Zenith Bank Plc has been crowned Africa’s Best Bank and Nigeria’s Best Bank at the prestigious Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2026, retaining its position as Nigeria’s top banking institution for the second consecutive year.
The awards, presented in London, recognise Zenith Bank’s outstanding financial performance, digital innovation, customer-focused services and significant contribution to economic development across Africa.
Widely regarded as one of the banking industry’s most prestigious honours, the Euromoney Awards for Excellence assess financial institutions based on key performance indicators, including profitability, strategic execution, risk management, digital transformation and overall impact on customers and stakeholders.
Reacting to the recognition, the Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Zenith Bank, Dr. Adaora Umeoji, described the awards as a testament to the confidence and trust customers, shareholders and other stakeholders continue to place in the bank.
She said the achievement reflects the dedication, professionalism and resilience of Zenith Bank’s workforce, adding that the recognition reinforces the institution’s commitment to building a world-class African financial services brand.
According to Umeoji, the latest honours will inspire the bank to continue expanding financial inclusion, delivering innovative banking solutions, creating value for customers and supporting businesses and economic growth across the continent.
She also expressed appreciation to regulators in the countries where Zenith Bank operates for providing a conducive regulatory environment, while dedicating the awards to the bank’s founder and Chairman, Jim Ovia, whose vision and leadership, she said, laid the foundation for the bank’s sustained excellence.
Zenith Bank maintained a strong financial performance in the 2025 financial year, posting gross earnings of N4.19 trillion and profit after tax of N1.04 trillion. The bank also improved its asset quality by reducing its non-performing loan ratio from 4.7 per cent to 3.8 per cent.
The latest recognition adds to Zenith Bank’s growing list of international accolades. Earlier this year, the bank was ranked Nigeria’s number one bank by Tier-1 Capital for the 17th consecutive year in The Banker magazine’s 2026 Top 1000 World Banks ranking.
The consecutive Euromoney awards further strengthen Zenith Bank’s reputation as one of Africa’s leading financial institutions, recognised for strong corporate governance, innovation, operational excellence and sustainable growth.
