Zenith Bank Plc has been named Africa’s Best Bank and Nigeria’s Best Bank at the Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2026, emerging with the continent’s top banking honour while retaining the national award for the second consecutive year.

The awards were presented to the bank at The Peninsula London Hotel in London. According to the bank, the recognition reflects its financial performance, customer service, digital innovation and contribution to economic development across Nigeria and the African continent.

The Euromoney Awards for Excellence assess banks based on strategy, profitability, risk management, digital transformation and impact on stakeholders. This year’s edition attracted more than 770 entries from financial institutions across the world.

Speaking on the awards, the Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Zenith Bank Plc, Dame Adaora Umeoji, said the recognition reflected the confidence of customers and the commitment of the bank’s workforce.

She said, “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 unicorn 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, drive financial inclusion, and support the growth of businesses across Africa.”

Umeoji also commended regulators in the countries where the bank operates for providing an enabling environment that supported the achievement.

Zenith Bank said it continued to post strong financial results while increasing investment in technology, artificial intelligence and digital banking solutions. In the 2025 financial year, the bank recorded gross earnings of N4.19 trillion, representing a six per cent increase year-on-year, while profit after tax rose to N1.04 trillion. It also reduced its non-performing loan ratio from 4.7 per cent to 3.8 per cent.

The bank added that it rewarded shareholders with a total dividend of N10.00 per share, amounting to N410.69 billion for the 2025 financial year, double the N5.00 per share paid in 2024. It also said it had strengthened its pan-African presence and expanded its trade and transaction banking services to support businesses across key markets.

Zenith Bank said the latest Euromoney recognition adds to a growing list of local and international awards received by the institution, including being ranked Nigeria’s number one bank by Tier-1 capital for the 17th consecutive year in The Banker Top 1000 World Banks Ranking 2026 and winning Nigeria’s Best Bank at the Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2025.

The bank also highlighted several other recognitions for corporate governance, sustainability, commercial banking, retail banking, innovation, transparency, gender equality and corporate social responsibility, which it said reflected its continued commitment to excellence.