• Zenith Bank Q3 pretax profit drops 8.4% to ₦917.4B on higher loan losses
• Net interest income up 50%; deposits and assets show continued growth
• Bank eyes expansion into Côte d’Ivoire and Cameroon despite credit risks

Nigeria’s Zenith Bank reported a pretax profit of 917.4 billion naira ($632 million) for the first nine months of 2025, down from 1.002 trillion naira in the same period last year. Net profit fell to 764.2 billion naira from 827.3 billion a year earlier.

The decline came despite growth in core banking income. Net interest income rose 50 percent to 1.93 trillion naira from 1.28 trillion a year earlier. Customer deposits climbed 7.9 percent to 23.69 trillion naira, while total assets exceeded 31.18 trillion naira, underscoring the bank’s balance-sheet strength.

The drop in earnings was largely attributed to a 63.6 percent surge in loan impairment charges, which reached 781.5 billion naira compared with 477.8 billion at the end of September 2024. The increase reflects a deterioration in the quality of loans and advances as some borrowers struggled to meet repayment obligations.

Despite the higher credit costs, Zenith Bank said overall operations remain robust. The lender’s solid financial base supports its expansion plans across Africa. Already active in Ghana, Sierra Leone and The Gambia, and with offices in South Africa, the United Kingdom, France, China and Dubai, the group is preparing to enter Francophone Africa, targeting Côte d’Ivoire in West Africa and exploring opportunities in Cameroon in Central Africa.

Sandrine Gaingne