Zenith, GTCO Make N283bn From Account Maintenance, E-business In 2025

Zenith Bank Plc and Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO) jointly recorded a combined N283.7 billion income from account maintenance and electronic banking charges in 2025, according to the data in their annual reports recently released.

While account maintenance fees are charged for the upkeep of a customer’s account, especially current accounts, electronic transaction fees are charged incurred when customers use digital, such as electronic banking channels, such as electronic transfers, card payments, ATM withdrawals, USSD banking, mobile apps, and online payments.

Zenith Banks audited 2025 financials showed that the bank generated N91.95 billion from account maintenance charges in 2025, a 26.1 per cent increase compared to N72.93 billion recorded in 2024.

Similarly, its income from electronic transaction fees rose to N89.13 billion, up 11.3 per cent from N80.05 billion in the previous year.

For GTCO, account maintenance fees rose to N37.92 billion in 2025, compared to N32.66 billion in 2024, a 16.1 per cent growth. The group’s electronic banking income also increased significantly to N64.72 billion, from N56.56 billion in the preceding year, a 14.4 per cent rise.

Zenith Bank’s audited results for the 2025 financial year, showed that it made a pre-tax profit of N1.26 trillion, representing a marginal decline of 4.78 per cent compared to the N1.3 trillion recorded in 2024.

The bank had sustained strong earnings momentum driven by robust growth in interest income, which rose significantly to N3.6 trillion from N2.7 trillion in the previous year. The performance was largely supported by increased earnings from loans and advances to customers, which contributed N1.8 trillion, reflecting a 20.15 per cent growth, while treasury bills generated N1.1 trillion.

The results showed that net interest income rose by 52.67 per cent to N2.6 trillion, while net interest income after impairment climbed by 77 per cent to N1.8 trillion, despite impairment charges increasing to N742.1 billion from N657 billion in 2024.

In line with its earnings performance, the bank proposed a final dividend of N8.75 per share, higher than N4.00 declared in the prior year, bringing total dividend for the 2025 financial year to N10.00 per share, inclusive of the N1.25 interim dividend.

GTCO had reported profit before tax of N1.23trillion, as its profit after tax came in at N865.75billion against N1.02trillion recorded in 2024. Total assets and shareholders’ funds closed at N17.8trillion and N3.4trillion, respectively.

Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) remained very robust and strong, closing at 43.8%, likewise asset quality improved as evidenced by IFRS 9 Stage 3 Loans which closed at 3.4% and 5.0% at Bank and Group level in FY-2025 (Bank, 3.5%, and Group, 5.2% in December 2024). Cost of Risk (COR) also improved to 2.2% from 4.9% in December 2024.

In specific terms, the Group’s loan book (net) grew by 12.4% from N2.79trillion as of December 2024 to N3.13trillion in December 2025. Similarly, deposit liabilities grew by 23.8% from N10.40trillion to N12.87trillion during the same period.

Commenting on the results, the Group Chief Executive Officer of Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc, Segun Agbaje, said: “Our 2025 result underscores the resilience and depth of our earnings capacity. Following a record 2024, which included significant fair value gains, our focus has been on strengthening the sustainability of our earnings by driving growth across our core banking and ecosystem businesses.

“The strength of our underlying earnings, despite a stronger Naira and tighter regulatory parameters, reflects the quality of our franchise and the discipline with which we execute our strategy.