Zenith Bank Plc has been crowned Africa’s Best Bank and Nigeria’s Best Bank at the prestigious Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2026, reinforcing its position as one of the continent’s leading financial institutions.
The awards, presented on July 16, 2026, at The Peninsula London Hotel, saw Zenith Bank retain the Nigeria’s Best Bank title for the second consecutive year while also clinching the coveted continental award of Africa’s Best Bank.
The recognition highlights the Bank’s outstanding financial performance, exceptional customer service, digital transformation, sound risk management, and significant contribution to economic development across Nigeria and Africa.
The Euromoney Awards for Excellence are regarded as one of the highest honours in the global banking industry. This year’s competition attracted more than 770 entries from leading international financial institutions, including HSBC, Morgan Stanley, Citibank, Barclays, Standard Bank, and DBS Bank of Singapore.
Reacting to the achievement, the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Zenith Bank, Dame Dr. Adaora Umeoji, OON, described the awards as a reflection of the confidence reposed in the Bank by its customers and stakeholders.
She said the recognition underscores the dedication of the Bank’s workforce and its commitment to building a globally competitive African financial institution. According to her, the awards will further inspire Zenith Bank to deliver greater value, promote financial inclusion, and support business growth across the continent.
Dr. Umeoji also expressed appreciation to financial regulators across the jurisdictions where the Bank operates for creating an enabling regulatory environment. She dedicated the awards to the Founder of Zenith Bank Plc, Jim Ovia, CFR, acknowledging his visionary leadership and enduring commitment to excellence.
Zenith Bank maintained its strong financial trajectory in the 2025 financial year, recording ₦4.19 trillion in gross earnings, a 6 percent increase over the previous year. The Bank also posted a profit after tax of ₦1.04 trillion, while reducing its non-performing loan ratio from 4.7 percent to 3.8 percent.
In line with its shareholder value strategy, Zenith Bank declared a record ₦10.00 dividend per share, amounting to ₦410.69 billion, representing a 100 percent increase from the ₦5.00 per share paid in 2024.
The Bank has continued to strengthen its investments in digital banking, artificial intelligence, and technology-driven financial services while expanding its pan-African footprint and trade finance capabilities.
The latest Euromoney recognition adds to an impressive list of local and international honours earned by Zenith Bank over the years. The Bank was recently ranked Nigeria’s Number One Bank by Tier-1 Capital for the 17th consecutive year in The Banker magazine’s Top 1000 World Banks Ranking 2026.
Other notable accolades include multiple Bank of the Year awards by The Banker, Global Finance, BusinessDay BAFI Awards, World Finance, International Banker, and ThisDay Newspaper, alongside recognitions for corporate governance, digital banking, sustainability, retail banking, MSME trade finance, and innovation.
Beyond financial performance, Zenith Bank has also been recognised for its commitment to corporate social responsibility, winning awards such 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.
The latest Euromoney Awards further solidify Zenith Bank’s reputation as one of Africa’s most successful, innovative, and respected banking institutions.
