Zenith Bank Opens New Branch in Paris, France

With the opening of the Zenith Bank (UK), Paris Branch, Zenith Bank Plc has increased its global footprint and taken a major step forward in its global growth strategy.
Nigeria’s Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, presided over the commissioning, which was held on Wednesday, November 27, 2024, at 21 Rue de la Paix, Paris, France.
Zenith Bank (UK) Limited’s Paris branch, a Third-Country Branch (TCB), demonstrates the bank’s dedication to providing European customers with services and fostering trade between Africa and Europe.

Notable people attended the event, including the governors of the states of Kwara, Lagos, Ogun, and Enugu, respectively: AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Adedapo Abiodun, and Dr. Peter Mbah.
NIPC CEO Aisha Rimi, NEPC CEO Nonye Ayeni, Minister of State for Finance Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, and BUA Group Chairman Abdul Samad Rabiu were among the other guests.
Dame Dr. Adaora Umeoji, the Group Managing Director/CEO of Zenith Bank, praised the bank’s founder and chairman, Dr. Jim Ovia, for his visionary leadership in her welcome speech.

With plans to expand into Francophone Africa, beginning with Ivory Coast and Cameroon, she emphasized the Paris branch’s role in facilitating trade and financial services between French and African markets.
The establishment of Zenith Bank in Paris, according to Minister Wale Edun, would promote cooperation and trust between the French business community and African markets.
French Treasury Director General Bertrand Dumont emphasized the branch’s potential to improve intercontinental business ties, while business tycoon Aliko Dangote praised the bank’s contribution to Nigeria’s economic expansion.

Zenith Bank and the French government signed a Memorandum of Understanding in November 2023, and the Paris branch launch comes after final approval by France’s banking regulator, ACPR, in September 2024.
With the help of its extensive global network, Zenith Bank in Paris hopes to act as a financial center for corporate banking, trade finance, and treasury services, accelerating trade flows and promoting closer economic ties between Europe and Africa.
This significant achievement reaffirms Zenith Bank’s standing as a leading global bank, ready to improve financial services on all continents.