Zenith Bank Wins Nigeria’s Best Bank Award for Fifth Time in Six Years at Global Finance 2025
Zenith Bank Plc has once again been recognized as the “Best Bank in Nigeria” at the Global Finance Best Banks Awards 2025, marking its fifth win in the past six years. The bank was among winners from 36 African countries celebrated during the 32nd Annual Best Bank Awards by Global Finance.
This year’s awards highlight banks that demonstrated resilience and customer focus amid challenging market conditions, achieving strong results while establishing a foundation for sustainable growth. Despite rapidly changing interest rate environments, the winning institutions skillfully managed their assets and liabilities to navigate uncertainty successfully.
Global Finance’s selection process involved extensive consultations with corporate financial leaders, banking consultants, analysts, and industry experts worldwide. The evaluation criteria combined objective metrics—such as asset growth, profitability, geographic reach, strategic alliances, innovation, and new business development—with subjective insights from industry analysts, credit rating agencies, and consultants.
Commenting on the award, Dame (Dr.) Adaora Umeoji, OON, Group Managing Director/CEO of Zenith Bank, expressed pride: “We are honored to retain our title as Nigeria’s Best Bank for the fifth year since 2020. This achievement underscores our unwavering dedication to delivering exceptional customer service, innovative financial solutions, and maintaining strong corporate governance. We remain committed to investing in our people, technology, and processes to uphold the highest standards of excellence.” She also acknowledged the vital contributions of the Bank’s founder Jim Ovia, CFR, the Board, staff, and loyal customers for their steadfast support.
Joseph D. Giarraputo, publisher and editorial director of Global Finance, noted: “Global banking continues to evolve with resilience and innovation, especially through digital transformation and AI-driven advancements. The Best Bank Awards recognize institutions that excel across service offerings, stability, and technological innovation, shaping the future of banking.”
Since its inception in 1987, Global Finance’s “Best Banks Awards” have become one of the most credible recognitions in the industry, with winners chosen from over 150 countries across continents. Zenith Bank’s consistent excellence has earned it numerous accolades, including being ranked the Number One Bank in Nigeria by Tier-1 Capital in the 2024 Top 1000 World Banks list by The Banker Magazine.
Additional recognitions include Bank of the Year (Nigeria) in The Banker’s awards for 2020, 2022, and 2024; Best Bank in Nigeria from 2020 to 2022 and again in 2024 at the Global Finance Best Banks Awards; Best Bank for Digital Solutions in Nigeria at the Euromoney Awards 2023; and inclusion in the World Finance Top 100 Global Companies in 2023.
Further honors encompass Best Commercial Bank, Nigeria (2021-2024), Most Sustainable Bank, Nigeria (2023-2024), and Best Corporate Governance Bank in Nigeria by World Finance for 2022-2024. The bank has also been recognized as the Most Valuable Banking Brand in Nigeria (2020-2021) by The Banker, and has received awards for innovation, responsibility, transparency, gender equality, and women empowerment from various industry bodies.