Banking
Zenith Bank Customer Deposits Swell to N8.04trn in Nine Months
By Dipo Olowookere
Zenith Bank Plc has again demonstrated that its shareholders can go into a deep sleep, knowing that the company is in safe hands and their investments will continue to grow.
On Thursday, the financial institution announced its unaudited results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2022, with gross earnings growing by 20 per cent to N620.6 billion from the N518.7 billion achieved in the same period of last year.
The organisation generated more revenue from its various business segments despite a challenging macroeconomic environment, which has put some companies under pressure.
It was observed that the top line was driven by interest and non-interest income growth, with the former rising by 27 per cent to N390.8 billion from N308.8 billion due to growth in risk assets and an improvement in pricing, strengthening earnings per share (EPS) by 9 per cent to N5.55.
As for the latter, the non-interest income, it was boosted by the firm’s retail strategy, with continued substantial customer acquisition driving transactions, deposit growth and growth in electronic banking income.
Due to inflationary pressure and the rising cost of doing business, operating costs grew by 17 per cent, which was below the 20 per cent growth in gross earnings, thereby facilitating the double-digit growth in the bottom line.
The continuing elevated yield environment affected the cost of funding which increased from 1.4 per cent to 1.7 per cent in the current period, affecting the net interest margin (NIM), which dropped due to the immediate implementation of higher yields on interest-bearing liabilities.
However, the NIM is expected to see a correction in subsequent quarters as the assets side is repriced correspondingly.
A look at the bottom line showed that Zenith Bank recorded a 13 per cent increase in profit before tax to N202.5 billion from N179.8 billion in Q3 2021, while the profit after tax expanded by 9 per cent to N174.3 billion from N160.6 billion.
As for the balance sheet, the total assets grew by 20 per cent from N9.45 trillion to N11.34 trillion, mainly due to the 24 per cent growth in customers’ deposits to N8.04 trillion in September 2022 N6.47 trillion in December 2021 as a result of the market’s confidence in the brand.
Loans and advances also grew by 16 per cent from N3.5 trillion in December 2021 to N4.06 trillion in September 2022, boosting the lender’s interest income and displaying the group’s appetite for high-yielding risk assets creation.
As a result of this growth, the capital adequacy ratio reduced to 19.1 per cent from 21 per cent, while the liquidity ratio reduced to 68.9 per cent from 71.6 per cent. Both prudential ratios remain very strong and are still well above regulatory thresholds.
The management has expressed its determination to sustain the strong performance trajectory while adapting to changes in the regulatory environment and focusing on creative initiatives to mitigate inflationary trends, foreign exchange pressures and the growing competitive environment.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
A collaboration to enable fast money transfers into Nigeria has been entered into between Flutterwave and Xoom, PayPal’s international digital money transfer service.
The partnership allows Xoom transfers to be converted by Flutterwave and settled locally in Naira, enabling quick transfers directly into recipients’ bank accounts at Access Bank, UBA, Zenith Bank, First Bank, GTBank, and additional participating banks across Nigeria.
The deal also enables Xoom’s global network with Flutterwave’s local payout infrastructure, allowing users globally to send funds directly into Nigerian bank accounts with improved speed and efficiency.
Nigeria is the leading remittance recipient in Sub-Saharan Africa, receiving over $20 billion in personal remittances in 2024. Despite this volume, receiving international payments has historically remained complex due to FX constraints and settlement delays. This collaboration helps address those challenges in a market of more than 232 million people, where the ICT sector is projected to contribute 21 per cent of GDP by 2027.
By combining Xoom’s expansive reach with Flutterwave’s local compliance and banking partnerships, the two companies are providing a more accessible financial corridor for the continent.
Xoom, a PayPal service, is a fast and secure international digital money transfer service that enables consumers to send money, pay bills, and reload phones for friends and family in approximately 160 markets globally.
As part of PayPal’s global payments ecosystem, Xoom leverages advanced fraud protection, compliance capabilities, and a trusted global network to help millions of customers move money quickly and securely across borders.
“We’re excited to have been chosen by Xoom for their Nigeria expansion. Millions of Nigerians rely on money from abroad to support everyday needs, whether it’s families receiving help from loved ones, freelancers getting paid for their work, or individuals earning income from the global economy. This helps make it easy and more reliable for people in Nigeria to receive funds and stay connected to opportunities beyond borders,” the chief executive of Flutterwave, Mr Olugbenga GB Agboola, stated.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
An initiative known as Nigeria Lightning Rounds, designed to expand funding opportunities for Nigerian startups and small businesses by connecting founders with local and international investors, has been launched by ProvidusUnity Bank, in partnership with US-based global venture firm and accelerator, gener8tor.
Scheduled to be held on July 15, 2026, Nigeria Lightning Rounds will feature carefully selected startups engaging with targeted investors who have expressed interest in supporting Nigerian innovation.
Participating founders will have the opportunity to pitch their businesses through focused 15-minute virtual sessions facilitated by gener8tor and ProvidusUnity Bank’s networks.
The program will focus on high-growth sectors including fintech, healthtech, manufacturing, sustainability, and AI, but welcomes SMEs from all industries, with intending participants urged to apply via https://www.gener8tor.com/lightning-rounds/nigeria.
“We recognise that access to capital remains one of the biggest challenges facing entrepreneurs in Nigeria. Through our partnership with gener8tor, we are creating a platform that connects promising Nigerian founders with investors who can provide the support required to scale their businesses,” the Head of Business Development at ProvidusUnity Bank, Mr Ernest Elue, stated.
“The partnership reinforces ProvidusUnity Bank’s commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by supporting innovation, enabling access to opportunities, and creating pathways for businesses with high-growth potential,” he added.
Also commenting, the Director of Lightning Rounds at gener8tor, Ms Elizabeth Larios, said, “gener8tor is thrilled to partner with ProvidusUnity Bank to extend the Lightning Rounds model into Nigeria.
“This collaboration reflects our commitment to building equitable ecosystems and driving capital to the most promising and underrepresented entrepreneurs.”
Lightning Rounds are a signature initiative of gener8tor’s investment platform, which has facilitated thousands of investor-startup meetings globally. The format is optimised to eliminate friction, reduce bias in early-stage fundraising, and help founders secure capital from investors aligned with their mission and stage. gener8tor’s previous Lightning Rounds for Nigerian Founders in 2025 featured 18 participating Investors and led to 50 investment meetings facilitated.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The verification of the depositors of the 46 microfinance banks, whose operating licenses were revoked by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) over a week ago, has commenced.
The exercise, aimed at refunding those whose funds were trapped in the small lenders, is being conducted by the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC).
In a statement on Thursday, the agency said its staff members have been positioned at the offices of the affected banks across the country to attend to depositors.
It was disclosed that depositors of the defunct banks, who had their Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs) linked to their accounts in the failed banks, will be paid through their alternative accounts in existing banks.
However, depositors whose BVNs were not linked to their accounts in the failed banks have been encouraged to visit the affected banks’ offices with proof of account ownership, a passport photograph, verifiable means of identification (Driver’s Licence, Permanent Voter’s Card, International Passport or National ID Card) and BVN.
NDIC also stated that depositors can alternatively file their claims online through its website: www.ndic.gov.ng, to complete the Pre-Verification Claims Form by clicking on the Search Bar, and typing Pre-Verification Claims Form; opening the Form and filling in their details. They can also do so by clicking the link: https://ndic.gov.ng/ndic-pre-verification-claims-form/ or by visiting any of the NDIC offices closest to them to file their claims.
For further enquiries, the corporation can be reached on any of the following lines: 09037273810, 09038197064, 08104220807, 09064657140.
