ZENITH Bank Plc has been awarded the Best Bank in Nigeria, the Global Finance Magazine World’s Best Banks Awards 2020 has announced.

The award, which was published in this month’s edition of the magazine, was based on the performances of the banks in their respective regions and countries over the period from January 1 to December 31, 2019.

Global Finance’s “World’s Best Banks Awards” are recognised amongst the world’s most influential banking/finance and corporate professionals as the most coveted and credible awards in the banking industry. The winners are chosen from more than 150 countries across Africa, Asia-Pacific, Central & Eastern Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, North America and Western Europe.

Founded in 1987, Global Finance regularly selects the top performers among banks and other providers of financial services and the awards have become a trusted standard of excellence for the global financial community.

Commenting on the recognition, Group Managing Director/Chief Executive of Zenith Bank, Ebenezer Onyeagwu said the award was a clear demonstration of the bank’s market leadership, occasioned by its superior product offerings, best-in-class service and top-of-the-range technology which create value for our teeming customers.

Zenith Bank has clearly distinguished itself in the Nigerian financial services industry through superior service quality, unique customer experience and sound financial indices. The bank, with a knack for setting the pace and raising benchmarks, is a clear leader in the digital space with several firsts in the deployment of innovative products, solutions and an assortment of alternative channels that ensure convenience, speed and safety of transactions.

As a testament to its resilience and market leadership, Zenith Bank announced result for the year ended December 31, 2019, with profit after tax (PAT) of N208.8 billion, achieving the feat as the first Nigerian Bank to cross the N200-billion mark.

In the recently released first quarter 2020 unaudited financial results, the bank also recorded an improved result over the corresponding period in 2019, with gross earnings rising by six per cent to N166.8 billion and profit before tax (PAT) growing three per cent to N58.8 billion.