FCFA over the same period, an increase of 391%. 

Net loans to customers, it said, increased from 83 billion FCFA to 669 billion FCFA, representing growth of 706%. The bank said its permanent capital has reached 120 billion FCFA, supported by the capitalisation of earnings and a doubling of its share capital.

CCA Bank added that by the end of August 2026, it had already generated more than 80% of the 23.4 billion FCFA in pre-tax profit recorded during the whole of 2025. 

On a year-on-year basis, net banking income increased by 48%, while pre-tax profit rose by 47%, according to figures supplied by the bank. The bank said its cost-to-income ratio stood at 40.3%, improving by 10 percentage points over one year.

The institution said it currently ranks fourth in Cameroon for deposit mobilisation, with a 9.46% market share, and fifth for lending to the economy, with an 8.42% share. It has also opened more than 37,000 new accounts over the recent period.

Essimi Ngono to steer Cameroon operations

Essimi Ngono has served as a Director of CCA Bank Cameroon since 2016. The CEMAC-certified chartered accountant and judicial expert in finance and banking, has 37 years of experience in accounting, 10 years in banking and nine years in training.

Following his designation, Essimi Ngono said his mandate would focus on maintaining the foundations on which the institution has developed.

“I accept this responsibility with gratitude and a strong sense of duty. CCA Bank was built on the trust of its customers and the strength of its governance. Our mission is to preserve and strengthen these foundations, so that every success in Cameroon becomes a lasting springboard for the Group,” Essimi Ngono stated.

Nkemla shifts focus to African expansion

Meanwhile, CCA Bank said Nkemla will concentrate on the expansion of the CCA Bank Group, which is developing activities spanning banking, insurance, financial markets, technology and shared services. 

This expansion, the bank said, has already taken CCA Bank into West Africa. In Guinea-Conakry, the group operates a subsidiary with a headquarters and four branches, according to the bank. Within the Central African Economic and Monetary Community, CEMAC, CCA Bank Cameroon is also preparing branches in Chad, Gabon, the Central African Republic and the Republic of Congo. 

CCA Bank said all four branches have received prior approval from COBAC under CEMAC’s single banking licence framework. Their opening is planned before the end of 2026.

According to CCA Bank, the new governance structure is intended to strengthen its operations and performance in Cameroon while giving the Group greater focus on its continental expansion strategy. 

The bank said the arrangement forms part of its plan to progressively align its operations with the standards of major financial institutions as it expands its presence across Africa.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3920 of Friday September 25, 2026