Lagos, sept 18 – Zenith Bank Plc has released its unaudited interim report for the first half of 2025, revealing a mixed financial performance marked by a significant increase in gross earnings but a notable decline in profits. The commercial bank’s financial reports released on Thursday, which covers the period ending June 30, 2025, highlights the bank’s continued growth in revenue streams while facing a challenging operating environment.
Gross earnings for the bank soared by 20% to N2.50 trillion Naira, up from N2.1 trillion reported in the same period of 2024. This robust growth was, however, overshadowed by a 14% decrease in profit before tax, which fell to N625.63 billion from N727.03 billion in the previous year. Consequently, profit after tax also saw a reduction, settling at N532.18 billion compared to N577.99 billion in the first half of 2024.
The financial downturn was reflected in the bank’s earnings per share, which decreased to N12.95 from N18.41. Despite this, the Board of Directors demonstrated confidence by proposing an interim dividend of N1.25 per share, a positive increase from the N1.00 per share paid out last year.
Other key takeaways from the report included a significant drop in corporate donations and charitable gifts, which totaled N1.30 billion, down from N3.33 billion in the corresponding period of 2024. The report also shed light on customer service metrics, revealing that while 2,740 complaints were received, a total of 3,710 were resolved, with a significant amount of the claimed funds being refunded.
