Dr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu, the Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Zenith Bank Plc, has been named the 'Best Banking CEO of the Year in Africa' at the International Banker 2024 Banking Awards. This marks his second consecutive year receiving this accolade. The award, featured in the Spring 2024 issue of International Banker Magazine, coincides with Dr. Onyeagwu's completion of his five-year tenure as Group Managing Director and CEO on May 31, 2024.
Upon receiving the award, Dr. Onyeagwu expressed his gratitude to International Banker for the recognition. He remarked, "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." He further emphasized that this recognition reflects their dedication to sustainability and high ethical standards. Dr. Onyeagwu dedicated the award to Dr. Jim Ovia, Founder and Chairman of Zenith Bank Plc, acknowledging his mentorship; to the bank's management team and staff for their unwavering commitment; and to the bank's customers for their loyalty.
During his tenure, Dr. Onyeagwu has received numerous accolades including Bank CEO of the Year by Champion Newspaper (2019, 2023), BusinessDay Newspaper (2020–2023), SERAS Awards (2020-2021), Leadership Newspaper (2022), and International Banker (2023). Appointed on June 1, 2019, he led Zenith Bank through significant milestones in financial performance, inclusion, corporate governance, and sustainability.
Under his leadership, Zenith Bank has garnered multiple awards such as Best Bank in Nigeria from Global Finance World’s Best Banks Awards (four times between 2020-2024), Best Bank for Digital Solutions by Euromoney Awards (2023), inclusion in World Finance Top 100 Global Companies (2023), and Number One Bank in Nigeria by Tier-1 Capital for fourteen consecutive years according to The Banker Magazine's Top 1000 World Banks Ranking (2023).
The bank has also been recognised as Best Commercial Bank in Nigeria by World Finance Banking Awards (three consecutive years from 2021-2023) and Best Corporate Governance Bank by World Finance Corporate Governance Awards (2022-2023). Other recognitions include Most Sustainable Bank in Nigeria at International Banker 2023 Banking Awards.
In acknowledgment of his contributions to financial services in Nigeria and across Africa, Dr. Onyeagwu was awarded a Doctorate Degree in Business Administration by the University of Nigeria, Nsukka on March 25, 2023.
Published by Finance Publishing Limited, International Banker provides authoritative analysis on banking and finance globally. Its awards aim to recognize exceptional financial institutions setting new industry standards through innovation, sustainability commitments, ESG principles adherence, intelligent investing strategies maximizing profits and shareholder value.
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