First City Monument Bank (FCMB) has teamed up with global property consultancy Knight Frank to promote investment opportunities for Nigerians seeking to acquire real estate in major international markets.
The collaboration, unveiled at a property roadshow in Abuja, aims to connect affluent clients with developers in the United Kingdom, Dubai and parts of Europe while offering mortgage financing through FCMB.
The initiative aims to help high net worth individuals and expatriate investors diversify their portfolios amid growing demand for offshore property assets.
Currency instability, growing concerns about education expenses abroad and lifestyle aspirations have led more Nigerians to seek stable real estate options abroad.
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FCMB says it intends to act as a bridge between these clients and trusted developers in overseas markets, together with its partners – Knight Frank and Galans Consulting.
Opeyemi Makinwa, Head of Premium Banking at FCMB, said the initiative was designed to help customers build and preserve wealth through real estate, while making the process less cumbersome.
“We are trying to make this a reality by becoming a bridge and a medium to bring developers abroad to the doorstep of customers in Nigeria,” he said. “We are able to do that through our partners or our subsidiary FCMB UK, where these clients don't have to pay cash for those properties.”
Makinwa explained that the bank’s loan model will allow qualified customers to acquire properties at mortgage terms in line with the Bank of England rate. He said each case would be individually assessed to match the customers' financial profile and risk appetite. He said FCMB's premium banking segment was designed to support customers “interested in building wealth” through investing, lending and tailored payment solutions.
The Abuja event, which attracted potential investors and developers, was the first in a series of property showcases the bank plans to hold in Nigeria. The next stop was Lagos, with additional road shows expected in other major cities such as Port Harcourt. The goal, according to Makinwa, is to make it easier for Nigerians to invest in property abroad without the friction often associated with cross-border transactions.
“For us, it's about making life easier for our customers,” he told BusinessDay. “We realize that these customers are pressed for time and are already busy building their wealth. We want to remove financial barriers and provide seamless payments, lending and banking solutions that support their aspirations.”
The partnership is based on the strengths of each partner: Knight Frank brings global asset listings and developer relationships; Gallons Consulting acts as a connector between the Nigerian and UK markets; While FCMB provides the financial structure and credit facilities to complete the transaction. The trio hopes to capture the growing demand from affluent Nigerians seeking both returns and lifestyle value from international property ownership.
Although this is the first joint performance between the partners, they are optimistic about the long-term potential. Makinwa said the initial interest has been encouraging, with strong participation from potential buyers at the Abuja event. He estimated that initial uptake could reach around 40 percent, rising to 80 percent over time as awareness and trust increase.
Lanre Sonubi, Head of Marketing and Corporate Communications at Knight Frank Nigeria, said the collaboration leverages the comparative advantages of each partner to deliver an end-to-end solution.
“Knight Frank is a global real estate consultancy, and we have options at our fingertips through our working relationships with world-class developers,” he said. “FCMB is the financial partner that provides mortgage facilities to interested buyers, while Galan Consulting connects the regulatory and transactional aspects between the two markets.”
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Sonubee said the partnership will cater to a wide range of investor motivations – from parents buying student accommodation for their children abroad to investors seeking rental income or long-term appreciation.
“Some are buying because they need a home in the UK, some are buying because they want rental income, and some are buying because they want capital appreciation,” he said. “Our role is to completely connect people and assets.”
For FCMB, this initiative fits into a broader strategy to deepen relationships with affluent clients and expand its footprint in the wealth management and mortgage sector.
For Knight Frank, this collaboration underlines its philosophy of partnership and shared success. “If we can reach ten people alone, we believe we can reach 1,000 together. With the pedigree of FCMB, the experience of Galen and our global reputation at Knight Frank, we believe that together we can achieve our objectives.”
