Group Managing Director/CEO of Zenith Bank Plc, Dame Dr. Adaora Umeoji, OON
Abayomi Susan
Zenith Bank Plc has been honoured as Africa’s Best Bank and Nigeria’s Best Bank at the prestigious Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2026, securing the top national and continental banking awards. The recognition marks the second consecutive year the bank has been named Nigeria’s Best Bank, further reinforcing its position as one of Africa’s leading financial institutions.
The awards were presented to the bank on Thursday, July 16, 2026, at The Peninsula London Hotel, London, in recognition of its outstanding performance in financial growth, customer service delivery, digital transformation, innovation and contribution to economic development across Nigeria and the African continent.
The Euromoney Awards for Excellence remain among the most respected global recognitions in the financial industry, assessing institutions based on key performance indicators including business strategy, profitability, risk management, digital advancement and stakeholder impact. The 2026 edition attracted over 770 entries from leading global financial institutions, including major international banks.
Commenting on the achievement, the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Zenith Bank Plc, Dame Dr. Adaora Umeoji, OON, described the recognition as a reflection of the confidence of customers, the dedication of the bank’s workforce and its commitment to building a globally competitive African financial institution.
“We are deeply honoured by these recognitions from Euromoney. Being recognised as Africa’s Best Bank and Nigeria’s Best Bank reflects the trust of our customers, the dedication of our workforce and our unwavering commitment to building a truly African global financial institution. These awards inspire us to do even more to deliver superior value, promote financial inclusion and support the growth of businesses across Africa,” she said.
Dame Umeoji also commended regulators across the jurisdictions where Zenith Bank operates for providing an enabling environment that has supported the institution’s continued growth and success.
She dedicated the awards to the Founder of Zenith Bank Plc, Jim Ovia, CFR, acknowledging his vision, leadership and commitment to excellence, which she described as instrumental to the bank’s remarkable journey.
Zenith Bank has continued to record impressive financial performance while increasing investments in technology, artificial intelligence and digital banking solutions. In the 2025 financial year, the bank recorded a six per cent year-on-year growth in gross earnings to ₦4.19 trillion and achieved a profit after tax of ₦1.04 trillion, while improving its non-performing loan ratio from 4.7 per cent to 3.8 per cent.
In line with its commitment to rewarding shareholders, Zenith Bank paid a record total dividend of ₦10.00 per share, amounting to ₦410.69 billion, for the 2025 financial year, representing a 100 per cent increase compared with the ₦5.00 per share paid in 2024.
The bank has also continued to strengthen its pan-African operations while expanding its trade and transaction banking capabilities to facilitate business connections across key markets.
The latest Euromoney recognition adds to Zenith Bank’s growing portfolio of local and international awards and further validates its reputation for excellence, innovation and responsible banking.
The bank was recently ranked the Number One Bank in Nigeria by Tier-1 Capital for the 17th consecutive year in the 2026 Top 1000 World Banks Ranking published by The Banker. It was also named Nigeria’s Best Bank at the Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2025.
Other recognitions include Bank of the Year (Nigeria) at The Banker’s Bank of the Year Awards in 2020, 2022 and 2024; Best Bank in Nigeria by Global Finance World’s Best Banks Awards in multiple years; Best Bank for Digital Solutions in Nigeria at the Euromoney Awards 2023; and inclusion in the World Finance Top 100 Global Companies in 2023.
Zenith Bank has also been recognised as Best Commercial Bank, Nigeria, for six consecutive years from 2021 to 2026 at the World Finance Banking Awards, Most Sustainable Bank, Nigeria, at the International Banker Banking Awards, and Best Corporate Governance Bank, Nigeria, at the World Finance Corporate Governance Awards from 2022 to 2026.
Further accolades include recognition by Ethical Boardroom as Best in Corporate Governance Financial Services Africa, being named Most Valuable Banking Brand in Nigeria by The Banker’s Top 500 Banking Brands, and receiving multiple awards at the BusinessDay Banks and Other Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards.
Zenith Bank’s commitment to responsible banking and sustainability has also earned it recognition as 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.
With a strong record of innovation, financial performance and corporate responsibility, Zenith Bank continues to strengthen its position as a leading force in Africa’s banking landscape.
