Zenith Bank Plc, Nigeria’s leading bank in digital, customers’ care and corporate governance has officially opened a new branch in Manchester, United Kingdom.
The branch which was inaugurated on Tuesday, March 17, 2026 technically expanded the bank’s international presence, complementing its existing London operations to enhance corporate banking, trade finance, and treasury services between Africa and the UK.
Speaking at the event which attracted high-profile individuals from Nigeria and the UK, Dame Adaora Umeoji, the Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the bank lauded the visionary leadership of the founder, Dr. Jim Ovia.
She explained that Zenith Bank was built on “Solid tripod of People, Technology and Service,” a development that makes the bank one of the best in “Sub Saharan Africa and globally.”
Sub-Saharan Africa consists of 49 countries located entirely or partially south of the Sahara Desert, comprising roughly 1 billion people and over 1,000 languages.
Adaora Umeoji stated that Zenith Bank Plc provides comprehensive financial solutions for businesses in Nigeria and abroad, including corporate banking, trade finance (LCs, bills for collection) and SME support through the Zenith Bank SME Arena.
She added that the bank offers digital banking, foreign exchange management via domiciliary accounts and international banking services through its numerous branches across the world.
In his own speech, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who was represented by Minister of State for Finance, Taiwo Oyedele, noted that Nigerian banks have matured into more globally competitive institutions with strong fundamentals that position them as facilitators of both domestic and global capital.
He described the opening of the United Kingdom’s Manchester branch of Zenith Bank UK Limited, a subsidiary of Zenith Bank Plc as the evolution of Nigerian banking sector into globally competitive institutions that could foster global investments and trades, in line with the growing recognition of Nigeria as an emerging economic force.
“Nigeria’s banking sector has matured significantly. Our banks are now, better capitalised, more technologically advanced, increasingly international in outlook,” Tinubu said.
Tinubu commended the Zenith Bank founder, Jim Ovia, the Group Managing Director, Dame Adaora Umeoji and other stakeholders on the milestone.
“This branch is not just a new location. It is a statement of confidence – in the UK market, in Nigeria-UK relations, and in the future of African financial institutions globally,” he said.
