Photo: Dr Adaora Umeoji, GMD of Zenith Bank.
Zenith Bank Plc said that it will officially open its Côte d’Ivoire branch tomorrow Wednesday, April 29, 2026.
The new subsidiary is positioned to support cross-border trade and investment, with a focus on corporate banking, trade finance, local and offshore banking services, and structured financial solutions for businesses operating across Africa and internationally.
The bank disclosed this in a statement, saying that the subsidiary, licensed in December 2025 by the Ministry of Finance and Budget of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire and regulated by the UMOA Banking Commission, will operate from its headquarters at SCI Wall Street, Avenue Noguès, Plateau, Abidjan.
The subsidiary will be led by Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Cédric Tano, who said that the bank’s entry into Côte d’Ivoire comes at a time of strong economic growth and increasing regional integration, adding that it aims to combine global best practices with local market insight to support businesses, facilitate cross-border trade and contribute to economic growth in Côte d’Ivoire and the wider WAEMU region.
Group Managing Director, Dame Dr Adaora Umeoji, said the expansion reflects the vision of the bank’s Founder and Chairman, Jim Ovia, to build a global brand with a strong presence across Africa and key international markets.
She described the launch as “a bold step opening a strategic corridor into Francophone West Africa and reinforcing our commitment to facilitating trade, investment, and enterprise growth across the continent.”
