Against all odds, Zenith Bank Plc has won the ‘Best Corporate Governance Financial Services’ in Africa award in the 2023 financial year.
The award is organise by the Ethical Boardroom. The lender won it for the fourth consecutive year.
A statement said the award, which was published in the Spring 2023 edition of The Ethical Boardroom magazine, was in recognition of the bank’s adherence to global best practices and institutionalization of corporate governance, setting an industry-wide example of best practices in that field.
Speaking on the recognition, the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive of Zenith Bank Plc, Dr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu, said, “I am extremely pleased that Zenith Bank has been awarded the Ethical Boardroom Corporate Governance Award as a regional governance champion for the fourth year running.
“No doubt, the bank’s board has pioneered the exemplary governance culture for which we are now renowned. Indeed, this recognition reflects our steadfast commitment, discipline and high ethos in the conduct of our business and dedication to the principles of good corporate governance.
This award will motivate us to strengthen this culture internally and advocate for good governance at every forum.”
He dedicated the award to the Founder and Group Chairman, Jim Ovia, for providing the template for an enduring and very successful institution; the board for its vision and outstanding leadership; the staff for their dedication and commitment; and the bank’s customers for their unwavering loyalty to the brand.
Ethical Boardroom is a trailblasing and leading international magazine that delivers in-depth coverage and critically-astute analysis of global corporate governance issues to help boards stay ahead of the governance curve,” it said.
Zenith Bank had been generally adjudged a corporate governance compliant bank by the Nigerian Exchange. It listed on the Premium Board of the Exchange. The bank continued to sustain this reputation and reappraise its processes to ensure that its business conformed to the highest global standards at all times, the statement said.
It noted that, “The bank’s track record of excellent performances has continued to earn it numerous awards including being recognised as the ‘Number One Bank in Nigeria by Tier-1 Capital’, for the 13th consecutive year, in the 2022 Top 1,000 World Banks Ranking published by The Banker Magazine;
“Bank of the Year (Nigeria) in The Banker’s Bank of the Year Awards 2020 and 2022; Best Bank in Nigeria, for three consecutive years from 2020 to 2022, in the Global Finance World’s Best Banks Awards.”
