Zenith Bank Ghana ushered in the festive season with its highly anticipated 2024 Christmas Light-Up Ceremony and Carols Night.
The annual event, held at Zenith Heights, the bank’s headquarters at No. 37 Independence Avenue, Ridge, brought together staff, management, and stakeholders for an evening filled with joy and excitement.
The event held last Friday December 13, 2024 kicked off with staff and management serenaded with enchanting Christmas carols and tunes performed by the Bank’s talented choir, creating a warm and celebratory atmosphere.
From “O Holy Night” to other Christmas carols, the performances resonated with the audience, fostering a sense of unity and celebration as staff members joined in with cheerful voices, adding to the atmosphere of joy and togetherness.
The Bank’s building, frontage and walls were lit with beautiful colours illuminating the bank’s premises in a dazzling array of festive colors as the MD/CEO turned on the lights to usher in the festive celebrations.
The Bank has also decorated the Big Six Roundabout, Terminal 3 Roundabout and the median areas in the airport environs to spread the Christmas cheer to the general public.
Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer of Zenith Bank, Henry Onwuzurigbo, addressing the audience indicated that the Light-Up Ceremony and Carols Night has become a tradition with the Bank spearheading the initiative since 2018 and has inspired many other institutions to also light up their premises and different cityscapes in Ghana.
“Tonight’s event is a celebration of the beginning of the Christmas season—the birth of Christ, symbolizing hope, renewal and the enduring light that unites us as a people. It further reflects the strong bond between the bank and the community we proudly serve. Beyond a festive tradition, it also serves as a reminder of the resilience that defines Zenith Bank Ghana as a brand in Ghana.”
Financial performance
Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Zenith Bank, Henry Onwuzurigbo, provided insights into the bank’s financial performance for the year under review.
He acknowledged that 2024 had its challenges but stressed that the bank successfully surmounted these challenges, making the year a remarkable one for the bank.
“As a Bank, our Total Customer deposits grew by 56 percent from GH¢10.2 billion in September 2023 to GH¢15.9 billion in September 2024. This underscores the effectiveness of the Bank’s strategic deposit mobilization and increased customer confidence in the Bank’s business operations.
“Year-on-year, net loans and advances increased by 62 percent, up from GH¢2 billion in September 2023 to GH¢ 3.3 billion in September 2024 primarily due to new facilities given to customers as part of the bank’s strategic drive to expand into new Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) and retail markets.
“The Bank’s Profit before Tax (PBT) also grew by 20 percent, from GH¢735 million in September 2023 to GH¢882 million in September 2024 indicating continuous improvement in the Bank’s financial performance on a yearly basis. It is expected that the Bank will continue on this trajectory to end 2024 with an incremental Profit Before Tax over that of 2023,” he stated.
The Managing Director and CEO of Zenith Bank Ghana also highlighted the bank’s commitment to expansion and corporate social responsibility in 2024.
He announced the opening of three new branches in Madina, Techiman, and Ashaiman, increasing the bank’s total business locations in Ghana to 43.
In addition to its expansion efforts, Zenith Bank Ghana embarked on several impactful corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives.
These included rewarding outstanding WAEC candidates and providing over 1,000 pairs of shoes to underprivileged children in various communities.
Henry Onwuzurigbo also used the opportunity to express his heartfelt gratitude to the Board of Directors for their unwavering support and strategic guidance, as well as to the bank’s loyal customers and the media for their continued patronage and partnership, which contributed to the successes achieved in 2024.
