Zenith Bank Plc, Nigeria’s largest lender by Tier-1 capital, has assured shareholders and investors of its readiness to meet all regulatory requirements to exit the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) regulatory forbearance by June 30, 2025 — while reaffirming its commitment to sustaining dividend payouts for the 2025 financial year.
The bank’s reassurance comes amid heightened scrutiny of Nigerian banks’ capital positions, following recent CBN directives that suspended dividend payments and imposed tighter oversight on lenders with outstanding forbearance-related exposures or breaches of the Single Obligor Limit (SOL).
In a statement filed with the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Group on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, Zenith Bank clarified that its SOL forbearance relates to just a single obligor and assured investors that the exposure would be brought within regulatory thresholds by June 30.
“The bank also confirms that the forbearance granted on other credit facilities applies to only two of its customers,” the statement read. “Significant provisions have already been made against these facilities, and we have taken comprehensive steps to ensure full provisioning by the June 30 deadline.”
Zenith Bank further highlighted its robust capital position, announcing that it had successfully raised — and exceeded — the new minimum regulatory capital requirement of N500 billion, placing it in a strong position to continue delivering shareholder value.
“Our sound financial footing underscores our commitment to meet regulatory expectations and sustain the confidence of our stakeholders,” the bank noted.
Zenith Bank remains one of the top performers in Nigeria’s financial sector, renowned for its digital leadership, innovative products, and consistent customer service excellence. It has been recognised as the No. 1 bank in Nigeria by Tier-1 Capital for 15 consecutive years in The Banker Magazine’s 2024 Top 1000 World Banks Ranking.
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