This study investigated the relationship between digital leadership dimensions digital visioning, digital communication, and digital collaboration—and customer trust in digital service channels of Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The primary objective was to examine how leadership behaviors in digital contexts influence customers’ confidence and trust in banking services. The study adopted a quasi-experimental research design with a cross-sectional survey approach, allowing for the assessment of digital leadership practices and their impact on customer perceptions in real banking environments. Five leading DMBs were purposively selected using the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN, 2023) directory based on operational presence and digital service adoption, with 200 questionnaires administered to customers actively using digital banking platforms. After data cleaning, 165 completed responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) in SPSS version 28 to test the research hypotheses. The results revealed statistically significant positive relationships: digital visioning and customer trust (F = 39.42, p < 0.05), digital communication and customer trust (F = 41.21, p < 0.05), and digital collaboration and customer trust (F = 38.57, p < 0.05). These findings suggest that a clear digital vision enhances perceived reliability, effective digital communication fosters transparency and responsiveness, and collaborative digital practices ensure seamless service delivery, collectively strengthening customer trust in digital channels. The study concludes that digital leadership is a critical driver of trust and confidence in banking services. It recommends that DMBs invest in strategic digital leadership initiatives, enhance communication tools, and promote cross-departmental collaboration to improve customer trust and loyalty in digital banking environments.

Keywords: Digital leadership, Digital visioning, digital communication, digital collaboration, customer trust, deposit money banks.