Zenith Bank Plc has attributed its latest international banking honours to sustained investments in digital innovation, artificial intelligence (AI) and technology-driven financial services after being named Africa’s Best Bank and Nigeria’s Best Bank at the 2026 Euromoney Awards for Excellence.
The awards, presented in London on July 16, recognise the bank’s performance across digital innovation, customer service, financial results and contribution to economic development, reinforcing the growing role of technology in driving competitiveness across Africa’s banking industry.
Zenith Bank also retained the Nigeria’s Best Bank award for the second consecutive year.
The recognition comes as banks across Africa accelerate investments in digital banking, AI, automation and data-driven financial services to improve customer experience, strengthen operational efficiency and expand financial inclusion.
Digital transformation drives recognition for ZenithÂ
According to Euromoney, the annual Awards for Excellence assess financial institutions on strategy, profitability, digital transformation, risk management and their broader impact on customers and stakeholders.
This year’s competition attracted more than 770 entries from banks around the world, making the awards among the industry’s most competitive global benchmarks.
For Zenith Bank, the recognition reflects years of investment in digital banking platforms, artificial intelligence, transaction banking and technology infrastructure designed to support customers across multiple African markets.
The bank said it has continued expanding its digital banking capabilities while strengthening trade and transaction banking services to facilitate cross-border business across the continent.
Technology central to growth strategy
Commenting on the awards, Adaora Umeoji, Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Zenith Bank, said the recognition reflects the confidence customers have placed in the institution and its commitment to building a technology-enabled pan-African financial institution.
“Being recognised as Africa’s Best Bank and Nigeria’s Best Bank reflects the trust of our customers, the dedication of our workforce, and our unwavering commitment to building a truly African global financial institution,” Umeoji said.
She added that the awards would inspire the bank to deepen financial inclusion, deliver greater value to customers and continue supporting businesses across Africa through innovation-led banking services.
Umeoji also acknowledged regulators across the countries where the bank operates for creating an enabling environment for growth and dedicated the awards to Jim Ovia, Founder and Chairman of Zenith Bank.
Strong financial performance supports digital investments
The recognition follows another year of strong financial performance for Zenith Bank, providing resources to sustain its digital transformation agenda.
For the 2025 financial year, the bank reported gross earnings of ₦4.19 trillion, while profit after tax reached ₦1.04 trillion.
It also improved asset quality by reducing its non-performing loan (NPL) ratio from 4.7% to 3.8%, while doubling total shareholder dividends to ₦10 per share.
The bank said continued investment in technology, AI-powered banking services and digital platforms forms part of its strategy to improve customer experience, strengthen operational resilience and support business growth across African markets.
The latest awards add to Zenith Bank’s growing portfolio of international recognitions for financial performance and digital excellence.
Earlier this year, the bank was ranked Nigeria’s largest bank by Tier 1 capital for the 17th consecutive year in The Banker’s Top 1000 World Banks Ranking.
It has also received awards from Global Finance, World Finance, International Banker, BusinessDay and other international industry organisations.
As competition in Africa’s banking sector increasingly shifts towards digital services, AI adoption and technology-enabled customer experiences, Zenith Bank’s latest Euromoney awards underscore how sustained investment in digital innovation is becoming a defining factor in determining industry leadership.
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