Zenith Bank Plc has announced its audited financial results for the year ended 31 December 2025, reporting a profit before tax of N1.26tn. This performance follows a high base of N1.33tn recorded in the 2024 financial year.
Despite the slight moderation in pre-tax earnings, the group’s profit after tax rose marginally to N1.04tn in 2025, up from N1.03tn in the previous year. This bottom-line growth was largely supported by a reduction in tax expenses, which declined from N293.96bn in 2024 to N222.82bn in the period under review.
The bank’s top-line performance remained resilient as gross earnings increased to N4.19tn from N3.97tn, reflecting sustained growth in core revenue streams. However, total comprehensive income faced downward pressure, contracting to N1.11tn from N1.52tn in 2024. This shift was primarily driven by a foreign exchange translation loss of N82.13bn, a sharp reversal from the N220.29bn gain recognised in the preceding year.
Furthermore, fair value gains on equity instruments moderated significantly to N7.38bn, compared to N151.01bn in 2024.
Earnings per share settled at N25.32 for the 2025 financial year, down from N32.87 in 2024. Notwithstanding the volatility in comprehensive income, Zenith Bank’s balance sheet continued its upward trajectory with total assets rising to N31.46tn, compared to N29.96tn in the previous year. The bank also strengthened its internal capital generation, with retained earnings growing to N2.81tn and other reserves increasing to N1.50tn.
Consequently, total shareholders’ equity climbed to N4.92tn, representing a robust increase from the N4.03tn recorded at the end of 2024.
The board has proposed a final dividend of N8.75 per share, more than doubling the N4.00 final dividend paid in 2024. When combined with the interim dividend of N1.25 per share, the total dividend for the 2025 financial year reaches N10.00 per share.
This dividend proposal, filed with the Nigerian Exchange Limited on Tuesday, underscores the bank’s liquidity strength and its ability to deliver returns despite a challenging macroeconomic landscape characterised by fluctuating exchange rates and shifting equity valuations.
