Zenith Bank named Africa, Nigeria’s best bank at Euromoney Awards

Zenith Bank Plc has been named ‘Africa’s Best Bank’ and ‘Nigeria’s Best Bank’ at the 2026 Euromoney Awards for Excellence, clinching the biggest and most coveted national and continental awards in banking.

The awards were presented to Zenith Bank at The Peninsula London Hotel in London, the United Kingdom, on July 16, 2026.

The bank was named Nigeria’s best bank for the second consecutive year.

Commenting on the awards, the Group Managing Director/CEO of Zenith Bank Plc, Dr. Adaora Umeoji, said: “We are deeply honoured by these recognitions from Euromoney. Being recognised as Africa’s Best Bank and Nigeria’s Best Bank reflects the trust of our customers, the dedication of our unicorn workforce, and our unwavering commitment to building a truly African global financial institution.

“These awards inspire us to do even more to deliver superior value, drive financial inclusion, and support the growth of businesses across Africa.”

The GMD commended the regulators across the various jurisdictions where the bank has footprints for the enabling regulatory environment which has supported the Bank in achieving this feat.

Umeoji dedicated the award to the Founder of Zenith Bank Plc, Jim Ovia, thanking him for his vision and excellence which she said have been instrumental to the Bank’s success.

Zenith Bank, in a statement issued on Wednesday, said the recognition adds to the bank’s growing list of local and international accolades, and further cements its position as one of Africa’s leading financial institutions.

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The bank was also awarded ‘Bank of the Year (Nigeria)’ in The Banker’s Bank of the Year Awards for 2020, 2022, and 2024; Best Bank in Nigeria from 2020 to 2022, 2024, and 2025 in the Global Finance World’s Best Banks Awards; Best Bank for Digital Solutions in Nigeria in the Euromoney Awards 2023; and was listed in the World Finance Top 100 Global Companies in 2023.

Zenith Bank has also earned several non-financial awards, including Most Responsible Organisation in Africa, Best Company in Transparency and Reporting and Best Company in Gender Equality and Women Empowerment at the SERAS CSR Awards Africa 2024.

The Euromoney Awards for Excellence are among the most respected in the global financial industry, evaluating banks on criteria including strategy, profitability, risk management, digital transformation and impact on stakeholders.

Victory at the awards is regarded as a mark of the highest distinction in global banking. This year’s edition attracted a record of over 770 entries from world-class financial institutions including HSBC, Morgan Stanley, Citibank, Barclays, Standard Bank, and DBS Bank of Singapore.