By Ayomide Otitoju
Zenith Bank Plc has announced the launch of a new subsidiary in Côte d’Ivoire, marking a key milestone in its Pan-African expansion strategy.
The official opening ceremony is scheduled for April 29, 2026, and is expected to attract senior government officials, regulators, and business leaders from across Africa, underscoring growing economic ties between Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire.
The subsidiary, licensed in December 2025 by the Ivorian Ministry of Finance and Budget and regulated by the UMOA Banking Commission, will operate from its headquarters in Plateau, Abidjan.
The expansion is aimed at strengthening the bank’s footprint in Francophone West Africa and enhancing financial intermediation within the West African Economic and Monetary Union. The new subsidiary will provide corporate banking, trade finance, and structured financial services to support cross-border trade and investment.
Group Managing Director/CEO, Adaora Umeoji, said the move aligns with the bank’s long-term vision of building a global African brand, adding that the new operation will facilitate trade and investment flows across the region.
The subsidiary will be led by Cédric Tano, who noted that the bank aims to deliver customer-focused services while leveraging global best practices and local market knowledge to support economic growth in Côte d’Ivoire and the wider region.
The Côte d’Ivoire entry is part of Zenith Bank’s broader strategy to expand beyond Anglophone markets into Francophone Africa. The bank is also pursuing entry into the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC), with Cameroon identified as a key market.
Founded in 1990, Zenith Bank operates across multiple international markets, including the United Kingdom, France, the UAE, and China, and has maintained a strong financial performance, including a 16-year record of highest Tier-1 capital in Nigeria’s banking sector.
