Zenith Bank Posts N625bn Profit as Shareholder gets N1.25 Dividend

Zenith Bank Plc has released its Group financial results for the half year ending June 2025, posting an impressive profit before tax of N625.629 billion. This Board approved an interim dividend of N1.25 per share, a 25 per cent increase over the N1.00 paid in the first half of 2024, maintaining its position as a leading dividend-paying Bank and reinforcing its longstanding commitment to rewarding its shareholders.
Despite higher provisioning requirements from the industry-wide exit of the CBN forbearance regime, the Bank recorded a robust 20 per cent year-on-year increase in gross earnings, rising from N2.1 trillion to N2.5 trillion in H1 2025. Interest income drove this performance with an impressive 60 per cent growth, climbing from N1.1 trillion to N1.8 trillion.

Commenting on the H1 2025 results, the bank’s group managing director and chief executive, Dame Dr Adaora Umeoji, noted that Zenith Bank’s performance reaffirms the creativity and innovation of our unicorn workforce in a dynamic operating environment.

“Despite the huge provisioning requirements as the industry exits the CBN forbearance regime, we’ve seen substantial improvement in our asset quality. Our balance sheet remains robust with adequate capital buffers, positioning us well to seize opportunities across our key markets,” she said.

Building on this strong foundation, Umeoji said that the bank expects to accelerate its growth trajectory in the second half of the year. She assured shareholders that the robust performance, combined with the improved asset quality, positions the Bank to deliver exceptional returns, with expectations of a quantum year-end dividend for 2025.

“Our shareholders can look forward to continued value creation as we leverage emerging opportunities and maintain our strategic growth with strong corporate governance culture,” she noted, highlighting the Bank’s track record of improving dividend payments even during challenging periods.
Looking beyond H1 2025, she reinforced her optimistic outlook, “we’re on a solid growth path that we expect to maintain through the rest of 2025 and into 2026. Our focus remains on innovation, digital transformation, and developing solutions that address our clients’ changing needs. With improving market conditions, we’re well placed to sustain this momentum whilst maintaining responsible leadership and delivering exceptional value to all our stakeholders