Zenith Bank Plc has been named Nigeria’s Best Bank for 2025 by the prestigious Euromoney Awards for Excellence. The award was presented to the bank at The Peninsula Hotel in London, United Kingdom. This latest recognition reaffirms Zenith Bank’s position as one of Nigeria’s leading financial institutions, known for its strong banking services, innovative products, and value delivery to customers and shareholders.
The Euromoney Awards for Excellence is a global event that recognises outstanding financial institutions around the world. The 2025 edition saw a record number of over 770 entries from top global banks such as HSBC, Morgan Stanley, Citibank, Barclays, Standard Bank, and Development Bank of Singapore (DBS). The awards celebrate leadership, innovation, and resilience in the banking and financial services industry.
Zenith Bank’s Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Adaora Umeoji, expressed her delight at the award. She said the bank was proud to be recognised as Nigeria’s Best Bank by Euromoney. According to her, the award is a testament to the bank’s commitment to excellence and the trust customers have placed in Zenith Bank. She said the bank remains focused on supporting Nigeria’s financial ecosystem through quality services, governance, and innovation.
Dr Umeoji dedicated the award to Zenith Bank’s customers across the globe, the founder and Chairman, Jim Ovia, the bank’s Board of Directors, and the staff. She praised the collective efforts of the team in building Zenith Bank into a competitive institution that contributes to Nigeria’s economic development. She also assured that the bank will continue to maintain high standards of governance, integrity, and transparency.
Zenith Bank has continued to dominate the Nigerian banking sector with several awards and recognitions. In 2025, The Banker magazine ranked Zenith Bank as the Number One Bank in Nigeria by Tier-1 Capital for the 16th consecutive year. The Banker’s Top 1000 World Banks ranking evaluates banks globally based on financial strength and performance.
The bank has also been recognised by The Banker as the Bank of the Year (Nigeria) in 2020, 2022, and 2024. Global Finance magazine named Zenith Bank the Best Bank in Nigeria from 2020 to 2022, and again in 2024 and 2025. These recognitions highlight the bank’s leadership in the financial sector and its ability to adapt to changing market conditions.
Zenith Bank was previously awarded the Best Bank for Digital Solutions in Nigeria by Euromoney in 2023. This was in recognition of its continuous efforts to provide innovative digital banking services to customers. The bank was also named the Best Commercial Bank in Nigeria by World Finance Banking Awards for five years in a row from 2021 to 2025.
In addition, Zenith Bank received the Most Sustainable Bank in Nigeria award from International Banker in 2023 and 2024. The bank’s strong corporate governance practices also earned it the Best Corporate Governance Bank in Nigeria by World Finance from 2022 to 2025. Ethical Boardroom named Zenith Bank the Best in Corporate Governance Financial Services Africa between 2020 and 2023.
Other notable recognitions include Most Valuable Banking Brand in Nigeria by The Banker’s Top 500 Banking Brands in 2020 and 2021. Zenith Bank was also named Bank of the Year in 2023 and 2024 by BusinessDay Banks and Other Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards. At the same BAFI Awards, the bank won Retail Bank of the Year for 2020 to 2022 and again in 2024.
International Banker awarded Zenith Bank Best Commercial Bank and Best Innovation in Retail Banking in Nigeria in 2022. At the SERAS CSR Awards Africa 2024, the bank was named the Most Responsible Organisation in Africa, Best Company in Transparency and Reporting, and Best Company in Gender Equality and Women Empowerment.
Local media organisations also recognised Zenith Bank. It was named Bank of the Year 2024 by both ThisDay Newspaper and New Telegraph Newspaper. In addition, the bank was awarded Best in MSME Trade Finance 2023 by Nairametrics. The bank’s Rights Issue/Public Offer was also named Rights Issue/Public Offer of the Year by the Nairametrics Capital Market Choice Awards 2025.
Zenith Bank’s consistent track record of awards reflects its leadership in the Nigerian banking industry. The bank has remained a key player in promoting financial innovation, sustainable banking, corporate governance, and customer service excellence. Its contributions continue to shape the future of banking in Nigeria and across Africa.
