First Securities Discount House Limited, the precursor to FSDH Merchant Bank Limited, was incorporated in June 1992 as the first discount house to operate in Nigeria. In the new era, FSDH Merchant Bank Limited was one of the first merchant banks to be granted a licence to operate in Nigeria as a merchant bank.
Over the years, the FSDH Group has become a financial services supermarket that delivers expert financial services in the Nigerian market to its select clientele, thereby assisting them to create long term sustainable wealth.
Our journey to becoming a merchant bank started when the Central Bank of Nigeria revoked all universal banking licenses in 2009 and created a new banking structure in the country. Under the new structure, banks are now categorised as commercial or merchant banks. Prior to the creation of the new structure by the CBN, FSDH had – through its subsidiaries – developed the structures required to offer the full range of merchant banking services (to the extent permitted by regulation).
At FSDH, we recognised this change as an opportunity to expand the scope of our operations while retaining a focus on our core activities in order to serve our customers better. As a result, we applied for a Merchant Banking licence from the CBN which was granted in November, 2012.
Our Culture values of Customer Orientation, High Performance, Image Building, Collaboration and Learning remain our driving force. The name may have changed but the soul of our organization remains intact.