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THE MAKING OF A CSR MASTERSTROKE: AN X-RAY OF FIRSTBANK’S YEOMAN EFFORT TO MOVE ONE MILLION CHILDREN TO E-LEARNING
The rabbit hole of uncertainty, confusion and fear that pupils and their parents fell into in the dying days of March when the country was in lockdown was best captured in a Saturday Sun feature of May 16, titled, “COVID-19: Troubles of e-Learning.”
The story catalogues the challenges that erupted out of the disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the fears and frustrations brewed by the new abnormality foisted on the world, the pessimism that pervaded the globe from developed to underdeveloped countries and the possibilities that blew up in the aftermath in the education stratosphere.
With the new order of social distancing, self-isolation, government-enforced quarantine and the ubiquitous lockdown, the prospect of indefinite stay at home until at least an elusive vaccine is found, loomed. This precipitated a distress as never seen before in the education space.
Yet, a panacea was at hand: Digital learning, though hitherto given scant attention. But crossing into that nirvana was an uphill task, especially, in this part of the world. Why: The existence of a huge digital deficit both in infrastructure and the requisite skill.
The dilemma confronting parents, pupils and tutors are multi-dimensional as illustrated by these three vignettes from the story:
Oko Odinakachi, a student of Abia State University, faced frustration on two fronts: her institutions dillydallying about adopting the e-learning strategy on the one hand; her little faith in digital learning, on the other hand. “I was on the verge of writing my first-semester examination. How possible can we do that digitally when there are issues with even JAMB CBT here in our country?”
A father whose daughter, a student of Federal Government College Shagamu preparing for her Senior School Certificate Exam, was compelled to seek a suitable e-learning portal because WAEC advised students to be studious during the lockdown as they’d be going straight into the exam hall at short notice as soon as the pandemic is over. The search led him to an online WAEC Preparatory Class that demanded payment for requisite online resources. “One subject is N1, 500, four subjects N4, 500 and six subjects cost at N6, 500. I didn’t go further because of the fee, which I think is exorbitant, given the current state of the country,” he complained. He joined the rank of other parents who raised concerns over exploitation by mercenaries masquerading as e-learning groups.
Abolade Kunle, a JSS3 student was aware of the government-sponsored tutorial on the radio but he was unable to enjoy the benefits: “We don’t have a radio set in the house. I use my dad’s phone once in a while but he doesn’t allow me to use it all the time,” he railed. A related drawback was cited by one of his teachers at the public school in Mushin: “In the past five weeks, we have had barely three days of electricity supply. It is not every parent that can afford a generator. Is it not when you have electricity supply that the children can watch [government educational programme on] the television?”
The absence of curative or prophylactic breakthrough against the virus meant that academic activities would remain in limbo, while pupils and their parents are faced with the undaunted possibility of a long spell at home. The prospect of a long lull of academic inactivity struck a palpable fear that fueled the scramble unto digital learning platforms as educationists and institutions across the country experimented with remote learning, albeit on a trial-and-error basis. The efforts were at best tangled; the process muddled; the result ineffective. Even, for students of tertiary institutions, the online class was to many a Lala-land.
With the option inevitably narrowed down to digital learning, a Catch-22 situation evolved. Who’s going to make it happen? How? When?
Best foot forward
Eventually, the first foot forward––and indeed the best one––came and it was from First Bank of Nigeria Limited.
The bank, a leading financial inclusion services provider, announced its intention to roll out an innovative e-learning initiative on the heels of its philanthropic contribution of the sum of one billion naira to the Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID), a private-sector task force that partners the Federal Government, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) to combat the coronavirus in Nigeria.
In the months to come, the bank’s effort would resonate forcefully in the education space. The reason for this was not farfetched. Since responsiveness remains a cornerstone of Corporate Social Responsibility, when it is timely, it becomes a major coup. The severity of the pandemic required “uncomfortable, transformative responsiveness,” not the usual CSR response where organisations choose and design responsiveness on their own terms, described by Wayne Visser in Evolution and Revolution of Corporate Social Responsibility, as “when giving is easy and cheque-writing does nothing to upset their commercial applecart.”
Taking on the e-learning challenge head-on was an self-assigned project for which the bank was not under any compulsion to undertake. That it volunteered to tackle the challenge is an indication of the largeness of its CSR aorta.
Suffice to say that a handful of digital learning initiatives exist before the advent of the Covid-19 lockdown; the First Bank effort, however, resonates louder because it has a measurable stated goal: Moving one million pupils into e-learning platform.
A response apt and adequate
Lagos State’s prompt response to the pandemic included the immediate shutdown of schools. By March 25 (four days before Lagos State went into total lockdown on the order of the President), the First Bank initiative was rolled out, and it inalienably took the optics of “the” response to the glitch caused to the education system by the coronavirus pandemic.
First Bank went into collaboration with Lagos State Government and an indigenous mobile learning platform, Robert and John Limited, whose trademark Roducate e-solution, a comprehensive curriculum-based education, is a cornucopia for a broad spectrum of students.
Having powered similar projects in the past, Robert and John was an obvious best in the e-learning business, a fact reinforced by First Bank CEO, Adesola Adeduntan: “In searching for the best fit solution, several options were considered by educators and teachers from the state and First Bank over the last couple of weeks before adjudging Roducate the offering from Robert and John, an innovative technology firm, to be the best of all reviewed.”
Is Roducate the Rosette stone of online learning? The facts were in its favour. Its claim of being the “most comprehensive e-learning platform in Nigeria and indeed Africa” is justified on its curriculum-based education for primary, secondary, and tertiary students. Moreover, ;it has been active in the e-learning space as far back as 2014 and has perfected the mechanics of effective digital learning, winning endorsements along the way from NUC, NERDC, JAMB and Lagos State Ministry of Education.
And by tweaking its blueprint, it came up with an e-learning mother lode––lecture notes, assignments, mock exams, videos, podcasts, and educational games––a rich vein of contents for primary, secondary and tertiary institutions, structured in consonance with the government-accredited curriculum. From the interactive tutorial videos to the innovative feature that enables the learner to take notes for quick reference, it was a whole new experience and an enjoyable learning process.
Suffice to reiterate that the First Bank/LASG Roducate is not the first of its kind; before it, there was Glo Mobile Tutor (since 2014) and UBA LEARN (unveiled in 2018) amongst others. However, certain factors gave it an edge.
The comparative advantage
The CSR takeaways from the initiative are writ large in what makes it different from others––in other words, its comparative advantages.
On the first count, the effort surfaced at a time of need, a time when there was an urgent need to close the gap caused by the disruption in children education due to schools closure following the Covid-19 lockdown. In one fell swoop, a solution materialised that provided succour for all, from kindergartens kids to grad-year students of tertiary institutions.
Secondly, while it is indeed a rolling scheme, it nevertheless came with specific number goal of one million pupils to be empowered with digital learning; this calibrated objective makes the intervention easy to evaluate, compared to other similar initiatives.
Thirdly, the biggest boon: subscription-free.
Consider what this means to parents such as the one cited in Sun story who had to shell out approximately N6, 000 for his daughter to access the needed resources. With the First Bank initiative, students simply get on the platform by registering free at https://www.firstbanknigeria.com/e-learning/.
And then the masterstroke: the enhanced offline feature of the initiative. It means students can study offline without having to bear the burden of buying data. What’s more, First Bank gave further impetus by providing 20, 000 devices that came preloaded with the curriculum.
Elaborating on the low-end devices preloaded with Roducate offline content, Adeduntan disclosed that “the phones have SIMs and limited data tied, only, to the Roducate learning product.”
Kayode Abayomi, the spokesperson for Lagos State Ministry of Education, further hit the nail on the head.
“The devices are efficient and fit for purposes for all students especially indigent students given the fact that data consumption of most e-learning solutions has been a major stumbling block for the majority of students and teachers alike,” he said.
Its fourth edge is from its collaborative nature. One of First Bank’s collaborators on the project is a partner with leverage in the education space: the Lagos State Government. That made a big difference, as it gave the initiative authority and legitimacy that immediately gained traction.
In return, the initiative was well-appreciated by Lagos State Governor Sanwo-Olu: “It is not out of place that we are witnessing more infusion of technology in learning and this intervention by First Bank could not have come at a better time.”
Lastly, the First Bank e-learning project took care of both the short-term and the long-term interest of Nigeria in the digital race. Beyond the exigency of the moment, which was to get the children into learning mode, the intervention took on the imperative of helping young Nigerians develop relevant skills in emerging technologies, thereby enhancing their competitiveness in the interconnected world of today.
How? Via two other initiatives, both partnerships with IBM (that schooled youths in coding Artificial Intelligence, cloud, internet of things, blockchain, data science, analytics and cybersecurity) and Curious Learning (which offers academic contents for pre-learning and early-stage children aged 3-8 through self-guided learning apps). These two threw open the door of digital technology and made available for free the opportunities to transform them into tech geeks.
Taking responsibilities
For organisations with a sense of CSR, Covid-19 was an opportunity that was too good to miss. Where and how they responded depend on their preexisting corporate responsibility culture, their focus, the heft of their commitment.
Adeduntan said of the First Bank initiative: “We are warmed by the fact that different organisations have risen to the various challenges and are supporting in areas such as health and welfare, and we feel the peculiar needs of our children and youth must not be left out and have therefore elected to focus on contributing to solving the current education challenge.”
He said further: “It is a responsible approach to empower them, given that they are our future and the foundation to build our country to greatness. By partnering on this, we are solving a problem for families and our future.”
In September, schools re-opened, and education activity, deflated for months, gradually regains shape and gathers momentum. The number of students enrolled on the platform has increased significantly. The big question: is it going to be one of those projects that got abandoned after the ovation died down? Or is it likely to be sustained?
The cue is in the stated goal of the initiative. FirstBank has placed on itself the onus to continue to build on the effort and to give the needed impetus that will accelerate the achievement of the set goal of 1,000, 000 registered children in record time. It is expected that FirstBank will sustain the race to the finishing line.
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GTCO SUSTAINS PROFITABILITY MOMENTUM WITH GROWTH IN CORE INCOME – DECLARES A PBT OF N300.4BILLION IN Q1 2025
Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (“GTCO” or the “Group”) has released its Unaudited Consolidated and Separate Financial Statements for the period ended March 31, 2025, to the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX) and London Stock Exchange (LSE). The Group reported profit before tax of 300.4billion on the back of strong performance posted on the core₦ earnings lines of interest income which grew y-o-y by 41.1% and fee income up by 41.2%. The strong performance enabled the group to douse the impact of the 331.6₦ billion fair value gains recognised in Q1-2024 which did not recur in Q1-2025. The Group’s loan book (net) increased by 15.6% from 2.79trillion recorded as at December 2024 to₦ 3.22trillion in March 2025, while deposit liabilities grew by 7.7% from 10.40trillion to 11.20trillion during₦ ₦ ₦ the same period. The Group recorded growths across all its asset lines and continues to maintain a robust, well-structured, highly de-risked, and well-diversified balance sheet in all the jurisdictions wherein it operates. Total assets and shareholders’ funds closed at 15.9trillion and 3.0trillion, respectively. Full₦ ₦ Impact Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) remained very robust and strong, closing at 34.6%, equally asset quality improved as evidenced by IFRS 9 Stage 3 Loans which closed at 3.3% at Bank Level and 4.5% % at Group in Q1-2025 (Bank -3.5% (Group- 5.2% in December 2024) and Cost of Risk (COR) closed at 0.4% from 4.9% in December 2024. Commenting on the results, the Group Chief Executive Officer of Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (GTCO), Mr. Segun Agbaje, said; “Our Q1 2025 performance reflects the strength of all our business verticals and our capacity to generate strong and sustainable earnings. While the fair value gains of N331.6billion reported in Q1 2024 did not recur this quarter, the Group recorded solid growth across most income lines, underpinned by a diversified revenue base and a healthy, well-structured balance sheet.”He further stated that, “We remain optimistic about the year ahead. The fundamentals of our business are strong, our customer base continues to grow, and we are executing with discipline across our strategic priorities. Importantly, at this pace, the Group is well-positioned to deliver the full year PBT of 2024 at the very minimum by the end of the 2025 FYE.”Overall, the Group continues to post one of the best metrics in the Nigerian Financial Services industry in terms of key financial ratios i.e., Pre-Tax Return on Equity (ROAE) of 42.2%, Pre-Tax Return on Assets (ROAA) of 7.8%, Full Impact Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) of 34.6% and Cost to Income ratio of 29.0%. Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (GTCO Plc) is a leading financial services group with operations across Africa and the United Kingdom. Renowned for its strong corporate governance, innovative financial solutions, and customer-centric approach, GTCO Plc provides a wide range of banking and non-banking services, including payments, funds management, and pension fund administration. The Group is committed to delivering long-term value to stakeholders while driving growth and development across It’s markets.
The stage is set for Africa’s most anticipated celebration of food, drink, and culture as Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (GTCO) announces the 8th edition of the GTCO Food and Drink Festival, scheduled to hold from Friday, May 2nd to Sunday, May 4th, 2025, at GTCentre, Plot 1 Water Corporation Drive, Oniru, Victoria Island, Lagos.
This year’s festival is themed “A Shared Experience”, highlighting how every meal tells a story—stories of culture, community, and tradition that unite people across generations and geographies. The 2025 edition will feature 204 free retail stalls, showcasing the rich diversity and creativity of our food culture—from traditional Nigerian dishes and regional delicacies to contemporary fusion cuisines, savory bites, refreshing beverages, and gourmet desserts. Attendees can also look forward to a series of masterclasses, where internationally renowned chefs and respected culinary experts will share practical insights, recipes, and techniques spanning a wide range of cuisines and disciplines.
In addition to the food exhibition and masterclasses, visitors will enjoy an expansive street food arena, offering a vibrant selection of popular local delicacies, and a dedicated children’s play area, ensuring a fun, safe, and memorable experience for the entire family.
Speaking on the significance of the festival, Mr. Segun Agbaje, Group Chief Executive Officer of GTCO Plc, said: “The GTCO Food and Drink Festival is a celebration of our rich cultural diversity and entrepreneurial spirit. Every meal shared is a reminder of our traditions and the universal language of food that connects us all. Beyond the festivities, the festival reflects our commitment to supporting local enterprise—creating a free business platform where food retailers can connect with consumers, share their unique offerings, and take meaningful steps toward growth and long-term sustainability.”
At the heart of the festival is GTCO’s vision of Promoting Enterprise in support of small businesses, especially indigenous foodpreneurs. It is part of the Group’s broader commitment to creating Great Experiences for customers by offering meaningful opportunities for connection, growth, and shared success.
Admission to the GTCO Food and Drink Festival is free, and everyone is welcome to join in this extraordinary celebration of food, culture, and enterprise.
For more information on the event, please visit: https://foodanddrink.gtcoplc.com
L-R: Executive Director, Mr. Adamu Lawani; Executive Director, Mr. Akin Ogunranti; Group Managing Director/Chief Executive, Dame (Dr.) Adaora Umeoji, OON; Founder and Chairman of Zenith Bank Plc, Jim Ovia, CFR; Executive Director, Mrs. Adobi Nwapa; Executive Director, Mr. Henry Oroh; and Executive Director, Mr. Louis Odom during the 34th Annual General Meeting of Zenith Bank Plc held at The Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, yesterday.
Shareholders of Zenith Bank Plc, at the 34th Annual General Meeting (AGM) held at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, approved the proposed final dividend payment of NGN4.00 per share, bringing the total dividend for the 2024 financial year to NGN5.00 per share, with a total value of NGN195.67 billion.The Founder and Chairman of Zenith Bank Plc, Jim Ovia, CFR, thanked the shareholders for their unflinching support and commitment, which have been responsible for the bank’s stellar performance over the years. He noted that despite challenges globally in 2024, Zenith Bank was able to leverage the opportunities within the environment of each subsidiary to record a performance that solidly attests to the bank’s resilience as a brand.The Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Dame Dr. Adaora Umeoji, OON, expressed her appreciation to the shareholders for their commitment and support, promising quantum leap in dividends going forward. According to her, “This is the first time that I am addressing the Annual General Meeting (AGM) in my capacity as the first female GMD/CEO of Zenith Bank. I would like to thank you for your confidence and support that has placed me in this position today”. She further said that “Zenith Bank is committed to, not only meeting your expectations, but exceeding them. We are focused on running a very efficient and sustainable institution that is resilient and will ensure that our institution outlives many generations to come”. Talking specifically about dividend, she emphasized that “If you look at our dividends trajectory, payments over the period have always increased and we will continue to maintain this record. We have successfully completed our recapitalization exercise, achieving 160% subscription. Therefore, we are not under any pressure to go back for the second time to raise funds. Zenith Bank has sufficient capital buffer to do business and we will continue to delight our shareholders. We are committed to growing our topline organically while adhering to our strict corporate governance culture.”Dr. Faruk Umar, President of the Association of the Rights of Nigerian Shareholders (AARNS), applauded the Group Managing Director for her efforts in ensuring the growth of the bank’s financial indices. He said, “We are very happy that the bank is paying us N5. Most importantly the GMD/CEO, Dame Dr. Adaora Umeoji, has done so well. In the past year, she won the award for the Banker of the Year which is very commendable, and all the bank’s indices have gone up; we are now experiencing trillions in profit against N676 billion the previous year, and the shareholder’s funds, the gross earnings – everything now is in trillions. I think this is very commendable. The bank has won so many awards – no bank in Nigeria has won such qualitative awards like they have. They also surpassed the capitalization threshold of CBN by 160% – this is unprecedented. We are very happy with their performance.”Speaking on the dividend payout, Alhaji Otunba Mukhtar Mukhtar, Chairman, Trusted Shareholders Association of Nigeria, said “The consistency of Zenith Bank dividend payout has never been matched in Nigeria. Since the inception of this bank, they have kept giving shareholders a consistent dividend payout, and this has made shareholders to be richer, happier, and more excited at the hardwork, performance and commitment of the bank. We are very happy. If you look at the Profit Before Tax (PBT) and the Profit After Tax (PAT), they have been able to cross the N1 trillion
threshold. They have given us a Profit Before Tax of N1.3 trillion, which is very commendable. The shareholders, as you have seen at the meeting, have expressed their happiness and joy about this performance. I am grateful to the Chairman, Dr. Jim Ovia, CFR, the Management and the Board for such an outstanding performance.”Ambassador Dr. Olatunde Okelana, the Balogun Olugbon of Orile- Igbon, Oyo State, also commented on the bank’s dividend payout. In his words, “Zenith Bank investment has been the best for me. I want to believe that whoever has not invested in Zenith Bank has lost. Their dividend policy is very palatable, very beautiful in the banking industry and the lady at the helm of affairs is performing wonderfully well. She is one of the best female CEOs in the banking Industry in Nigeria. I am a capitalist, so I invest where my money can give me beautiful returns. I want to tell you that Zenith Bank has been the best in the capital market and it is the best investment. Dr. Jim Ovia, CFR, the Founder & Chairman, is a benefit to mankind, he has done the best by giving us Zenith Bank. 99.9% of my savings is in Zenith Bank, because I have confidence in them and in the Management led by Dame Dr. Adaora. I want to encourage many Nigerians to invest in Zenith Bank so that they too can reap the fruit of their labor as soon as possible. I am very happy to be a shareholder of this bank.Chief Timothy Adesiyan, President of the Shareholders Solidarity Association of Nigeria, praised the Chairman and Management of Zenith Bank for their consistent delivery of value to shareholders. He noted, “The dividend we received this year of N5 has been a promise which they have given to us at several forums which they have called at different times, and we thank them for not failing us in their promise. I am very proud to be a shareholder of Zenith Bank, and also their customer. The bank is a very reliable bank – if you keep your investments in Zenith Bank, you can go to sleep because there is always somebody there watching your investment for you.”The bank’s robust financial performance in 2024 alluded to its commitment to continually delivering value to its investors in spite of challenging macroeconomic conditions. Zenith Bank Group achieved a remarkable double-digit growth of 86% in gross earnings, from NGN2.13 trillion in the previous year to NGN3.97 trillion in 2024. This was driven by a 138% increase in interest income, supported by investment in high-yield government securities, and growth in the Bank’s loan book. Customer Total assets rose by 47%, underpinned by a strong liquidity position and effective balance sheet management.Zenith Bank’s track record of excellent performance has continued to earn the brand numerous awards including being recognized as the Number One Bank in Nigeria by Tier-1 Capital for the fifteenth consecutive year in the 2024 Top 1000 World Banks Ranking, published by The Banker Magazine. The Bank was also awarded the Bank of the Year (Nigeria) in The Banker’s Bank of the Year Awards for 2020, 2022 and 2024; and Best Bank in Nigeria for four times in five years, from 2020 to 2022 and in 2024, in the Global Finance World’s Best Banks Awards of Zenith Bank Plc, at the 34th Annual General Meeting (AGM) held at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, approved the proposed final dividend payment of NGN4.00 per share, bringing the total dividend for the 2024 financial year to NGN5.00 per share, with a total value of NGN195.67 billion.The Founder and Chairman of Zenith Bank Plc, Jim Ovia, CFR, thanked the shareholders for their unflinching support and commitment, which have been responsible for the bank’s stellar performance over the years. He noted that despite challenges globally in 2024, Zenith Bank was able to leverage the opportunities within the environment of each subsidiary to record a performance that solidly attests to the bank’s resilience as a brand.The Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Dame Dr. Adaora Umeoji, OON, expressed her appreciation to the shareholders for their commitment and support, promising quantum leap in dividends going forward. According to her, “This is the first time that I am addressing the Annual General Meeting (AGM) in my capacity as the first female GMD/CEO of Zenith Bank. I would like to thank you for your confidence and support that has placed me in this position today”. She further said that “Zenith Bank is committed to, not only meeting your expectations, but exceeding them. We are focused on running a very efficient and sustainable institution that is resilient and will ensure that our institution outlives many generations to come”. Talking specifically about dividend, she emphasized that “If you look at our dividends trajectory, payments over the period have always increased and we will continue to maintain this record. We have successfully completed our recapitalization exercise, achieving 160% subscription. Therefore, we are not under any pressure to go back for the second time to raise funds. Zenith Bank has sufficient capital buffer to do business and we will continue to delight our shareholders. We are committed to growing our topline organically while adhering to our strict corporate governance culture.”Dr. Faruk Umar, President of the Association of the Rights of Nigerian Shareholders (AARNS), applauded the Group Managing Director for her efforts in ensuring the growth of the bank’s financial indices. He said, “We are very happy that the bank is paying us N5. Most importantly the GMD/CEO, Dame Dr. Adaora Umeoji, has done so well. In the past year, she won the award for the Banker of the Year which is very commendable, and all the bank’s indices have gone up; we are now experiencing trillions in profit against N676 billion the previous year, and the shareholder’s funds, the gross earnings – everything now is in trillions. I think this is very commendable. The bank has won so many awards – no bank in Nigeria has won such qualitative awards like they have. They also surpassed the capitalization threshold of CBN by 160% – this is unprecedented. We are very happy with their performance.”Speaking on the dividend payout, Alhaji Otunba Mukhtar Mukhtar, Chairman, Trusted Shareholders Association of Nigeria, said “The consistency of Zenith Bank dividend payout has never been matched in Nigeria. Since the inception of this bank, they have kept giving shareholders a consistent dividend payout, and this has made shareholders to be richer, happier, and more excited at the hardwork, performance and commitment of the bank. We are very happy. If you look at the Profit Before Tax (PBT) and the Profit After Tax (PAT), they have been able to cross the N1 trillion
threshold. They have given us a Profit Before Tax of N1.3 trillion, which is very commendable. The shareholders, as you have seen at the meeting, have expressed their happiness and joy about this performance. I am grateful to the Chairman, Dr. Jim Ovia, CFR, the Management and the Board for such an outstanding performance.”Ambassador Dr. Olatunde Okelana, the Balogun Olugbon of Orile- Igbon, Oyo State, also commented on the bank’s dividend payout. In his words, “Zenith Bank investment has been the best for me. I want to believe that whoever has not invested in Zenith Bank has lost. Their dividend policy is very palatable, very beautiful in the banking industry and the lady at the helm of affairs is performing wonderfully well. She is one of the best female CEOs in the banking Industry in Nigeria. I am a capitalist, so I invest where my money can give me beautiful returns. I want to tell you that Zenith Bank has been the best in the capital market and it is the best investment. Dr. Jim Ovia, CFR, the Founder & Chairman, is a benefit to mankind, he has done the best by giving us Zenith Bank. 99.9% of my savings is in Zenith Bank, because I have confidence in them and in the Management led by Dame Dr. Adaora. I want to encourage many Nigerians to invest in Zenith Bank so that they too can reap the fruit of their labor as soon as possible. I am very happy to be a shareholder of this bank.Chief Timothy Adesiyan, President of the Shareholders Solidarity Association of Nigeria, praised the Chairman and Management of Zenith Bank for their consistent delivery of value to shareholders. He noted, “The dividend we received this year of N5 has been a promise which they have given to us at several forums which they have called at different times, and we thank them for not failing us in their promise. I am very proud to be a shareholder of Zenith Bank, and also their customer. The bank is a very reliable bank – if you keep your investments in Zenith Bank, you can go to sleep because there is always somebody there watching your investment for you.”The bank’s robust financial performance in 2024 alluded to its commitment to continually delivering value to its investors in spite of challenging macroeconomic conditions. Zenith Bank Group achieved a remarkable double-digit growth of 86% in gross earnings, from NGN2.13 trillion in the previous year to NGN3.97 trillion in 2024. This was driven by a 138% increase in interest income, supported by investment in high-yield government securities, and growth in the Bank’s loan book. Customer Total assets rose by 47%, underpinned by a strong liquidity position and effective balance sheet management.Zenith Bank’s track record of excellent performance has continued to earn the brand numerous awards including being recognized as the Number One Bank in Nigeria by Tier-1 Capital for the fifteenth consecutive year in the 2024 Top 1000 World Banks Ranking, published by The Banker Magazine. The Bank was also awarded the Bank of the Year (Nigeria) in The Banker’s Bank of the Year Awards for 2020, 2022 and 2024; and Best Bank in Nigeria for four times in five years, from 2020 to 2022 and in 2024, in the Global Finance World’s Best Banks Awards
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