Zenith Bank continues to deliver strong performance over the years with remarkable improvements on all parameters. For the financial year ending September 30, 2008, the bank's asset plus contingents jumped to N2.384 trillion, up from N1.18 trillion for the period ending June 2007, representing an increase of 87 per cent.

Within the same period, profit before tax rose to N48.939 billion up by 90.60 per cent from N25.676 billion while profit after tax also rose to N46.524 billion up by 147.74 per cent from N18.779 billion.

At Zenith Bank, excellent service delivery and development of superior asset quality, strong capital base, professionalism and corporate governance are abiding principles.

The bank maintains sound corporate governance culture in line with global best practices. The bank's customer-specific approach to customer service consistently reinforces its value creation processes towards assisting customers in their goals.
Zenith Bank maintains one of the best assets qualities in the banking industry as evident in the low ratio of non-performing loans to total loans of 1.7%. The impressive performance over the years has earned Zenith Bank excellent ratings from local and international agencies.

Standard and Poor's currently rates the bank BB-, which is the highest ever assigned to Nigerian banks. Also, Fitch Ratings currently rates Zenith Bank M- (National) while Agusto & Co., Nigeria's foremost rating agency, has for the ninth consecutive year rated Zenith Bank Triple Aaa, saying "...the bank is a financial institution of impeccable financial condition and overwhelming capacity to meet obligations as and when they fall due".

The management's commitment to excellent banking practice has been richly rewarded in the form of numerous awards. In October 2008, Zenith Bank was named 'Best Global Bank in Africa" by the African Banker Magazine. The award came on the heels of another one, "Best Bank in Nigeria" for 2008 by Euromoney.

The bank had earlier in the year won two major awards, 'Bank of the Year' and 'Corporate Citizen of the Year' at the 2008 ThisDay Award for Excellence. This is in addition to the 'CEO of the Year,' award won by the Managing Director for his sterling achievement in banking. The bank also won two awards, Best Bank in ICT and Best Bank in Export Finance, at the Vanguard Bankers' Award held in April 2008.

In November 2007, the bank was named the 'African Bank of the Year,' by the Africa Investor magazine. The same year, Zenith Bank emerged the 'Quoted Company of the Year' at the annual President's Merit Awards organized by the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE). In January 2007, Zenith was adjudged the most customer focused bank in Nigeria from a survey conducted by foremost consulting firm, KPMG.

The bank was adjudged the most 'Corporate Socially Responsible Company' in Nigeria by ThisDay newspaper early in 2007 and later in the year as the 'Most Corporate Socially Responsible Bank in Africa' by the African Banker magazine.

The bank efficiently deploys a wide area network facility, which is seamlessly integrated through an associate company - Cyberspace Network, that operates a 3.5GHZ Fixed Wireless Access licence providing a communication backbone for the Bank and its subsidiaries. This enables the bank provide efficient financial services including but not limited to:

• Corporate and Commercial Banking Services

• E-business Solutions including local and international card    business,

• Treasury and Cash Management Services

• Foreign Exchange and Trade Finance Services

• Funds/Assets Management

• Private Banking, Investment Banking

• Financial Advisory Services.

The bank also offers a wide range of specialised financial services through its subsidiaries, which include:
Zenith Capital Limited - provides a full range of investment banking services; including corporate finance & advisory, capital markets, asset management, sales & trading, and principal investment.
Zenith Securities Limited - a securities trading and asset management company.
Zenith Registrars Limited - share registration services.
Zenith General Insurance Company Limited - our insurance and risk underwriting company.
Zenith Pensions Custodian Limited - a pensions custodian management company.
Zenith Life Assurance Company - underwriting of group life, individual life and annuities.
Zenith Trust Company Limited - a trusteeship services company.
Zenith Medicare Limited - a health insurance company.
Zenith Bank (Ghana) Limited - a banking subsidiary.
Zenith Bank (UK) Limited - a banking subsidiary.
Zenith Bank (Sierra leone) Limited - a banking subsidiary.
Zenith Bank Representative Office (Johannesburg, South Africa) - a banking subsidiary.

Over the years, Zenith Bank clearly set out to differentiate itself in the banking industry through its service quality, drive for a unique customer experience and the caliber of its client base. Today, it is easily associated with the following attributes in the Nigerian banking industry:

• Innovation
• Best risk assets portfolio
• Consistent superior financial performance
• High quality personnel
•Leadership in the use of Information and Communication   Technology (lCT)
• Consistent in raising the bar of competition, and
• Formidable marketing team

The overall vision of the bank is to make the Zenith brand a reputable international financial services network recognized for innovation, superior customer service and performance while creating premium value for all stakeholders.

The key strategies that will enable us deliver our vision are:

• To deliver superior and tailor-made service experience to all our customers at all times.

• Develop deeper and broader relationship with all clients and strive to understand their individual and industry peculiarities with a view to developing specific solutions for each segment of our customer base.

• Significantly expand our operations by adding various distribution channels and entering into new markets.

• Maintain our position as a leading service provider in Nigeria while expanding our operations internationally in West Africa and the financial capitals of the world.

• Strive to be a leading service provider in Nigeria by continuing to build on long-standing relationships, capabilities and the strength of our brand and reputation.

• Expand our business through the establishment of key subsidiaries for the provision of non-bank financial services to accentuate the service offerings and experience of our customers.

• Continually enhance our processes and systems platforms to deliver new capabilities and improve operational efficiencies and achieve economies of scale.