Zenith Bank Plc has been crowned Africa’s Best Bank and Nigeria’s Best Bank at the prestigious 2026 Euromoney Awards for Excellence, reaffirming its position as one of the continent’s leading financial institutions.

The awards, presented at The Peninsula London Hotel on July 16, 2026, saw Zenith Bank retain the Nigeria’s Best Bank title for the second consecutive year while also clinching the highly coveted continental award as Africa’s Best Bank.

The recognition follows the bank’s impressive financial performance, digital transformation initiatives, strong corporate governance, and continued contribution to economic growth across Africa.

The Euromoney Awards for Excellence are widely regarded as one of the highest honours in global banking, assessing financial institutions based on strategy, profitability, risk management, innovation, digital banking capabilities, and stakeholder impact. 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, Zenith Bank’s Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dame Dr. Adaora Umeoji, OON, described the awards as a reflection of the confidence customers have reposed in the bank and the commitment of its workforce.

She said the recognition reinforces Zenith Bank’s determination to build a globally competitive African financial institution while expanding financial inclusion and supporting businesses across the continent.

Umeoji also acknowledged the role of financial regulators in the countries where the bank operates for creating an enabling environment that has supported its growth and dedicated the awards to the bank’s Founder, Jim Ovia, CFR, for his visionary leadership and enduring legacy.

Zenith Bank’s strong financial performance further underpinned the recognition. In its 2025 financial year, the bank recorded gross earnings of ₦4.19 trillion, representing a six per cent increase year-on-year, while profit after tax rose to ₦1.04 trillion. It also reduced its non-performing loan ratio from 4.7 per cent to 3.8 per cent.

The bank rewarded shareholders with a record dividend of ₦10.00 per share, amounting to ₦410.69 billion for the 2025 financial year, representing a 100 per cent increase over the ₦5.00 per share paid in 2024.

Beyond its financial performance, Zenith Bank has continued to expand its footprint across Africa, investing significantly in digital banking, artificial intelligence and trade finance solutions aimed at strengthening cross-border business transactions.

The latest Euromoney recognition adds to an extensive list of local and international honours earned by the bank over the years.

Earlier in 2026, Zenith Bank was 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. The bank has also consistently received awards from Global Finance, World Finance, International Banker, BusinessDay, ThisDay, New Telegraph, Nairametrics and Ethical Boardroom for excellence in banking, digital innovation, sustainability, corporate governance and retail banking.

The bank’s commitment to responsible business practices has also attracted recognition beyond finance, including honours at the SERAS CSR Awards Africa 2024, where it was named Most Responsible Organisation in Africa, Best Company in Transparency and Reporting, and Best Company in Gender Equality and Women Empowerment.

With its latest triumph at the Euromoney Awards for Excellence, Zenith Bank has further strengthened its reputation as one of Africa’s most successful and innovative banking institutions.