By Ayomide otitoju
Zenith Bank Plc has reported a profit before tax of ₦625.63 billion for the half year ended June 30, 2025, on the back of strong growth in interest income and resilient asset quality. The Board approved an interim dividend of ₦1.25 per share, up 25 percent from the ₦1.00 declared in the same period last year, underscoring the bank’s consistent commitment to rewarding shareholders.
Gross earnings rose 20 percent year-on-year to ₦2.5 trillion from ₦2.1 trillion in H1 2024, driven largely by a 60 percent surge in interest income to ₦1.8 trillion, attributed to the strategic repricing of risk assets and effective treasury management. Profit after tax stood at ₦532 billion, while earnings per share came in at ₦12.95.
Group Managing Director/CEO, Dame Dr. Adaora Umeoji, OON, described the results as a reflection of the bank’s “creativity and innovation” in a dynamic operating environment. She noted that despite higher provisioning requirements following the industry-wide exit from the CBN forbearance regime, asset quality improved significantly, with the non-performing loan (NPL) ratio dropping to 3.1 percent in June 2025 from 4.7 percent in December 2024.
“Our balance sheet remains robust with adequate capital buffers, positioning us well to seize opportunities across key markets,” Umeoji said, adding that the bank expects to accelerate growth in the second half of the year, with the prospect of delivering “a quantum year-end dividend.”
Zenith Bank closed the period with total assets of ₦31 trillion, up from ₦30 trillion at the end of 2024. Customer deposits grew by 7 percent to ₦23 trillion, reflecting strong market confidence, while the loan book moderated to ₦10.2 trillion, compared to ₦11 trillion in December 2024, in line with its prudent risk management.
Key performance ratios remained solid: return on average equity (ROAE) at 24.8 percent, return on average assets (ROAA) at 3.5 percent, and a cost-to-income ratio of 48.2 percent. The bank’s capital adequacy ratio (26 percent) and liquidity ratio (69 percent) were both comfortably above regulatory requirements.
Zenith Bank continues to consolidate its leadership in the Nigerian banking industry, recently ranked the Number One Bank in Nigeria by Tier-1 Capital for the 16th consecutive year in the 2025 Top 1000 World Banks Ranking by The Banker. It was also named Nigeria’s Best Bank at the Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2025, among several other local and international recognitions for performance, innovation, corporate governance, and sustainability.
