By Barnabas Esiet.
In the ever-evolving landscape of Nigeria’s banking sector, Zenith Bank has once again demonstrated its prowess as a leading financial institution.
The bank’s unaudited financial results for the nine months ended September 30, 2025, reveal a remarkable 16% year-on-year growth in gross earnings, reaching a staggering N3.4 trillion.
This impressive performance is a testament to the bank’s resilience, strong momentum, and disciplined execution.
The growth in gross earnings was driven by a sustained growth in interest income, which rose by 41% year-on-year to N2.7 trillion.
This increase was supported by a high-yield rate environment and an expansion in the bank’s investment portfolio.
Despite the rise in interest expense by 22% to N814 billion, the bank achieved a healthy Net Interest Margin (NIM) of 12%, up from 10% in September 2024.
Profit before tax stood at N917 billion, while profit after tax declined by 8% to N764 billion. Earnings Per Share (EPS) came in at N18.60, down from N26.34 in September 2024.
The bank’s total assets grew by 4% from N30 trillion in December 2024 to N31 trillion as at September 2025, largely supported by customer deposits, which rose by 8% to N23.7 trillion.
The bank’s gross loans declined by 9% to N10 trillion as at September 2025, while the Non-Performing Loan (NPL) ratio improved to 3% due to the write-off of non-performing loans.
This improvement in asset quality is a direct result of the bank’s proactive approach to risk management and its commitment to maintaining a healthy loan portfolio.
Zenith Bank’s ROAE and ROAA stood at 23.3% and 3.3%, respectively, demonstrating the bank’s ability to generate returns on its equity and assets. The bank’s cost of funds increased to 4.5%, underscored by the broader elevated interest rate environment.
The bank’s coverage ratio and liquidity ratio remain solid and well within regulatory limits at 211.1% and 53%, respectively.
This highlights the bank’s strong capital position and liquidity profile, as well as its ability to fund strategic growth opportunities.
Zenith Bank’s track record of excellent performance has continued to earn the bank numerous awards and recognitions. Some of the notable awards include:
– Number One Bank in Nigeria by Tier-1 Capital for the 16th consecutive year in the 2025 Top 1000 World Banks Ranking published by The Banker
– “Nigeria’s Best Bank” at the Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2025
– Bank of the Year (Nigeria) in The Banker’s Bank of the Year Awards for 2020, 2022, and 2024
– Best Bank in Nigeria from 2020 to 2022, 2024, and 2025, in the Global Finance World’s Best Banks Awards.
Commenting on the results, the Group Managing Director/CEO, Dr. Adaora Umeoji, said: “The bank’s robust performance is an attestation to the resilience of the Zenith brand, result-driven strategy, and the adaptability of our people in an evolving operating environment.
“We have fortified our capital base, reset our asset quality, and are well positioned for sustainable and profitable growth.”
Looking to Q4 2025, Dame Dr. Umeoji reinforced her optimistic outlook: “This result confirms the resilience of both our business model and our people. We’re on a solid growth path that we expect to maintain through the remainder of the year.
“Our focus on innovation, digital transformation, and developing solutions that address our clients’ changing needs positions us to capitalize on emerging opportunities whilst maintaining our disciplined approach to growth.”
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