Zenith Bank has once again claimed the prestigious title of “Bank of the Year,” reinforcing its strong leadership and commitment to Nigeria’s evolving financial landscape.
At the BusinessDay Banks and Other Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards 2024, held on October 25 at the Lagos Continental Hotel, Zenith Bank Plc was recognized as both ‘Bank of the Year’ and ‘Retail Bank of the Year.’ This marks the second consecutive year the bank has secured the ‘Bank of the Year’ accolade, underscoring its excellence in the financial sector.
The BAFI Awards have become a hallmark of distinction within Nigeria’s financial services industry, celebrating organizations, teams, and individuals who excel in delivering quality financial services to clients across various sectors.
Dame (Dr.) Adaora Umeoji, OON, Group Managing Director/CEO of Zenith Bank Plc, expressed her gratitude for the recognitions, stating, “We are deeply honored to be named ‘Bank of the Year’ and ‘Retail Bank of the Year’ at the BAFI Awards 2024. These honors reflect our strategic focus on customer satisfaction, sustainable growth, and innovation. They also highlight our resilience as a dynamic brand capable of navigating the ever-changing financial landscape.” She dedicated the awards to Dr. Jim Ovia, CFR, Founder and Chairman, whose visionary leadership has been pivotal in fostering a robust institution, as well as to the board, staff, and customers for their unwavering support.
Zenith Bank’s consistent track record of excellence continues to garner recognition, with these latest awards building on a legacy of accolades. Notably, the bank has been ranked as the Number One Bank in Nigeria by Tier-1 Capital for the 15th consecutive year in the 2024 Top 1000 World Banks Ranking by The Banker Magazine. It has also received the Bank of the Year (Nigeria) honors from The Banker in both 2020 and 2022, and was named the Most Sustainable Bank in Nigeria for 2023 and 2024 by the International Banker Banking Awards.
Further accolades include being named Best Bank in Nigeria four times in five years (2020-2024) by Global Finance, and Best Commercial Bank in Nigeria for four consecutive years (2021-2024) in the World Finance Banking Awards. Zenith Bank has also earned recognition as the Best Corporate Governance Bank in Nigeria for three consecutive years (2022-2024) and as ‘Best in Corporate Governance’ in Financial Services Africa from 2020 to 2023 by Ethical Boardroom.
Additionally, the bank was recognized as the Most Valuable Banking Brand in Nigeria in the Banker Magazine Top 500 Banking Brands for 2020 and 2021, and as Retail Bank of the Year from 2020 to 2022 at the BAFI Awards. Other honors include Best Commercial Bank and Best Innovation in Retail Banking in the International Banker 2022 Banking Awards, as well as various accolades such as Bank of the Decade (People’s Choice) at the ThisDay Awards 2020 and Bank of the Year by Champion Newspaper in 2021 and New Telegraph Newspaper in 2022. Zenith Bank was also recognized as the Most Responsible Organisation in Africa in 2021 by the SERAS Awards.
