Citigroup has positioned its Middle East and Africa operations as central to its international growth strategy, as the Wall Street lender seeks to deepen its role in sovereign finance, capital markets and cross-border banking amid rising geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainty.
At its 2026 Investor Day, the US banking group said its global network, spanning more than 90 physical markets and servicing clients in over 180 countries, remained a core competitive advantage that would underpin stronger and more durable returns in the coming years.
The bank pointed to its first-quarter performance, which saw revenues rise to $24bn and net income reach $5.8bn, while noting that its shares have more than doubled since its last investor briefing in March 2022.
For Nigeria, Citi highlighted its appointment as sole coordinator for more than $700m in UK Export Finance-backed loan facilities for the Nigerian Ports Authority to support the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the Lagos Port Complex and Tin-Can Island Port Complex.
“Nigeria is a key market for Citi, as we support cross-border growth, economic development, and financial resilience,” said Nneka Enwereji, managing director and chief executive of Citibank Nigeria Limited.
She said the investor event reinforced the bank’s global network as a driver of sustainable growth, adding that the Nigerian business was focused on disciplined execution, strong risk management and deeper client engagement.
Citi said its Middle East and Africa franchise occupies a strategic role within its international operations because it often acts as the only global or US bank on the ground in several countries or serves as the leading foreign bank, custodian or payments provider.
The bank said this positioning had placed it at the centre of sovereign finance and market infrastructure development across the region.
Beyond Nigeria, Citi highlighted a string of recent transactions across the Middle East and Africa, including acting as joint global coordinator on Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund’s $7bn multi-tranche bond issuance, advising Emirates NBD on the Middle East’s first dirham-denominated digital bond, and leading the Democratic Republic of Congo’s debut $1.25bn Eurobond issuance.
The lender also said it had been appointed by the Ugandan government to mobilise financing for the country’s planned €2.7bn standard gauge railway linking Kampala to the Kenyan border, a project expected to strengthen regional trade and logistics.
Globally, Citi said it processes about $6tn in daily flows and serves roughly 80 per cent of US and global Fortune 500 companies, with banking clients active across approximately 3,800 cross-border corridors.
Citigroup said it expects its international footprint and cross-border banking capabilities to become increasingly important as clients navigate volatile global markets and fragmented trade dynamics.
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