After paying an interim dividend of roughly N51.3 billion for the fiscal year that ended on June 30, 2025, Zenith Bank Plc pledged to surpass the expectations of its shareholders, according to Dr Adaora Umeoji, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Zenith Bank Group, in a statement on Sunday.
At a rate of N1.25 per share, the banking group distributed a total interim dividend of N51.3 billion to its shareholders on Friday for H1 2025. Comparing this payout to the N31.4 billion paid in H1 2024, there was a roughly 60% increase.
Regarding the dividend distribution, the CEO had this to say: “We are pleased to have paid this significant interim dividend to our valued shareholders. Our half-year results underscore our resilience and commitment to our stakeholders. Based on the momentum achieved in H1, we are confident in our full-year outlook and expect to exceed shareholders’ expectations by year’s end.”
Continuing, the bank’s financial performance during the reviewed period was reflected in the sizable dividend payout. In H1 2025, Zenith Bank’s gross earnings increased by 20% year over year, from N2.1 trillion to N2.5 trillion. This performance was driven by interest income, which increased by an astounding 60%, from N1.1 trillion to N1.8 trillion. The bank claimed that strategic repricing of risky assets and efficient treasury management were the keys to this remarkable rise in interest income.
Supported by a strong and well-organised balance sheet, total assets also increased steadily from N30 trillion in December 2024 to N31 trillion in June 2025. Deposits increased by 7% from N22 trillion to N23 trillion in June 2025, demonstrating the continued strength of customer confidence, BrandSpur banking and finance news desk reports.
One of the few banks that has distributed an interim dividend to its shareholders for the six months that concluded on June 30, 2025, is Zenith Bank. Across its 41,069,830,001 issued shares, the Nigerian lender with the largest market capitalisation approved an interim dividend of N1.25 per share. Zenith clarified in its interim report that the dividend would come from retained earnings, highlighting that the action demonstrated the company’s strong financial standing and ability to adapt to Nigeria’s changing banking environment.
