Nigeria’s largest bank by assets, Zenith Bank Plc, spent a whopping N20 billion on Information Technology in 2020, more than double its 2019 spend of N9 billion.
A cursory view of the bank’s expense line for 2020 reveals that it spent N148.1 billion on other expenses compared with N129. 4 billion in the same period of the previous year. Information technology was the major driver of the bank’s expense line, making up about 15.5% of total operating expenses.
Why this matters: Most banks are expected to record higher spend on information technology in 2020 due to forced work-from-home policies triggered by Covid-19. Apps such as Zoom, and Microsoft Teams went mainstream during the pandemic as most businesses increasingly depended on them to function.
- While remote working may have been a major contributor, the bank likely splurged heavily on software applications, cloud computing, SaaS, and investing in technology to drive its FinTech goals.
- Apart from Information Technology, the bank also spent more on AMCON levy during the year, incurring a cost of N30.9 billion.
- A notable reduction in year-on-year expenditure was its spending on Hotels and Travels. The bank spent N1.8 billion in Travel and Hotels.
- Zenith Bank reported a record N230 billion in profit after tax for the year ended December 2020. The bank is now the largest bank by Total Assets, with over N8.4 trillion.
