Zenith Bank Plc has emerged as Bank of the Year in Nigeria in The Banker’s Bank of the Year
Awards 2022. The award, which was announced by The Banker Magazine, Financial Times Group,
United Kingdom, during the awards ceremony held in London on December 1, 2022, was in
recognition of Zenith Bank’s strong management, sound business model and strategy, support for
small businesses and efforts to cut energy consumption.
According to the Banker, Nigeria’s Bank
of the Year award was among the continent’s most hotly contested this year, befitting the country’s
status as Africa’s largest economy. This is coming on the heels of the award as Number One Bank
in Nigeria by Tier-1 Capital by The Banker won by Zenith Bank earlier in the year.
Commenting on the award, the Group Managing Director/CEO of Zenith Bank Plc, Ebenezer
Onyeagwu, said: “winning the Bank of the Year attests to our tenacity as an institution despite a
very challenging operating environment exacerbated by persistent macroeconomic headwinds.
Indeed, being recognised by The Banker – the world’s longest running international banking title, is
an acknowledgement of the resilience of the Zenith brand as the leading financial institution in
Nigeria and the West African sub-region.” He lauded the Founder and Chairman, Jim Ovia, CFR,
for his guidiance and pioneering role in laying the foundation and building the structures for an
enduring and successful institution, the Board for their outstanding leadership, the staff for their
commitment and dedication as well as the Bank’s customers for their unflinching loyalty to the
Zenith brand over the years.
Regarded as the industry standard for banking excellence, The Banker’s Bank of the Year award is
contested by the world’s leading financial institutions, with winners chosen across Africa, Asia-
Pacific, Central & Eastern Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, North America and Western
Europe.
Zenith Bank’s track record of excellent performance has continued to earn it numerous awards,
including being recognised as Number One Bank in Nigeria by Tier-1 Capital, for the 13th
consecutive year, in the 2022 Top 1000 World Banks Ranking published by The Banker Magazine;
Best Bank in Nigeria, for three consecutive years from 2020 to 2022, in the Global Finance World’s
Best Banks Awards; Best Commercial Bank, Nigeria 2021 and 2022 in the World Finance Banking
Awards; Best Corporate Governance Bank, Nigeria in the World Finance Corporate Governance
Awards 2022; Best in Corporate Governance’ Financial Services’ Africa, for three consecutive
years from 2020 to 2022, by the Ethical Boardroom; Best Commercial Bank, Nigeria and Best
Innovation In Retail Banking, Nigeria in the International Banker 2022 Banking Awards. Also, the
Bank emerged as the Most Valuable Banking Brand in Nigeria in the Banker Magazine Top 500
Banking Brands 2020 and 2021, Bank of the Year (Nigeria) in The Banker’s Bank of the Year
Awards 2020 and Retail Bank of the year, for three consecutive years from 2020 to 2022, at the
BusinessDay Banks and Other Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards.
Similarly, Zenith Bank was honoured as Bank of the Decade (People’s Choice) at the ThisDay
Awards 2020 and emerged winner in four categories at the Sustainability, Enterprise, and
Responsibility (SERAS) Awards 2021, carting home the awards for “Best Company in Reporting
and Transparency”, “Best Company in Infrastructure Development”, “Best Company in Gender
Equality and Women Empowerment”, and the coveted “Most Responsible Organisation in Africa.
