Dr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu, the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Zenith Bank Plc, has been named the Best Banking CEO of the Year in Africa for the second consecutive year at the International Banker 2024 Banking Awards. The accolade, featured in the Spring 2024 issue of International Banker Magazine, coincides with Onyeagwu’s completion of his five-year tenure this Friday.
In a statement released by the bank on Monday, Onyeagwu expressed his gratitude for the recognition, stating, “It is indeed an honour to be recognised as the ‘Best Banking CEO of the Year in Africa’ for a second consecutive year. This award is a testament to our team’s collective efforts and our commitment to innovation, growth, and delivering value to our customers and stakeholders. It also reflects our dedication to sustainability and high ethical standards, which are integral to our overall strategy. I am immensely proud of our accomplishments and look forward to future opportunities for the bank as I hand over the baton to my successor and begin the mandatory regulatory cooling-off period.”
Onyeagwu dedicated the award to Dr. Jim Ovia, the founder and Chairman of Zenith Bank, for his mentorship, and to the bank’s management team and staff for their unwavering commitment over the past five years. He also expressed gratitude to the bank’s customers for their loyalty.
During his tenure, Onyeagwu led Zenith Bank to significant achievements in financial performance, financial inclusion, corporate governance, and sustainability. These accomplishments have earned the bank numerous local and international accolades, including being named the best bank in Nigeria multiple times by the Global Finance World’s Best Banks Awards and Best Bank for Digital Solutions by Euromoney Awards 2023.
Zenith Bank was listed in the World Finance Top 100 Global Companies in 2023 and recognized as the number one bank in Nigeria by Tier-1 Capital for the 14th consecutive year in the 2023 Top 1000 World Banks Ranking by The Banker Magazine. The bank also received the title of the best commercial bank in Nigeria for three consecutive years from the World Finance Banking Awards and was honoured for its corporate governance and sustainability practices by various prestigious organizations.
Onyeagwu, who was appointed GMD/CEO on June 1, 2019, will hand over leadership to Dr. Adaora Umeoji, the bank’s first female GMD. Additionally, last Thursday, the Chartered Risk Management Institute of Nigeria conferred a fellowship on Onyeagwu in recognition of Zenith Bank’s outstanding risk management practices and contributions to the broader financial community.
