Jim Ovia's Zenith Bank opens in Côte d'Ivoire, breaking into Francophone West Africa for the first time

Jim Ovia's Zenith Bank has crossed into Francophone West Africa. The Nigerian banking giant formally opened its Côte d'Ivoire subsidiary on Wednesday, April 29, in Plateau, Abidjan, taking a step it first announced in September 2025 from intention to operational reality.

The subsidiary was licensed in December 2025 by the Ivorian Ministry of Finance and Budget and is regulated by the UMOA Banking Commission. It will operate from its headquarters at SCI Wall Street, Avenue Noguès, Plateau, Abidjan, the country's commercial center.

Cédric Tano, a banking executive with over two decades of experience, has been named Managing Director and CEO of Zenith Bank Côte d'Ivoire. He will lead a unit focused on corporate banking, trade finance, local and offshore banking services and structured financial solutions for businesses operating across Africa and internationally.

"We are proud to establish Zenith Bank's presence in Côte d'Ivoire at a time of strong economic growth in the country and increasing regional integration," Tano said. "We are well positioned to support businesses with innovative financing solutions, facilitate cross-border trade, and contribute meaningfully to the growth of the Ivorian economy and the wider WAEMU region."

Group Managing Director Adaora Umeoji tied the launch directly to Ovia's founding vision. "From the very beginning, our Founder and Chairman, Jim Ovia, set out to build a truly global brand with a strong presence across Africa and key international markets. The launch of Zenith Bank Côte d'Ivoire is a bold step in realising that vision," she said.

The Abidjan launch is not the end of Zenith's Francophone push. The bank has simultaneously commenced its entry process into the Central African Economic and Monetary Community, with Cameroon as the entry point into that bloc.

The opening ceremony drew senior government officials and regulators from both Nigeria and Côte d'Ivoire, alongside continental business leaders and diplomatic community members.

Zenith Bank already operates in Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, the United Kingdom, France, the UAE and China. The Côte d'Ivoire launch adds the bank's first Francophone West African foothold to that network and opens access to the eight-nation WAEMU bloc, which includes Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Guinea-Bissau, Togo and Benin alongside Côte d'Ivoire.

Ovia founded Zenith Bank in 1990 and holds a 14.1% stake in the institution. Zenith's shares have gained more than 73% year-to-date in 2026, and the bank briefly reclaimed its title as Nigeria's most valuable financial services group with a market capitalization of N4.58 trillion in March. The Côte d'Ivoire launch is the first operational milestone in an expansion agenda that also includes a planned London Stock Exchange listing, a Manchester branch and a pending acquisition of Kenya's Paramount Bank.