By Ayomide Otitoju
Zenith Bank Plc, Nigeria’s largest lender by Tier-1 Capital, has assured shareholders and investors of its commitment to continued dividend payments, while also affirming its plan to exit the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) regulatory forbearance regime by June 30, 2025.
This assurance comes amid increased regulatory scrutiny of banks’ capital adequacy and compliance, following new CBN directives suspending dividend payouts for lenders with unresolved forbearance-related exposures or breaches of the Single Obligor Limit (SOL).
In a statement filed with the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Group on Tuesday, Zenith Bank clarified that its SOL-related forbearance is limited to a single obligor, and that necessary steps have been taken to ensure the exposure is brought within regulatory thresholds by the end of June. The bank added that forbearance on other credit facilities pertains to only two customers, for which substantial provisions have already been made, with full provisioning expected by the June deadline.
Zenith Bank emphasized its solid capital position, confirming that it has surpassed the newly mandated minimum capital requirement of ₦500 billion, reinforcing its readiness to deliver long-term value to stakeholders.
The lender also highlighted its sustained industry leadership, underpinned by digital innovation, robust service delivery, and sound financial performance. It noted that its operational excellence and customer-centric model have earned it numerous local and international recognitions.
Among the recent accolades, Zenith Bank was ranked the Number One Bank in Nigeria by Tier-1 Capital for the 15th consecutive year in The Banker’s 2024 Top 1000 World Banks. It also secured the Bank of the Year (Nigeria) title in The Banker’s awards for 2020, 2022, and 2024, and was named Best Bank in Nigeria multiple times between 2020 and 2025 by Global Finance.
Additional honors include Best Bank for Digital Solutions in Nigeria (Euromoney, 2023), Best Commercial Bank Nigeria (World Finance, 2021–2024), and Most Sustainable Bank Nigeria (International Banker, 2023 and 2024). The bank also received repeated recognition for corporate governance excellence from World Finance and Ethical Boardroom.
Zenith Bank was named Most Valuable Banking Brand in Nigeria by The Banker in 2020 and 2021, and was the recipient of Bank of the Year awards from ThisDay, New Telegraph, and BusinessDay in 2024. In the MSME space, it received Best in Trade Finance (Nairametrics, 2023), and its Hybrid Offer was recognized as the Rights Issue/Public Offer of the Year at the 2025 Nairametrics Capital Market Choice Awards.
With a robust capital base, strong risk management, and consistent shareholder value delivery, Zenith Bank reaffirmed its confidence in maintaining dividend payouts in the 2025 financial year.
