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THE EVOLUTION OF NIGERIAN BANK OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS,A SERIES OF REFORMS HAVE REVITALISED THE BAKING INDUSTRY IN NIGERIA.JIM OVIA, CHAIRMAN OF ZENITH BANK
EXPLAINS HOW HIS ORGANIZATION IS CONTRIBUTINGTO ECONOMIC PROGRESS
NIGERIAS MODERNISED ECONOMY
For more than 10 years now, Nigeria economy has benefited greatly from sustained levels of growth
with annual real GDP rising to 6.3 percent in 2014 , and it is expected to continue on this positive trajectory into 2015 and beyond. Overall , the Nigerian economy is becoming more modern, resembling western developed economies, with the services industry providing the bulk of its economic output. It is responsible for more than 50 percent of total economic growth, while manufacturing and agriculture contributed around nine and 21 percent respectively, according to data complied by African economic outlook, the country has managed to diversify its economy away from oil-which is no simple feat. Other industry sectors-including the service industry-have grown to become the main drivers of growth in the country. Its population of around 178 million (see side bar) means that the retail consumer market is enormous and crammed with stirring opportunities. In Africa, the country is at the forefront of utilizing electronic banking products, with its huge telecommunications backbone, world-class banking applications and burgeoning biometric projects.
The past year has been good for Nigeria so far, but its growth has suffered, slowing slightly as consequence of reduced economic recovery in other parts of the world, and the price of oil is yet to bounce back from its current lows. Cheap oil has made a considerable dent in fiscal revenues, but due to the success of economic diversification, the country has managed to weather the storm rather effectively and helped mitigate the impact of the commodity’s low price. In order to combat the dip in revenue, the government has chosen to cut spending so that it doesn’t take on excessive levels of debt. It has also embarked on a strategy that involves shoring up non-oil revenues in a bid to compensate for declining oil revenues.
Boosting business
In a recent report by the world bank, which attempts to measure how effectively government regulation has assisted business activity in various countries, the international organization ranked Nigerians overall performance favourably, increasing its rank from 175 out of 189 to 170. The positive ranking by the world bank was due to the Nigerian government making it easier for individuals to do two things: set up a business and receive credit from financial institutions. Overall, the government has worked hard to increase the efficiency of its business environment and legal institutions in an effort to improve the performance of its economy.
The all progressives congress (APC) has continued to ease restraints on businesses, focusing on long-term judicial reforms that aim to bolster legal entities for contract enforcement.it is also eager to address issues like corruption and national security, both of which dramatically impact investor confidence and have the capablility of reducing foreign direct investment into the country. But these issues are not serious enough to dissuade all investors.
I don’t find it surprising that investors want to take part in Nigeria’s economy when you consider the exciting potential of our economy, our very high population which means we have very substantial consumer markets and our excellent infrastructures that make investment easy and ensure a good flow of information to investors themselves; said Peter Amangbo, CEO of Zenith Bank.
At zenith bank, helping domestic and foreign investors is one our strongest areas of activity. We think our devotion to customer service, our passionate enthusiasm for making sure that the service we offer are exactly what customers want and our ability to bring new services and new facilities to customers make us the bank of choice for investors both within Nigeria and beyond our borders who want to maximize their knowledge of the investment potential of Nigeria and also maximize their returns; In order to make credit more readily available for those looking to start a business, the government has had to implement a number of financial reforms. These have helped alter the financial reforms. These have helped financial environment, creating a stronger banking institutions that possess an efficient payments system. It has also helped to greatly improve the financial infrastructure of the country too.
The enormous success of e-banking in Nigeria, and the fact that it is not only seen in African.
But globally as a successful economy, is partly explained by the Central Bank Nigeria (CBN) encouraging cashless transactions in other to engender flexibility, speed and accountability. E-banking in Nigeria is also partly explained by the hurtling transformation of the economy which is increasing demands for banking services in general, and e-banking in particular.
Yet there is another key factor too: the success of e-banking in Africa’s most populous nation is also due to the sheer energy Nigeria’s most influential and far-sighted bankers, who ultimately know that the people who must want e-banking and all its associated advantages of banking services from their desktops, laptops, tablets and mobile phones, are the customers.
This makes banking easier with no need to find time to visit a physical branch, and its makes banking available on the move. A lot has changed for Nigeria’s banking industry over the years, and so World Finance spoke to Jim Ovia, Founder and Chairman of Zenith Bank, to discuss Nigeria’s economic history, and how the bank has diversified with the country’s changing economy.
From the humble beginnings
Ovia came into the industry to make a difference. He begun his career banking in Nigeria as an operator, redefining the way banking was done. He brought forward innovations in management, service delivery, customer service and the deployment of technology in banking operations.
With its head office based in Nigeria and franchises in major financial centres around the world, Zenith Bank provides an assortment of services and products in areas that include corporate and investment banking, commercial and consumer banking, personal banking, private banking and trade services.
It has over 500 branches and offices, spread across all states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. Coupled with a presence in London, Ghana, Sierra Leone, The Gambia and representative offices in South Africa, Dubai and Beijing. Zenith Bank leverages its robust ICT infrastructure to provide secure and fast electronic channels and solutions to meet the dynamic needs of customers.
The extremely low turnover rate of the bank’s highest administration allows for consistency, continuity, focus and authorship. CEO Amangbo, along with the other executive directors, have been influential propelling Zenith Bank to its current market leading position. Working with Jim Ovia has put Amangbo in good stead to continue delivering the bank’s growth trajectory, of which he has been a prominent contributor.
What values have helped Zenith Bank achieve its success to date?
Zenith Bank is simply built on three core values: people, technology and service. These values have been the backbone of Zenith from inception to date. The bank thrives by putting the right people in the right places. The staff receive the best training available, which has helped build a strong corporate culture of goal oriented activities. Our people are empowered to be creative, innovative and at the same time, execute the highest level of efficiency. All these have contributed to a stable and highly motivated work force in Zenith. As a result of the training and exposure we give to our staff, we have been able to innovate, create and lead the banking revolution in Nigeria through the power of cutting-edge technology. Our practice in Zenith is to continually seek ways of improving existing banking practices, using top global bank as our yardstick.
The combination of highly motivated staff and state-of-the-art technology has led to excellent customer service, which has been our distinction within the Nigerian banking industry.
Our ability to meet and exceed the expectations of our customers over the years has made Zenith attractive to major businesses home and abroad.
How do you think the new administration can sustain economic growth?
As a bank that believe in putting the right people in the right place, Zenith has attracted and retained seasoned professionals in the area of risk management, compliance and legal services
This has helped it to build a reputation of compliance conscious bank, which has made it easier for us to work with government at all tiers and the several regulatory agencies in Nigeria and other countries. With such an international foot-print, we have and will continue to support the programmes and policies of the government in jurisdictions we operate.
As a reward to our conscious efforts on compliance with laws and regulations-and the support of government programmes-we have received significant support from the government of Nigeria, and beyond. We will continue to work cordially for more support.
After the government consolidation, larger Nigerian banks have been able to compete comfortably with other banks in the world. As players in the banking industry, we expect the new administration to continue to support the growth of Nigerian banks, as this helps to create jobs, wealth and expansion into other countries.
What is your strategy for expansion?
Zenith is continually seeking opportunities to expand and tap into profitable business ventures at home and abroad. It has a UK subsidiary, and this year opened a branch in Dubai. Despite the global economic growth downturn, there are numerous untapped business opportunities, especially in Africa and Asia, which the bank is watching closely.
How do you plan to integrate payment systems into the Zenith’s model?
As a technology driven bank, Zenith have been in the forefront of processing automation, and championed several projects that resulted to adoption of electronic banking. Zenith has deployed several platforms that have made banking services seamless and more efficient for customers. Using technology to facilitate payment has always been an integral part of Zenith’s banking model, and with the CBN’s drive for a cashless Nigeria, Zenith will continue to work with other stakeholders for a more efficient and secured payment system. The CBN has tightened monetary policy in 2015 by imposing forex restrictions on certain imports.
How have new environment conditions affected Zenith’s business, and what is need to stabilize the market? The Nigerian economy is overly import-dependent, and this today has led to a significant loss of foreign exchange. Therefore, the position of foreign exchange restrictions on certain imports would in fact not only help in foreign exchange management by saving the country a forex haemorrhage, but it would also help to promote the local industries with its attendant spill-over effect on creating jobs and increasing wealth.
The current monetary condition is a fallout of dwindling oil prices and drop in government receipts. The implication is that the CBN is not able to meet all the forex needs of every customer. However, Zenith is coping very well with the current situation by forex rationing to meet the needs of its customers, while ensuring compliance with relevant laws and regulations.
The banking system is a key piece of Nigeria’s future, but SMEs have difficulty finding capital.
How has access to financial services throughout the Nigerian economy changed?
Access to finance is no doubt challenging but improving, especially for SMEs because of high interest rates due to high cost of sourcing deposits.
However, that circumstance is gradually changing since the introduction of various intervention schemes, particularly the Micro Small and Medium Enterprise Development Fund (MSMEDF) with single digit interest rate by the CBN. It is expected that funding for SMEs will be more accessible than it used to be.
Technology features greatly at Zenith Bank. How has this being implemented?
Technology is integral to the bank’s business strategy. We deploy cutting-edge technology platforms to enable seamless transaction for our customers.
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UBA Group Dominates 2025, Banker Awards, Emerges Africa’s Bank of the Year, For Third Time in Five Years
….Wins Best Bank in Nine out of 20 African Subsidiaries
Africa’s Global Bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, has once again, reaffirmed its leadership as one of the continent’s most innovative and resilient financial institutions, as the bank has, for the third time in five years, been named the African Bank of the year 2025 by the Banker.com.
UBA also won the Best Bank of the Year awards in nine of its 20 African subsidiaries, bringing its total awards this year to ten as UBA Benin, UBA Chad, UBA Republic of Congo (Congo-Brazzaville), UBA Liberia, UBA Mali, UBA Mozambique, UBA Senegal, UBA Sierra Leone, and UBA Zambia, all came out tops as the best banks in their respective countries, underscoring the bank’s strength across West, Central and Southern Africa and highlighting the depth of its Pan-African franchise.
The Banker.com, a leading global finance news publication published by the Financial Times of London, organises the annual Bank of the Year Awards, and this year’s edition was held at a grand ceremony at the Peninsula, London, on Wednesday.
The Chief Executive Officer, UBA UK, Deji Adeyelure, received the awards on behalf of the bank, representing the Group Managing Director/CEO, Oliver Alawuba, and was accompanied by the bank’s Head Business Development, Mark Ifashe, and Head, Financial Institutions, Shilpam Jha.
The Banker’s awards are widely regarded as the most respected and rigorous in the global banking industry, celebrating institutions that demonstrate outstanding performance, innovation and strategic execution.
In its remarks on UBA’s winnings, the banker.com said, “For the third time in five years, UBA Group has won the coveted Bank of the Year award for Africa. UBA Group time after time punches above its weight against its larger African rivals. The bank this year also takes home nine separate country awards (one more than it gained for its last continental win in 2024), equivalent to around a quarter of the awards for the continent, and more than any of its continent-wide rivals.”
Continuing, it said, “Perhaps even more impressive is the fact that the awards were won across a broad geographic spread, going to lenders based in the Economic Community of West African States (Benin, Liberia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and former member Mali), the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (Chad, Republic of Congo) and the Southern African Development Community (Mozambique, Zambia). Its award wins were particularly notable in the highly competitive categories for Benin and Mozambique.”
The Banker also highlighted UBA’s strong financial performance and commitment to future growth. In 2024, the Group recorded a 46.8 per cent increase in assets and a 6.1 per cent rise in pre-tax profits in local currency terms, while continuing to invest significantly in talent and technology. West Africa remains UBA’s heartland, with operating revenue and profit increasing by 87 per cent and 89 per cent respectively in H1 2025.
The bank’s digital and innovation leadership was equally recognised. During the year under review, and launched its Advance Top-Up buy-now-pay-later feature on the *919# USSD platform, expanding financial access for customers, while the bank’s chatbot Leo continued its strong growth trajectory, with transaction volumes rising by 29 per cent year-on-year in H1 2025. Notably, in August, Leo became the first African banking chatbot to enable cross-border payments via the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS).
UBA’s Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Oliver Alawuba, while reacting to the achievement, said the recognition affirms the bank’s long-term strategy and customer-first philosophy.
“This honour reflects the strength of our Pan-African network, the trust of our customers, and the dedication of our people. Winning Africa’s Bank of the Year for the third time in five years is not by chance; it is a testament to disciplined execution, innovation, and a deep understanding of the markets we serve,” Alawuba said.
“Our nine country awards across diverse regions of Africa show that UBA is not just growing, but growing with impact. We remain committed to driving financial inclusion, supporting economic development, and deploying technology that makes banking simpler, faster, and more accessible to Africans everywhere,” he added.
United Bank for Africa is one of the largest employers in the financial sector on the African continent, with 25,000 employees group-wide and serving over 45 million customers globally. Operating in twenty African countries, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, France and the United Arab Emirates, UBA provides retail, commercial and institutional banking services, leading financial inclusion and implementing cutting-edge technology.
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ZENITH BANK TECH FAIR 5.0 SPOTLIGHTS INNOVATION, AWARDS ₦140 MILLION CASH PRIZE TO HACKATHON WINNERS
L-R: Executive Vice President, CNN International Commercial, Phil Nelson; Founder & CEO, Beyond Limits Africa and Non-Executive Director, Zenith Bank, Dr. Juliet Ehimuan; Managing Director/CEO, NIBSS, Premier Oiwoh; Executive Director, Zenith Bank, Mrs. Adobi Nwapa; Founder & Chairman, Zenith Bank, Jim Ovia, CFR; Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Group Managing Director/CEO, Zenith Bank, Dame Dr. Adaora Umeoji, OON; Executive Director, Zenith Bank, Mr. Akin Ogunranti; Executive Director, Zenith Bank, Mr. Louis Odom; Executive Director, Zenith Bank, Mr. Adamu Lawani; and Director, Information Technology Infrastructure Solutions, NITDA, Mr. Oladejo Olawumi during the Zenith Bank Tech Fair Future Forward 5.0 held at the Eko Convention Centre, Eko Hotels & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, recently.
A total cash prize of ₦140 million has been awarded to ten (10) African innovators to scale their transformative solutions after a keenly contested hackathon and pitch session at the Fifth Edition of the Zenith Tech Fair, themed “Future Forward 5.0: Tech for Success – Innovate, Adapt, Accelerate”, which held on Thursday, November 20, 2025, at the Eko Convention Centre, Eko Hotels & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.The 2025 edition of the Zenith Tech Fair featured an expanded, dual-competition structure that included a high-stakes Hackathon for product development and a Startup Pitch Competition for early-stage ventures, and drew participation from thousands of developers, founders, and entrepreneurs across the continent.The prize money was shared among ten finalists who emerged from the over 2,000 contestants that took part in the Zecathon. In the hotly contested final, two major winners emerged, each receiving the top prize of ₦30 million. The winner of the Hackathon, Trust Loop, clinched first place for its innovative solution that delivers seamless digital KYC and liveness verification. Simultaneously, the winner of the Startup Pitch Competition, Cubbes Technologies Limited, secured the top spot for its revolutionary AI-powered EdTech platform that enhances learning and career readiness.The remaining eight (8) finalists across both categories were equally recognised, each receiving ₦10 million in non-dilutive funding. They include Venille Ltd, Sowota, FLOW, InvoPay, Zenith Intelliscore, The Very Hacked Men, Konfam and Zerax. All ten finalists will also be entitled to a six-week mentorship and incubation programme designed to help them grow and scale effectively, and this will run from December 2025 to February 2026.The Group Managing Director/CEO of Zenith Bank Plc, Dame Dr Adaora Umeoji, OON, in her welcome address, thanked the Founder & Chairman, Dr Jim Ovia, CFR, for the visionary foresight that led to the creation of the Zenith Tech Fair. Commenting on the Zecathon, she said, “Our theme this year, ‘Tech for Success: Innovate, Adapt, Accelerate’, is very timely. To appreciate its urgency, it helps to reflect on the speed of human progress. According to the Harvard Business Review, it took humanity millions of years to master fire, yet only 66 years to move from the first powered flight to landing on the moon. The lesson is simple – the next technological breakthrough will not take a lifetime. It will emerge sooner than we expect and could come from any one of you in this room today. We are confident that this Tech Fair will produce innovators who will change the world, and we stand ready to support you to turn your ideas into reality.”In his Goodwill Message, the Founder and Chairman of Zenith Bank Plc, Jim Ovia, CFR, said, “This fifth edition reflects our unwavering commitment to create value through technology, innovation, and talent development. My vision is to continue to empower the youth through technology, with the hope that one day we will produce the likes of Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Jeff Bezos.”Whilst delivering his goodwill message, the Governor of Lagos State, His Excellency, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, called for increased technological empowerment initiatives to provide youths with adequate opportunities needed to thrive in the digital future. He said, “What I see happening here every year are things that we in leadership need to connect with. This is an activation that can bring life and real conversation to the young, dynamic, innovative, and creative young people that we have in this country. By 2050, half of the youth population in the world will be in Africa, and even in Africa, they will be in Nigeria, and if they are in Nigeria,
they will be somewhere in Lagos, and we need to be able to fish them out. We need to give them an opportunity and a space to fly. We want to make Lagos the human capital centre of the world, where Microsoft and Google will think of raising a million tech experts. That’s the kind of vision and opportunity we want to leave behind.”Hailed as a resounding success by participants, the Fair showcased cutting-edge demonstrations on the role of Generative AI, Agentic AI, and Cloud Computing in driving economic growth with Keynote addresses delivered by Sitoyo Lopokoiyit, Managing Director, M-PESA Africa; Jonas Kjellberg, Co-Creator, Skype and Dr. Shivagami Gugan, Chief Technologist for Middle East, Turkey and Africa, AWS.The event also featured goodwill messages by the National Commissioner, Nigeria Data Protection Commission, Dr. Vincent Olatunji, and the Governor of Niger State, His Excellency, Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago, ably represented by the Head of Service, Niger State, Mr. Abubakar Sadiq Idris.Another key feature from the tech fair this year was the robust exclusive masterclasses delivered by global technology and consulting powerhouses: McKinsey & Company, Huawei, Check Point, and Microsoft. These sessions covered critical topics from cybersecurity to advanced cloud solutions and disruptive technologies, equipping participants with world-class insights.Aside from the thrilling musical performance by Nigerian musician Spyro, the fair also featured dual-panel sessions that were very insightful and highly interactive. The panel sessions both had Zain Asher, CNN Anchor, as host, and featured high-level discussants including Adaora Nwodo, Founder & Executive Director, NexaScale; Aisha Tofa, Board Chair, Startup Kano Centre for Innovation Dev.; David Kpakima, Co-Founder, Rasab Group, Sierra Leone; Dr Stanley Jacob, President, FINTECHNGR; Iyinoluwa S. Aboyeji, CEO Future Africa; Gary Fowler, CEO & Founder GSD Venture Studios; Bradwin Roper, Chief Payments & Partnerships Officer at JUMO, and Mrs. Omoyemen A. Jide-Samuel, Director, Information Technology, CBN.Zenith Bank remains committed to fostering an ecosystem where innovation thrives, ensuring that the next generation of African tech leaders have the capital, mentorship, and resources required to achieve global scalability and impact.The Bank’s track record of excellent performance has continued to earn the brand numerous awards, including being recognised as the Number One Bank in Nigeria by Tier-1 Capital for the sixteenth consecutive year in the 2025 Top 1000 World Banks Ranking, published by The Banker and “Nigeria’s Best Bank” at the Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2025. The Bank was also awarded Bank of the Year (Nigeria) in The Banker’s Bank of the Year Awards for 2020, 2022 and 2024; Best Bank in Nigeria from 2020 to 2022, 2024 and 2025, in the Global Finance World’s Best Banks Awards; Best Bank for Digital Solutions in Nigeria in the Euromoney Awards 2023; and was listed in the World Finance Top 100 Global Companies in 2023.Further recognitions include Best Commercial Bank, Nigeria for five consecutive years from 2021 to 2025 in the World Finance Banking Awards and Most Sustainable Bank, Nigeria in the International Banker 2023 and 2024 Banking Awards. Additionally, Zenith Bank has been acknowledged as the Best Corporate Governance Bank, Nigeria, in the World Finance Corporate Governance Awards for four consecutive years from 2022 to 2025 and ‘Best in Corporate Governance’ Financial Services’ Africa for four consecutive years from 2020 to 2023 by the Ethical Boardroom
The Bank’s commitment to excellence led to Zenith being also named the Most Valuable Banking Brand in Nigeria in The Banker’s Top 500 Banking Brands for 2020 and 2021, Bank of the Year 2023 to 2025 at the BusinessDay Banks and Other Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards, and Retail Bank of the Year for three consecutive years from 2020 to 2022 and 2024 to 2025. The Bank also received the accolades of Best Commercial Bank, Nigeria and Best Innovation in Retail Banking, Nigeria, in the International Banker 2022 Banking Awards, Bank of the Year 2024 by ThisDay Newspaper; Bank of the Year 2024 by New Telegraph Newspaper; and Best in MSME Trade Finance, 2023 by Nairametrics. The Bank’s Hybrid Offer was also adjudged ‘Rights Issue/ Public Offer of the Year at the Nairametrics Capital Market Choice Awards 2025.Zenith Bank has also bagged several non-financial awards, including Most Responsible Organisation in Africa, Best Company in Transparency and Reporting and Best Company in Gender Equality and Women Empowerment at the SERAS CSR Awards Africa 2024
Zenith Bank Plc has released its unaudited financial results for the nine months ended 30 September 2025, with a remarkable 16% year-on-year growth in gross earnings from N2.9 trillion recorded in Q3 2024 to N3.4 trillion in Q3 2025. The Group’s performance continues to demonstrate resilience, strong momentum, disciplined execution and an ability to deliver long-term shareholder value in spite of challenging macroeconomic environment.According to the financial results presented to the Nigerian Exchange (NGX), the growth in gross earnings was driven by a sustained growth in interest income which grew by 41% year-on-year to N2.7 trillion. The growth in interest income was supported by a high-yield rate environment and an expansion in the Bank’s investment portfolio. Despite the increase in interest expense by 22% to N814 billion on the back of a tightening monetary cycle and a growth in the Bank’s funding base, the Bank was able to achieve a healthy Net Interest Margin (NIM) of 12% as against 10% in September 2024. Non-interest income declined by 38% to N535 billion, underpinned by a 60% decline in trading gains.Profitability remained strong, with profit before tax at N917 billion as against N1.00 trillion reported in September 2024. Profit after tax also declined by 8% to N764 billion and Earnings Per Share (EPS) came in at N18.60 as against N26.34 in September 2024, as the Bank took bold measures to improve the quality of its loan portfolio.The Bank’s total assets grew by 4% from N30 trillion in December 2024 to N31 trillion as at September 2025. This was largely supported by customer deposits, which rose by 8% to N23.7 trillion within the same period. Gross loans declined by 9% to N10 trillion as at September 2025, while Non-Performing Loan (NPL) ratio improved to 3% due to the write-off of non-performing loans.Return on Average Equity (ROAE) and Return on Average Assets (ROAA) stood at 23.3% and 3.3% respectively. Cost of funds increased to 4.5%, underscored by the broader elevated interest rate environment. The Group’s cost of risk stood at 10% while cost-to-income ratio rose to 45%.Coverage ratio and liquidity ratio remain solid and well within regulatory limits at 211.1% and 53% respectively. This highlights the Bank’s strong capital position and liquidity profile as well as its ability to fund strategic growth opportunities. It also reflects its unwavering commitment to a prudent risk management, compliance and corporate governance culture. Commenting on the results, the Group Managing Director/CEO, Dame Dr. Adaora Umeoji, OON, said: “the Bank’s robust performance is an attestation to the resilience of the Zenith brand, result-driven strategy, and the adaptability of our people in an evolving operating environment. We have fortified our capital base, reset our asset quality, and are well positioned for sustainable and profitable growth”.Looking to Q4 2025, Dame Dr. Umeoji reinforced her optimistic outlook: “This result confirms the resilience of both our business model and our people. We’re on a solid growth path that we expect to maintain through the remainder of the year. Our focus on innovation, digital transformation, and developing solutions that address our clients’ changing needs positions us to capitalise on emerging .
opportunities whilst maintaining our disciplined approach to growth.” She assured shareholders that the robust performance, combined with improved asset quality and the Bank’s strong capital base, positions Zenith Bank to deliver exceptional returns with expectations of sustained value creation. “We’re well placed to sustain this momentum whilst maintaining responsible leadership in the Nigerian banking industry and delivering exceptional value to all our stakeholders.”The Bank’s track record of excellent performance has continued to earn the brand numerous awards, including being recognised as the Number One Bank in Nigeria by Tier-1 Capital for the sixteenth consecutive year in the 2025 Top 1000 World Banks Ranking, published by The Banker and “Nigeria’s Best Bank” at the Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2025. The Bank was also awarded Bank of the Year (Nigeria) in The Banker’s Bank of the Year Awards for 2020, 2022 and 2024; Best Bank in Nigeria from 2020 to 2022, 2024 and 2025, in the Global Finance World’s Best Banks Awards; Best Bank for Digital Solutions in Nigeria in the Euromoney Awards 2023; and was listed in the World Finance Top 100 Global Companies in 2023.Further recognitions include Best Commercial Bank, Nigeria for five consecutive years from 2021 to 2025 in the World Finance Banking Awards and Most Sustainable Bank, Nigeria in the International Banker 2023 and 2024 Banking Awards. Additionally, Zenith Bank has been acknowledged as the Best Corporate Governance Bank, Nigeria, in the World Finance Corporate Governance Awards for four consecutive years from 2022 to 2025 and ‘Best in Corporate Governance’ Financial Services’ Africa for four consecutive years from 2020 to 2023 by the Ethical Boardroom.The Bank’s commitment to excellence led to Zenith being also being named the Most Valuable Banking Brand in Nigeria in The Banker’s Top 500 Banking Brands for 2020 and 2021, Bank of the Year 2023 to 2025 at the BusinessDay Banks and Other Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards, and Retail Bank of the Year for three consecutive years from 2020 to 2022 and 2024 to 2025. The Bank also received the accolades of Best Commercial Bank, Nigeria and Best Innovation in Retail Banking, Nigeria, in the International Banker 2022 Banking Awards, Bank of the Year 2024 by ThisDay Newspaper; Bank of the Year 2024 by New Telegraph Newspaper; and Best in MSME Trade Finance, 2023 by Nairametrics. The Bank’s Hybrid Offer was also adjudged ‘Rights Issue/ Public Offer of the Year at the Nairametrics Capital Market Choice Awards 2025.Zenith Bank has also bagged several non-financial awards including, Most Responsible Organisation in Africa, Best Company in Transparency and Reporting and Best Company in Gender Equality and Women Empowerment at the SERAS CSR Awards Africa 2024.
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