Zenith Bank Plc has delighted shareholders with a total dividend payout of ₦195.67 billion for the 2024 financial year, reaffirming its reputation for consistent returns and robust financial performance.

At its 34th Annual General Meeting (AGM), held on Tuesday, 29 April 2025 at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, shareholders approved a final dividend of ₦4.00 per share. This brings the total dividend for the year to ₦5.00 per share.

Founder and Chairman of Zenith Bank, Jim Ovia, CFR, expressed gratitude to shareholders for their enduring support. He noted that despite global economic challenges in 2024, the bank leveraged opportunities across its subsidiaries to deliver strong results, underlining its resilience.

Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dame Dr. Adaora Umeoji, OON, addressing her first AGM as the bank’s first female CEO, assured shareholders of continued value delivery. “Zenith Bank is committed to exceeding your expectations. Our dividend trajectory shows consistent growth, and we aim to maintain this pattern,” she said.

She added that the bank had completed its recapitalisation with 160% subscription, stating: “We have a sufficient capital buffer and are not under pressure to raise additional funds. We will continue to grow our topline organically while upholding our strong governance culture.”

Shareholders were effusive in their praise. Dr. Faruk Umar, President of the Association for the Advancement of the Rights of Nigerian Shareholders (AARNS), applauded the bank’s performance, noting that “all indices have gone up, with profits now in trillions.”

Alhaji Otunba Mukhtar Mukhtar, Chairman of the Trusted Shareholders Association of Nigeria, highlighted Zenith Bank’s unmatched consistency in dividend payouts. “They’ve surpassed ₦1 trillion in profit before tax. This is extraordinary,” he said.

Ambassador Dr. Olatunde Okelana, the Balogun Olugbon of Orile-Igbon, described his Zenith Bank shares as his best investment. “99.9% of my savings are in Zenith Bank. I urge all Nigerians to invest,” he said.

Chief Timothy Adesiyan, President of the Shareholders Solidarity Association of Nigeria, also praised the management’s track record of keeping promises. “You can sleep well knowing your investment is safe with Zenith,” he said.

The bank reported 86% growth in gross earnings, rising from ₦2.13 trillion to ₦3.97 trillion in 2024. This was driven by a 138% increase in interest income, underpinned by investment in high-yield government securities and loan book expansion.

Zenith Bank has also maintained its reputation for excellence, ranking as Nigeria’s top bank by Tier-1 Capital for the 15th consecutive year in The Banker’s Top 1000 World Banks. It also won The Banker’s Bank of the Year (Nigeria) award in 2020, 2022, and 2024, and was named Best Bank in Nigeria by Global Finance in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2024.