In 2025, Zenith Bank Plc’s story centred on steady growth and careful adjustments across its operations.
The bank expanded its workforce by 14%, growing staff from 7,704 in 2024 to 8,773 in 2025.
Workforce Growth And Gender Shift
As a result, this growth reflected a deliberate effort to strengthen capacity across key business areas.
Moreover, women played a central role in this expansion, shaping the workforce in a significant way.
Out of the 1,069 new employees, the bank hired 810 women, accounting for about 76% of new hires.
Consequently, women now represent 56% of the workforce, compared to 44% for men.
At the same time, the bank employed 4,900 women and 3,873 men at the end of 2025.
Furthermore, this marks steady progress from 3,351 women in 2023 to 4,090 in 2024.
Meanwhile, male numbers remained relatively stable, while the gender balance gradually shifted over time.
Leadership Stability At The Top
At governance level, the board maintained its structure and kept continuity throughout the year.
Specifically, the board consists of 14 members, including 9 men and 5 women, maintaining a stable ratio.
In addition, this consistency suggests continuity in oversight and strategic direction at the highest level.
At the same time, senior management expanded significantly, reflecting growing operational complexity and leadership needs.
As a result, top management increased from 92 in 2024 to 124 in 2025.
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However, men dominated these roles, holding 83 positions, while women occupied 41 roles.
Similarly, Assistant General Managers rose from 47 in 2024 to 77 in 2025.
Likewise, Deputy General Managers increased from 21 to 29 over the same period.
Also, General Managers grew from 14 to 18, signalling expanded leadership layers.
Nevertheless, female representation at this level declined slightly to 22% from 29%.
Zenith Earnings Under Pressure
On the financial side, the bank reported a pre-tax profit of ₦1.26 trillion in 2025.
However, this figure declined by 4.78% from ₦1.3 trillion recorded in 2024.
Despite this, interest income remained strong at ₦3.6 trillion, supporting overall performance.
In particular, loans and advances contributed ₦1.8 trillion to overall earnings.
In addition, treasury bills added ₦1.1 trillion, strengthening the income base.
Furthermore, government bonds and placements contributed ₦507.9 billion and ₦210 billion respectively.
Meanwhile, fees and commissions increased to ₦291.8 billion, boosting non-interest income.
Also, other operating income reached ₦176.2 billion, driven by foreign exchange gains.
However, rising expenses placed pressure on overall profitability during the year.
Specifically, interest expenses climbed to ₦1.03 trillion, reflecting higher funding costs.
Similarly, impairment charges rose to ₦742.1 billion, affecting earnings quality.
In addition, the bank recorded a trading loss of ₦63.1 trillion in 2025.
In contrast, the bank had recorded a ₦1.1 trillion trading profit in 2024.
Overall, Zenith Bank balanced workforce growth with financial headwinds while adapting to evolving priorities.
