Euromoney Awards 2026: Zenith Bank Makes History, Clinches Africa’s Best Bank and Nigeria’s Best Bank Titles

Zenith Bank Plc has achieved another milestone on the global banking stage, emerging as both “Africa’s Best Bank” and “Nigeria’s Best Bank” at the prestigious Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2026.

The Nigerian financial giant secured the two highly coveted honours at a grand ceremony held on Thursday, July 16, 2026, at The Peninsula London Hotel, United Kingdom, further cementing its reputation as one of Africa’s leading banking institutions.

The latest recognition marks the second consecutive year Zenith Bank has been named Nigeria’s Best Bank, while the continental award places the lender among the elite financial institutions shaping Africa’s banking landscape.

The Euromoney Awards for Excellence, regarded as one of the most prestigious recognitions in global finance, assesses banks based on key performance indicators including profitability, strategy execution, risk management, digital transformation, customer experience, and broader economic impact.

The 2026 edition attracted more than 770 entries from leading financial institutions globally, including major international players such as HSBC, Morgan Stanley, Citibank, Barclays, Standard Bank, and DBS Bank of Singapore.

Reacting to the achievement, Zenith Bank’s Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Dame Dr. Adaora Umeoji, OON, described the awards as a reflection of the bank’s commitment to excellence, innovation, and customer-focused banking.

“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.

Umeoji added that the awards would further motivate the bank to expand financial inclusion, support businesses, and deliver greater value across Africa.

She also acknowledged the role of financial regulators in creating an enabling environment that has supported Zenith Bank’s growth across various markets.

The Zenith Bank CEO dedicated the achievement to the bank’s founder, Jim Ovia, CFR, crediting his vision, leadership, and commitment to excellence as key foundations behind the institution’s success.

The award comes on the back of Zenith Bank’s impressive financial performance and aggressive investment in technology-driven banking solutions.

In the 2025 financial year, the bank recorded a 6 per cent year-on-year increase in gross earnings to N4.19 trillion, while profit after tax surged to N1.04 trillion.

The lender also strengthened its asset quality by reducing its non-performing loan ratio from 4.7 per cent to 3.8 per cent, reflecting improved risk management and operational discipline.

Rewarding shareholders for their confidence, Zenith Bank declared a record-breaking total dividend of N10 per share, amounting to N410.69 billion for the 2025 financial year. The payout represented a 100 per cent increase compared with the N5 per share paid in 2024.

Beyond Nigeria, the bank has continued to expand its pan-African footprint, strengthening trade finance and transaction banking capabilities to connect businesses across key markets on the continent.

The latest Euromoney recognition adds to Zenith Bank’s growing collection of international honours.

The bank was recently ranked the Number One Bank in Nigeria by Tier-1 Capital for the 17th consecutive year in The Banker’s 2026 Top 1000 World Banks Ranking.

It has also previously won multiple awards, including Nigeria’s Best Bank at the Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2025, Bank of the Year (Nigeria) in The Banker’s Bank of the Year Awards in 2020, 2022, and 2024, and Best Bank in Nigeria in the Global Finance World’s Best Banks Awards in several years.

Other recognitions include Best Bank for Digital Solutions in Nigeria at the Euromoney Awards 2023, listing among the World Finance Top 100 Global Companies in 2023, and being named Best Commercial Bank, Nigeria for six consecutive years from 2021 to 2026 in the World Finance Banking Awards.

Zenith Bank was also recognised as Most Sustainable Bank, Nigeria in the International Banker Banking Awards for 2023, 2024, and 2026, while earning the title of Best Corporate Governance Bank, Nigeria in the World Finance Corporate Governance Awards from 2022 to 2026.

With its latest double victory at the Euromoney Awards, Zenith Bank continues to strengthen its position as a powerhouse in African banking, combining financial resilience, technological innovation, and strategic expansion to compete on the global stage.