Banking
Why Zenith Bank’s Shares Remain Toast of Investors—Sunny Nwosu
By Dipo Olowookere
The Chairman Emeritus of the Independent Shareholders Association of Nigeria (ISAN), Sir Sunny Nwosu, has commended the board and management of Zenith Bank Plc for the payment of dividends to shareholders.
Speaking at the 31st Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the bank held on Wednesday, April 6, 2022, at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, he said investors love to have Zenith Bank’s shares in their portfolios because it never fails to pay dividends to shareholders.
He praised the financial institution for being consistent in the payment of dividends to shareholders, just as it did yesterday by crediting their accounts with N97.33 billion.
At the meeting on Wednesday, the final dividend payment of N2.80 per share proposed by the board was unanimously approved, bringing the total cash reward for the 2021 financial year to N3.10 per share.
Another shareholder of the company at the gathering, Mr Faruk Umar, who is the President of the Association of the Rights of Nigerian Shareholders (AARNS), also applauded the bank for rewarding loyalty.
“The bank is doing very well. All the ratios and indices have gone up. And more importantly, while we were in the meeting, I got my alert of the credit of my dividend. This is very commendable.
“The leadership of the bank has been very effective; we thank Jim Ovia for the leadership he has been giving, he has increased the dividend in spite of the economic hardship in the country, and I believe the GMD is doing very well.
“I commend the management and staff of the bank, including the board, and I am very confident that this year would also be very good for the bank,” he said.
Business Post reports that in spite of a challenging macroeconomic environment aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic, Zenith Bank grew its gross earnings year-on-year by 10 per cent from N696.5 billion in 2020 to N765.6 billion in 2021.
This was buoyed by a 23 per cent growth in non-interest income from N251.7 billion to N309 billion and a 2 per cent rise in interest income from N420.8 billion to N427.6 billion.
In the year, profit before tax also grew by 10 per cent from N255.9 billion to N280.4 billion as a result of the growth in the top-line and very strong management of the treasury portfolio that increased efficiency, resulting in a drop in interest expense by 12 per cent from N121.1 billion in 2020 to N106.8 billion in the current year. This further led to a 7 per cent increase in net interest income of N320.8 billion in 2021 from N299.7 billion in 2020.
It was observed that last year, the lender increased its customer deposits by 21 per cent to N6.47 trillion from N5.34 trillion, with the growth from both corporate and retail customers.
A breakdown showed that retail deposits grew by N146 billion from N1.72 trillion in 2020 to N1.87 trillion in 2021 on the back of a continuous drive for retail deposits combined with the strategic rebalancing of its funding base helped to reduce the cost of funding from 2.1 per cent to 1.5 per cent in the current year.
Although operating expenses grew by 13 per cent, growth remains below the inflation rate, and the Group improved its Earnings per Share (EPS) by 6 per cent from N7.34 to N7.78.
Also, Zenith Bank expanded its total assets by 11 per cent from N8.48 trillion in 2020 to N9.45 trillion in 2021, mainly driven by growth in customer deposits.
With the steady recovery in economic activities, the Group prudently grew its gross loans by 20 per cent from N2.9 trillion to N3.5 trillion, with a non-performing loan (NPL) ratio at 4.19 per cent compared with 4.29 per cent a year earlier.
Zenith Bank also recorded impressive liquidity and capital adequacy ratios of 71.6 per cent and 21.0 per cent, which remained above regulatory thresholds of 30 per cent and 15 per cent, respectively.
While commenting on the performance of the bank at the AGM, the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive, Mr Ebenezer Onyeagwu, said: “If you look at the bank’s history over the years, Zenith Bank has always grown, and even within the pandemic, we have maintained a reasonable positive growth trajectory.
“Growth is coming from the fact that we are deploying our digital capability to grow more businesses, simplify our service processes, make our processes more efficient, and deal with customers’ complaints.
“Apart from developing new products, we are discovering new business verticals, especially within the retail segment, which have significant revenue.”
He added that: “meeting the expectation of shareholders means we have to work harder. The team is dodged, hardworking, resilient, and above all, we have a very supportive board that comes with superior guidance.”
On his part, the founder and Chairman of Zenith Bank, Mr Jim Ovia, thanked the shareholders for their unflinching loyalty, which has enabled the bank to rise to the pinnacle of the nation’s financial services industry, and assured them of the bank’s commitment to consistently deliver superior value to them.
In recognition of its track record of excellent performance, Zenith Bank was voted as Best Commercial Bank in Nigeria in the World Finance Banking Awards 2021, Best Bank in Nigeria in the Global Finance World’s Best Banks Awards 2020 and 2021, Bank of the Year (Nigeria) in The Banker’s Bank of the Year Awards 2020, and Best in Corporate Governance ‘Financial Services’ Africa 2020 and 2021 by the Ethical Boardroom.
Also, the bank emerged as the Most Valuable Banking Brand in Nigeria in the Banker Magazine Top 500 Banking Brands 2020 and 2021, Number One Bank in Nigeria by Tier-1 Capital in the “2021 Top 1000 World Banks” Ranking by The Banker Magazine and the Retail Bank of the year at the BusinessDay Banks and Other Financial Institutions (BOFI) Awards 2020 and 2021.
Similarly, Zenith Bank was honoured as Bank of the Decade (People’s Choice) at the ThisDay Awards 2020 and emerged winner in four categories at the Sustainability, Enterprise, and Responsibility (SERAS) Awards 2021, carting home the awards for “Best Company in Reporting and Transparency”, “Best Company in Infrastructure Development”, “Best Company in Gender Equality and Women Empowerment”, and the coveted “Most Responsible Organisation in Africa.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has unveiled the fourth edition of its Foreign Exchange Manual as part of efforts to deepen liquidity, improve transparency and strengthen confidence in the country’s foreign exchange market.
Speaking at the launch of the revised manual in Abuja on Friday, the Governor of the apex bank, Mr Yemi Cardoso, said the document will take effect from June 1, 2026.
He said it was developed after extensive consultations with banks, exporters, importers, corporates, regulators and development partners.
He said the new framework reflects the apex bank’s commitment to modernising the country’s foreign exchange administration in line with international best practices.
Mr Cardoso described the foreign exchange market as a critical pillar of any open economy, noting that effective governance of the sector is essential for sustaining macroeconomic stability and investor confidence.
“Foreign exchange is more than a financial instrument. It anchors price stability, facilitates the flow of goods and capital, and shapes investor sentiment,” he said.
The CBN governor stressed that the revised manual became necessary due to changing global economic realities, domestic reforms and the need for a more coherent and forward-looking regulatory framework.
According to him, the last edition of the FX manual was issued in 2018, making the latest review both timely and necessary.
Mr Cardoso disclosed that Nigeria’s foreign exchange market has witnessed significant improvement in liquidity since the current administration began reforms in the sector.
He added that daily turnover in the FX market increased from an average of about $100 million in the early days of the administration to between $400 million and $600 million daily.
The CBN Governor added that the market had also recorded transactions of up to $1 billion per day on several occasions in recent months.
“We have gone from a situation where it was more or less a one-way market, where the central bank came in, intervened and went away, to a much more dynamic market,” he stated.
The apex bank boss noted that the reforms were gradually restoring confidence among investors and market participants, encouraging freer entry and exit in the market without unnecessary restrictions.
He also maintained that the nation’s foreign reserves should not be used as the primary tool for funding the foreign exchange market.
“Reserves are reserves. They are not what you look to fund a market,” he said.
The CBN Governor assured stakeholders that the revised manual would be distributed free of charge to authorised dealers while the bank strengthens monitoring mechanisms to ensure compliance, fairness and accountability across the foreign exchange market.
On his part, the Deputy Governor for Economic Policy, Mr Muhammad Abdullahi, said the review formed part of broader reforms initiated by Mr Cardoso to restore confidence, improve transparency and deepen liquidity in the foreign exchange market.
Mr Abdullahi explained that the revised manual introduces several changes aimed at improving ease of doing business and reducing transaction bottlenecks.
Among the notable changes, he noted, are provisions allowing unfettered access to export proceeds, the introduction of non-resident investment accounts and operational guidelines for Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) transactions to support regional trade.
Mr Abdullahi added that the manual also contains new provisions on service exports, revised documentation requirements and updated operational procedures designed to align Nigeria’s FX market with global standards.
He said the apex bank deliberately adopted an ease of doing business approach during the review process to eliminate inefficiencies and ambiguities identified by stakeholders.
“The revised manual is not a stand-alone exercise but part of a broader institutional reform effort designed to strengthen the integrity, credibility and effectiveness of Nigeria’s foreign exchange system,” he said.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has approved the appointment of Mr Julius Omodayo-Owotuga to the board of First Bank of Nigeria Limited as an executive director.
A statement from the company said the appointment of Mr Omodayo-Owotuga became effective on Wednesday, May 13, 2026.
He was appointed to the board of the subsidiary of First Holdco Plc to further strengthen its leadership capacity across strategic finance, governance, risk management, and institutional transformation.
Before now, he served on the board of First Holdco as a non-executive director between 2021 and 2026.
The appointee brings to the board 24 years of experience spanning banking and financial services, infrastructure finance, power, oil & gas, and audit and consulting.
His appointment, according to the notice to the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited, reflects the Bank’s continued commitment to strong governance, disciplined execution, financial resilience, and sustainable long-term growth.
He most recently served as deputy chief executive of Geregu Power Plc, Nigeria’s first listed power generation company, where he played a pivotal role in institutional transformation, governance strengthening, capital market positioning, operational optimisation, and major financing initiatives, including the company’s landmark listing on NGX.
Mr Omodayo-Owotuga previously served as group executive director, Finance & Risk Management at Forte Oil Plc (now Ardova Plc), where he was instrumental in the company’s financial and operational transformation, leading strategic restructuring, capital raising, treasury optimisation, enterprise risk management, and governance improvement initiatives that strengthened long-term shareholder value.
His professional career also includes roles at Africa Finance Corporation, Standard Chartered Bank, KPMG Professional Services and MBC International Bank (Now First Bank Nigeria Limited), providing him with deep experience in institutional finance, treasury management, financial controls, regulatory engagement, and corporate advisory.
Mr Omodayo-Owotuga is a CFA Charter Holder, KPMG-trained Accountant, and a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN), and the Institute of Credit Administration. He is also a member of the Institute of Directors (IoD) Nigeria and a Certified Management Accountant.
He holds a Doctorate in Business Administration, a Master’s in Business Administration and a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting. He is an alumnus of Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, IE Business School, Geneva Business School, and the University of Lagos.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
In recognition of its strategic leadership in advancing the growth and resilience of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), Union Bank of Nigeria Plc has been honoured by the Association of Small Business Owners of Nigeria (ASBON).
The lender was rewarded by the group for its suite of solutions designed to enable business expansion and long-term value creation.
At the Nigeria National SME Business Awards, held recently in Lagos, Union Bank was given the Best SME Growth Banking Initiatives Award for 2025.
The ceremony was organised by ASBON in partnership with the Lagos State government through the Ministry of Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment.
The event convened stakeholders from the public and private sectors to recognise individuals and organisations driving meaningful impact across Nigeria’s SME ecosystem.
Receiving the award on behalf of the bank, its Head of SME Segment, Mr Ayokunnumi Abraham, described the recognition as a strong endorsement of the organisation’s commitment to supporting small and medium-sized businesses.
“We are honoured to receive this recognition, which reflects Union Bank’s continued commitment to helping SMEs grow by making banking simpler, faster, and more accessible.
“Through enhancements to our specialised platforms such as Union360, we have meaningfully reduced the time it takes for businesses to come on board and begin transacting.
“These improvements have shortened onboarding, increased digital adoption among our SME customers, and supported the acquisition of new business clients. Our focus remains on delivering practical solutions that help Nigerian businesses thrive,” he stated.
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