Zenith Bank announces N359bn final dividend after N1trn profit

Zenith Bank Plc is set to pay shareholders a final dividend of about N359 billion for the 2025 financial year, following a net profit of N1.04 trillion, reinforcing its standing among Nigeria’s top-performing banks.

The lender proposed a final dividend of N8.75 per share, bringing its total dividend for the year to N10 per share, including an earlier interim payout of N1.25. With 41.07 billion shares outstanding, the final dividend translates to roughly N359.4 billion, while the total payout is expected to reach N410.7 billion, pending shareholder approval.

The strong payout comes as the bank recorded a slight increase in net profit from N1.03 trillion in 2024 to N1.04 trillion in 2025. Gross earnings also rose to N4.19 trillion, compared to N3.97 trillion in the previous year.

Despite this growth, profit before tax declined to N1.26 trillion from N1.33 trillion, reflecting higher funding costs and balance sheet adjustments. Earnings per share also dropped to N25.32 from N32.87, largely due to an increase in the number of shares.

Zenith Bank’s balance sheet showed significant expansion, with total assets rising to N29.96 trillion from N20.37 trillion in 2024. This growth was driven by increased lending and higher investment in securities.

Customer deposits grew strongly to N22.68 trillion, up from N15.69 trillion, indicating sustained confidence from depositors despite tight liquidity conditions. Total equity also improved to N3.67 trillion from N3.20 trillion, strengthening the bank’s capital base and positioning it well ahead of regulatory requirements.

Jim Ovia, the bank’s chairman and largest shareholder, stands to gain the most from the dividend. With a 14.13 percent stake held directly and indirectly, he is expected to receive about N50.8 billion from the final dividend and approximately N58 billion from the total payout.

The dividend highlights the bank’s strong capital position, even as regulators push for increased capitalisation across the banking sector. While profit growth remained modest, Zenith Bank’s ability to generate over N1 trillion in profit and expand its asset base by nearly 47 percent underscores its resilience amid economic challenges such as high interest rates and currency volatility.

The final dividend will be paid after approval at the company’s annual general meeting.

On the stock market, Zenith Bank has delivered a 67 percent return to investors so far in 2026, ranking among the best-performing banking stocks on the Nigerian Exchange Group. The bank’s shares closed at N103.00 on April 2, 2026, up from N61.80 at the start of the year.