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  ZenithBankPlchasbeennamed“Nigeria’sBestBank”attheEuromoneyAwardsfor

  Excellence2025,emergingasNigeria’sstandoutperformer,andclinchingthebiggestand

  most coveted country award. The award, which was presented to the bank on Thursday, July

  17,2025atThePeninsula,London,isatestament to its commitment to delivering exceptional

  banking services, innovative products and superior value to its customers and shareholders.

  Euromoney’s Awards for Excellence are one of the most highly coveted awards that matter to

  banksandbankerswhomatter.TheannualAwardsforExcellencecelebratesfinancial

  institutions that demonstrate leadership, innovation, and resilience in their markets, with this

  year’seditionseeingarecordnumberofover770entriesfromworldclassfinancial

  institutionsincludingHSBC,MorganStanley,CitiBank,Barclays,StandardBankand

  Development Bank of Singapore (DBS), amongst others.

  Commenting on the award, the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive of Zenith Bank Plc,

  Dame Dr. Adaora Umeoji, OON said, “We are absolutely thrilled to be recognized as Nigeria’s

  BestBankbyEuromoney.Thisawardisnotjustatestamenttoourrelentlesspursuitof

  excellence, but also a validation of the unwavering trust and confidence our customers have

  placed in us. We are once again reminded that our success is not just about us, but about the

  impact we continue to have on the financial ecosystem. We will continue to work tirelessly to

  supportthegrowthanddevelopmentofoureconomyandupholdthehigheststandardsof

  governance, integrity and transparency that has earned us this recognition”.

  She dedicated the award to Zenith Bank’s customers across the globe for their loyalty, and to

  the Founder and Chairman, Jim Ovia, CFR, for his visionary leadership and commitment to

  excellencewhichformedthefoundationforthebank’ssuccesses.Shealsothankedthe

  Boardfortheirguidance,aswellasthestafffortheirunwaveringdedicationtobuildinga

  formidable and best in class global financial institution that will outlive generations.

  ZenithBank’strackrecordofexcellentperformancehascontinuedtoearnthebrand

  numerous awards including being recognised as the Number One Bank in Nigeria by Tier-1

  Capitalforthesixteenthconsecutiveyearinthe2025Top1000WorldBanksRanking,

  publishedbyTheBanker.TheBankwasalsoawardedBankoftheYear(Nigeria)inThe

  Banker’s Bank of the Year Awards for 2020, 2022 and 2024; Best Bank in Nigeria from 2020

  to2022, 2024and 2025,inthe GlobalFinance World’sBestBanks Awards;Best Bankfor

  DigitalSolutionsinNigeriaintheEuromoneyAwards2023;andwaslistedintheWorld

  Finance Top 100 Global Companies in 2023.

  Further recognitions include Best Commercial Bank, Nigeria for five consecutive years from

  2021 to 2025 in the World Finance Banking Awards and Most Sustainable Bank, Nigeria in the

  InternationalBanker2023and2024BankingAwards.Additionally,ZenithBankhasbeen
• acknowledgedastheBestCorporateGovernanceBank,Nigeria,intheWorldFinance

  CorporateGovernanceAwardsforfourconsecutiveyearsfrom2022to2025and‘Bestin

  CorporateGovernance’FinancialServices’Africaforfourconsecutiveyearsfrom2020to

  2023 by the Ethical Boardroom.

  The Bank’s commitment to excellence saw it being named the Most Valuable Banking Brand

  inNigeria inThe Banker’sTop 500Banking Brandsfor 2020 and 2021,Bank ofthe Year 2023

  and2024attheBusinessDayBanksandOtherFinancialInstitutions(BAFI)Awards,and

  Retail Bank of the Yearfor three consecutive years from2020 to 2022 and in2024 at the BAFI

  Awards. The Bank also received the accolades of Best Commercial Bank, Nigeria and Best

  Innovation in Retail Banking, Nigeria, in the International Banker 2022 Banking Awards.

  ZenithBankwasalsonamedMostResponsibleOrganisationinAfrica,BestCompanyin

  TransparencyandReportingandBestCompanyinGenderEqualityandWomen

  Empowerment atthe SERAS CSRAwards Africa 2024;Bank of theYear 2024by ThisDay

  Newspaper; Bank of the Year 2024 by New Telegraph Newspaper; and Best in MSME Trade

  Finance,2023byNairametrics.TheBank’sHybridOfferwasalsoadjudged‘RightsIssue/

  Public Offer of the Year’ at the Nairametrics Capital Market Choice Awards 2025

FirstBank, the West Africa premier financial institution and financial inclusion services provider, has strengthened its partnership with the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) to reaffirm its commitment to driving sustainable finance and unlocking capital for development. This ongoing partnership was reinforced at the recently concluded Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) hosted by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) in Seville, Spain.

 The FfD4 Conference brought together global leaders, policymakers, and private sector experts to discuss innovative solutions to address the growing SDG financing gap and unlock capital for development in fragile and underserved regions.

FirstBank’s Chief Risk Officer, Patrick Akhidenor, represented the bank at the conference and highlighted two FirstBank flagship initiatives driving resilience finance in Nigeria: The Solar Equipment Financing initiative and the revamped FirstGem Fund. The Solar Equipment Financing initiative offers tailored financing options for the purchase and installation of solar power systems, ensuring access to clean, reliable, and affordable energy solutions. The FirstGem Fund, a women-focused proposition, provides single-digit interest loans to women entrepreneurs without collateral requirements, targeting funding gaps in critical sectors.

‘’We are committed to driving sustainable finance and unlocking capital for development,” said Patrick Akhidenor. “Our partnership with UNGC and participation in the FfD4 Conference demonstrate our dedication to innovative finance solutions that address the SDG financing gap.”

Sanda Ojambo, CEO of UNGC, emphasized the need for innovative, inclusive financial models for underserved regions. “The private sector must play a central role in shaping fit-for-purpose, scalable finance solutions,” she said. “De-risking tools and blended finance can help unlock capital and drive meaningful impact.

FirstBank’s partnership with Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) and its SMEConnect hub demonstrate its capacity to lead efforts in sustainable finance. The bank provides training, networking, and tailored financing to SMEs across various sectors, including education, healthcare, and retail