Zenith Bank Plc has posted an impressive profit before tax (PBT) of N625.629 billion. Following the robust performance, the board has approved an interim dividend of N1.25 per share, a 25 increase over the N1 paid in the first half of 2024.

It maintains its position as a leading dividend-paying bank and reinforces its longstanding commitment to rewarding its shareholders. The substantial dividend payout reflects exceptional underlying performance. Despite higher provisioning requirements from the industry-wide exit of the CBN forbearance regime, the bank recorded a robust 20 per cent year-on-year increase in gross earnings, which increased from N2.1 trillion to N2.5 trillion in H1 2025.

Interest income drove this performance with an impressive 60 per cent growth, climbing from N1.1 trillion to N1.8 trillion. The Bank achieved this impressive increase in interest income through strategic re-pricing of risk assets and effective treasury management.

Group Managing Director/CEO, Dr Adaora Umeoji, noted the performance reaffirmed the “creativity and innovation of our unicorn workforce in a dynamic operating environment”.

Building on the strong foundation, the GMD/CEO expects the bank to accelerate its growth trajectory in the second half of the year. She assured shareholders that the robust performance, combined with the improved asset quality, positions the bank to deliver exceptional returns, with expectations of a quantum year-end dividend for 2025.

“Our shareholders can look forward to continued value creation as we leverage emerging opportunities and maintain our strategic growth with a strong corporate governance culture,” she stated.