Zenith Bank Plc has emerged as Africa’s Best Bank and Nigeria’s Best Bank at the prestigious Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2026, reaffirming its leadership in the continent’s banking industry.
The bank received the two top honours at the awards ceremony held on July 16, 2026, at The Peninsula London Hotel in London, with the Nigerian lender retaining the Nigeria’s Best Bank title for the second consecutive year while also clinching the coveted continental award.
According to the bank, the awards recognise excellence in financial performance, customer service, digital innovation, risk management, profitability and overall impact on stakeholders.
This year’s competition attracted more than 770 entries from leading global financial institutions, including HSBC, Morgan Stanley, Citibank, Barclays, Standard Bank and DBS Bank of Singapore.
Reacting to the recognition, Zenith Bank Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dame Dr. Adaora Umeoji, described the awards as a reflection of the confidence reposed in the bank by its customers and stakeholders.
“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,” she said.
She added that the awards would motivate the bank to continue delivering superior value, expanding financial inclusion and supporting business growth across Africa.
Umeoji also commended financial regulators in the jurisdictions where Zenith Bank operates for providing an enabling regulatory environment.
She dedicated the awards to the bank’s founder, Jim Ovia, thanking him for his vision and commitment to excellence, which she said laid the foundation for the bank’s success.
The recognition comes on the back of the bank’s strong 2025 financial performance. Zenith Bank reported gross earnings of ₦4.19 trillion, representing a six per cent year-on-year increase, while profit after tax rose to ₦1.04 trillion.
The bank also reduced its non-performing loan ratio from 4.7 per cent to 3.8 per cent and rewarded shareholders with a record total dividend of ₦10.00 per share, amounting to ₦410.69 billion, double the ₦5.00 per share paid in 2024.
The bank said it has continued to expand its investments in technology, artificial intelligence and digital banking solutions while strengthening its pan-African operations and trade finance capabilities.
The latest recognition adds to Zenith Bank’s growing list of local and international honours. Earlier this year, it 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 and had also won Nigeria’s Best Bank at the Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2025.
Over the years, Zenith Bank has also received several awards from organisations including The Banker, Global Finance, World Finance, International Banker, BusinessDay, ThisDay, New Telegraph, Nairametrics and the SERAS CSR Awards Africa, recognising its performance in corporate governance, digital banking, sustainability, retail banking, trade finance and corporate social responsibility.
