Zenith Bank Plc on Tuesday, October 14th, 2025, reaffirmed its dominance in Nigeria’s financial sector as its Group Managing Director/CEO, Dame Dr. Adaora Umeoji, OON, led the bank’s executive management team to the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) for the prestigious Closing Gong Ceremony. The event underscored Zenith Bank’s impressive performance trajectory, strategic expansion plans, and deepening partnership with the NGX.

Present at the ceremony were the Chairman of the NGX, the Group Managing Director of NGX, the CEO of NGX, the Managing Director of the Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS), floor traders, market operators, and senior officials of Zenith Bank including its Founder and Chairman, Dr. Jim Ovia, CFR.

HIGHLIGHTS OF DAME ADAORA UMEOJI’S SPEECH

During her address, Dame Umeoji delivered several major announcements and reflections that captured Zenith Bank’s strength, strategy, and market leadership:

1. The NGX as a Catalyst for Growth

She commended the NGX leadership for its innovation and transformation efforts, noting that the Exchange has become “one of the best-performing stock markets in Africa.”
She praised the NGX Invest platform for enabling transparency and accessibility during the recent banking recapitalization exercise.

2. Zenith Bank Stock Price Doubles

Umeoji revealed that the recapitalization exercise boosted investor confidence so strongly that Zenith’s share price:

• Rose from ₦36.50 per share during the capital-raise period
• To ₦68 per share as of the previous trading day

She described this 100% rise as a clear market endorsement of Zenith Bank’s performance and governance quality.

3. Most Profitable Bank in Half-Year 2025

Dame Umeoji declared that Zenith Bank posted the highest profit in Nigeria’s banking sector during the Half-Year 2025 period and paid the highest dividend in the industry.

4. Over 700,000 Shareholders and Strengthened Market Positioning

She revealed that Zenith Bank’s shareholder base has now surpassed 700,000, a record milestone since its listing on the NGX.

5. Aggressive Regional and Global Expansion

Umeoji highlighted Zenith Bank’s ongoing international expansion drive, funded partially from the recapitalization proceeds:

• Launch of a new Paris branch
• Licensing progress in Côte d’Ivoire, which will grant passporting rights to eight Francophone African countries
• Planned entry into East Africa
  She stressed that the bank’s expansion remains anchored on supporting its customers’ cross-border business growth.

6. Strong Partnership with NGX to Drive National Economy

Umeoji pledged sustained collaboration with the Exchange, stating:

“The partnership between NGX and Zenith Bank will continue to boost the Nigerian economy. This collaboration is essential as we compete and thrive, both locally and globally.”

7. Investors to Receive “One-Ton Dividend” by Year-End

In one of the ceremony’s most anticipated moments, the GMD promised that Zenith Bank will pay an enhanced dividend—described as a “one-ton dividend”—at the end of the 2025 financial year.
She urged the investing public to continue choosing Zenith Bank stock for superior value creation.

A SYMBOL OF GROWTH, STABILITY AND CONFIDENCE

The Closing Gong Ceremony served as both a symbolic and strategic moment for Zenith Bank. With the presence of Founder and Chairman Dr. Jim Ovia, the event reflected the bank’s historic legacy and its renewed commitment to market leadership.

Umeoji emphasized that the NGX remains a vital platform in Zenith’s growth journey and reaffirmed the bank’s dedication to transparency, innovation, and shareholder value creation.

From doubling its stock price to leading industry profitability, expanding across key international markets, and committing to higher dividends, Zenith Bank continues its rise as Nigeria’s most profitable and investor-friendly financial institution. As the NGX Closing Gong sounded across the trading floor, it echoed a message of renewed confidence, resilience, and an ambitious future for Africa’s leading bank.

Zenith Bank GMD, Dame Adaora Umeoji, rings the NGX Closing Gong, announces record profitability, a doubling share price, global expansion plans, and promises a “one-ton dividend” for 2025 during the ceremony on October 14th, 2025.