FCMB, Knight Frank woo Nigerian investors with offshore property deals

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 key 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 seeks to help high-net-worth individuals and diaspora investors diversify their portfolios amid growing demand for foreign property assets.

Mounting concerns about currency volatility, education expenses abroad, and lifestyle aspirations have driven more Nigerians to seek stable real estate options overseas.

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FCMB says it intends to serve as a bridge between these customers and credible developers in foreign markets, working alongside its partners — Knight Frank and Gallons Consulting.

Opeyemi Makinwa, Head of Premium Banking at FCMB, said the initiative was designed to help clients build and preserve wealth through real estate while making the process less cumbersome.

“We are trying to make that a reality by being the bridge and the conduit, bringing developers abroad to the doorstep of customers in Nigeria,” she said. “We are able to do this through our partners or through our subsidiary, FCMB UK, where these customers don’t have to pay for those properties cash down.”

Makinwa explained that the bank’s lending model would allow qualified clients to acquire properties on mortgage terms benchmarked to the Bank of England rate. Each case, she noted, would be assessed individually to match clients’ financial profiles and risk appetites. She added that FCMB’s premium banking segment was designed to support customers “interested in creating wealth” through investments, lending, and tailored payment solutions.

The Abuja event, which attracted prospective investors and developers, was the first in a series of property showcases the bank plans to host in Nigeria. The next stop was Lagos, with additional roadshows 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 easy for our clients,” she told BusinessDay. “We realise these customers are time-poor and already engaged in building their wealth. We want to remove financial hurdles and provide seamless payment, lending, and banking solutions that support their aspirations.”

The partnership draws on the strengths of each participant: Knight Frank brings global property listings and developer relationships; Gallons Consulting acts as a connector between the Nigerian and UK markets; while FCMB provides the financial structuring and lending facilities to complete transactions. The trio hopes to capture growing demand from affluent Nigerians seeking both returns and lifestyle value from international property ownership.

While this is the first joint showcase between the partners, they are optimistic about the long-term potential. Makinwa said early interest has been encouraging, with the Abuja event drawing strong engagement from prospective buyers. She estimated that initial uptake could reach around 40 percent, rising to 80 percent as awareness and trust build over time.

Lanre Sonubi, Head of Marketing and Corporate Communications at Knight Frank Nigeria, said the collaboration leverages each partner’s comparative advantage 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 relationship with world-class developers,” he said. “FCMB is the financial partner providing mortgage facilities to intending buyers, while Gallons Consulting bridges the regulatory and transactional aspects between both markets.”

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Sonubi said the partnership will cater to a broad spectrum 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 because they want rental income, and others because they want capital appreciation,” he said. “Our role is to connect people and property perfectly.”

For FCMB, the initiative fits into a broader strategy to deepen relationships with affluent clients and expand its footprint in the wealth management and mortgage space.

For Knight Frank, the collaboration underscores its philosophy of partnerships and shared success. “We don’t believe in working alone,” Sonubi said. “If we can reach ten people alone, we believe we can reach 1,000 people together. With the pedigree of FCMB, the experience of Gallons, and our global reputation at Knight Frank, we believe that together we can achieve our objectives.”