Shareholders of Zenith Bank Plc, at the 33rd Annual General Meeting (AGM) recently held at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, approved the proposed final dividend payment of NGN3.50 per share, bringing the total dividend for the 2023 financial year to NGN4.00 per share, with a total value of NGN125.59 billion, which is the highest dividend payout by any bank.
In his opening statement at the Annual General Meeting, Dr. Jim Ovia, CFR, Founder and Chairman of Zenith Bank Plc, thanked the shareholders for their unflinching support and loyalty to the Zenith brand which has been instrumental to the bank’s consistent superior performance.
At the AGM, Dr. Faruk Umar, President of the Association of the Rights of Nigerian Shareholders (AARNS), expressed his gratitude to the Chairman for facilitating a seamless succession plan. He stated, “The bank has performed exceptionally well, particularly in terms of succession planning. It’s encouraging to see the new Managing Director promoted from within, reinforcing our belief in the bank’s leadership development. This internal promotion strategy motivates our staff, giving them confidence that they can aspire to the highest levels within the bank.”
Chief Timothy Adesiyan, President of the Shareholders Solidarity Association of Nigeria, praised the Chairman and Management of Zenith Bank for their consistent delivery of value to shareholders. He noted, “The bank’s rapid growth can be attributed to the diligent oversight by our Founder, who is also a core investor and actively monitors all operations. This growth is further supported by our adherence to strict corporate governance principles. The bank’s performance metrics are clearly delineated and managed by dedicated committees, ensuring accountability and responsiveness. As a stakeholder, I am very pleased with their performance and attentive response to any concerns raised.”
In spite of challenging macroeconomic conditions coupled with economic headwinds, Zenith Bank Group achieved a remarkable triple-digit growth of 125% in gross earnings, from NGN945.6 billion in the previous year to NGN2.132 trillion in 2023. This was driven by a 112% YoY growth in interest income and a 141% YoY growth in non-interest income. Customer deposits grew by 69%, reflecting the bank’s market leadership and customers’ trust. Operating expenses grew by 32% YoY. Total assets rose by 66%, largely due to growth in total deposits and the revaluation of foreign currency deposits.
In 2024, Zenith Bank Group plans to expand its reach following its restructuring into a holding company structure, adding new verticals to its businesses and pursuing growth in all chosen markets, locally and internationally.
Zenith Bank’s track record of excellent performance has continued to earn the brand numerous awards, including being recognised as Best Bank in Nigeria, for the fourth time in five years, from 2020 to 2022 and in 2024, in the Global Finance World’s Best Banks Awards; the Best Bank for Digital Solutions in Nigeria in the Euromoney Awards 2023, being listed in the World Finance Top 100 Global Companies in 2023; being recognised as the Number One Bank in Nigeria by Tier-1 Capital, for the 14th consecutive year, in the 2023 Top 1000 World Banks Ranking published by The Banker Magazine; Best Commercial Bank, Nigeria, for three consecutive years from 2021 to 2023, in the World Finance Banking Awards; Best Corporate Governance Bank, Nigeria in the World Finance Corporate Governance Awards 2022 and 2023; Bank of the Year (Nigeria) in The Banker’s Bank of the Year Awards 2020 and 2022; Best in Corporate Governance’ Financial Services’ Africa, for four successive years from 2020 to 2023, by the Ethical Boardroom; Most Sustainable Bank, Nigeria in the International Banker 2023 Banking Awards; 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 2023 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 named Bank of the Decade (People’s Choice) at the ThisDay Awards 2020, Bank of the Year 2021 by Champion Newspaper, Bank of the Year 2022 by New Telegraph Newspaper, and Most Responsible Organisation in Africa 2021 by SERAS.