Zenith Bank Plc has announced its Group financial results for the half year ended June 2025, recording a profit before tax of N625.629 billion.
On the back of this strong performance, the Board approved an interim dividend of N1.25 per share—representing a 25% increase over the N1.00 paid in H1 2024. This underscores the Bank’s reputation as one of Nigeria’s leading dividend-paying institutions and reaffirms its longstanding commitment to rewarding shareholders.
The dividend payout reflects Zenith Bank’s solid fundamentals, despite increased provisioning requirements following the exit of the CBN forbearance regime. Gross earnings rose 20% year-on-year, climbing from N2.1 trillion to N2.5 trillion in H1 2025.
Interest income was the key driver, soaring 60% from N1.1 trillion to N1.8 trillion, boosted by strategic repricing of risk assets and effective treasury management.
Commenting on the results, Group Managing Director/CEO, Dame Dr. Adaora Umeoji, OON, said Zenith Bank’s performance highlighted the ingenuity of its workforce in a dynamic environment.
“Despite the huge provisioning requirements as the industry exits the CBN forbearance regime, we’ve seen substantial improvement in our asset quality. Our balance sheet remains robust with adequate capital buffers, positioning us well to seize opportunities across our key markets,” she said.
Looking ahead, the GMD/CEO noted that the Bank expects to accelerate its growth trajectory in the second half of the year following the successful exit from forbearance. She assured shareholders of stronger returns, hinting at a significant year-end dividend.
“Our shareholders can look forward to continued value creation as we leverage emerging opportunities and maintain our strategic growth with strong corporate governance culture,” she said.
She added: “We’re on a solid growth path that we expect to maintain through the rest of 2025 and into 2026. Our focus remains on innovation, digital transformation, and developing solutions that address our clients’ changing needs. With improving market conditions, we’re well placed to sustain this momentum whilst maintaining responsible leadership and delivering exceptional value to all our stakeholders.”
For H1 2025, profit after tax stood at N532 billion, with earnings per share at N12.95. Net interest income surged 90% year-on-year from N715 billion to N1.4 trillion, while non-interest income contributed N613 billion.
Total assets rose to N31 trillion in June 2025, up from N30 trillion in December 2024, supported by a strong balance sheet. Customer deposits increased by 7%, from N22 trillion to N23 trillion, while the loan book stood at N10.2 trillion, reflecting prudent risk management.
Returns remained strong, with ROAE at 24.8% and ROAA at 3.5% as of June 2025. The cost-to-income ratio was 48.2%, reflecting necessary regulatory provisioning and inflationary effects. Asset quality strengthened, with the NPL ratio dropping to 3.1% from 4.7% in December 2024. Capital adequacy stood at 26% and liquidity ratio at 69%, both well above regulatory thresholds.
In a statement to investors, the Bank reaffirmed that its performance aligns with global sustainability goals, highlighting its integration of ESG principles across operations. It noted that its financial strength has been leveraged to support SMEs and women entrepreneurs with capital, training, mentorship, and market opportunities.
The Bank’s loan portfolio now includes multi-tiered ESG compliance processes, while its adoption of cleaner energy across operations reflects its responsible banking philosophy.