Lagos, Nigeria – Zenith Bank Plc has appointed Mr Kennedy Onuwa Okwudili as Executive Director, effective May 1, 2026, in a move the lender says is aligned with its succession plan to develop internal leadership and reinforce its executive management team.
Okay News reports that the appointment was disclosed in a filing to the Nigerian Exchange signed by Company Secretary Michael Otu, which highlighted Mr Okwudili’s more than 25 years of experience at Zenith Bank across credit and marketing, treasury, compliance and operations.
The bank stated that Mr Okwudili holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Maiduguri, an MBA from Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria and a Master of Science in Accounting from Veritas University Abuja obtained in 2021.
He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria and an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Taxation, and has worked in multiple zones and departments within the institution.
Zenith Bank added that Mr Okwudili has attended senior executive programmes in Nigeria and abroad, including the Senior Leadership Development Program at Lagos Business School, the Corporate Directorship Program at Harvard Business School and the Advanced Management Program at Oxford Saïd Business School, and he currently serves as President of the Catholic Bankers Association of Nigeria.
The board decision comes as Zenith Bank continues to post strong financial results, with the group reporting a pre tax profit of 917.4 billion naira for the nine months to September 30, 2025, driven by a 40.8 per cent rise in interest income to 2.74 trillion naira, higher fees and commissions and modest balance sheet growth.
Interest on loans and advances reached 1.3 trillion naira over the period, while investment securities, including about 400.3 billion naira from treasury bills, generated 740.5 billion naira, and total assets rose 2.6 per cent to 31.18 trillion naira on the back of higher cash balances, loan growth and increased holdings of securities.
Analysts expect Zenith Bank’s yet to be released 2025 audited results to reflect the momentum seen in the nine month numbers, as the stock has gained more than 73 per cent on the Nigerian Exchange so far in 2026, recently crossing the 100 naira mark for the first time and trading around 107.5 naira per share in premarket dealings on March 24, 2026.
The promotion of Kennedy Onuwa Okwudili is seen as part of a broader effort to match Zenith Bank’s expanding balance sheet and strong market performance with deeper leadership capacity at the top, as Nigeria’s banking sector navigates currency reforms, inflation and evolving regulatory demands.
