This study examined the effectiveness of Zoom-based online teaching of English composition compared with face-to-face classroom instruction in higher institutions in Katsina State, Nigeria. In the instructional mode, the principal of the independent variable was adopted by allowing both groups to receive appropriate pedagogical activities. Using a quasi-experimental design, two groups of students (N=200N=200N=200; 100 assigned to Zoom-based teaching and 100 to traditional classroom instruction) were taught identical English composition content for one academic semester. Students’ writing performance was measured using an English Composition Writing Test administered as a pre-test and post-test. Essays were scored with an analytic rubric covering content, organization, vocabulary, grammar, mechanics, and coherence/cohesion. Students’ engagement and perceptions of Zoom-based instruction were collected through engagement level measures and Likert-scale items, respectively, and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Independent and paired comparisons were conducted, with significance evaluated at p<.05p<.05p<.05. Results showed that both groups improved significantly from pre-test to post-test. The Zoom-based teaching group increased from a pre-test mean of 48.62 (SD = 7.84) to a post-test mean of 72.48 (SD = 8.21), with a gain of 23.86 and t(99)=15.82,p<.001t(99)=15.82, p<.001t(99)=15.82,p<.001 (Cohen’s d=1.58d=1.58d=1.58). The traditional classroom group increased from 49.10 (SD = 8.01) to 66.31 (SD = 7.75), with a gain of 17.21 and t(99)=12.94,p<.001t(99)=12.94, p<.001t(99)=12.94,p<.001 (Cohen’s d=1.29d=1.29d=1.29). An independent-samples t-test comparing post-test achievement indicated a statistically significant difference favoring Zoom-based instruction: t(198)=4.63,p=0.001t(198)=4.63, p=0.001t(198)=4.63,p=0.001 (Zoom mean = 72.48 vs. traditional mean = 66.31). Engagement levels were also higher in the Zoom group, with more students reporting very high and high engagement. Finally, perceptions indicated agreement that Zoom improves interaction, enhances writing skills, and supports independent learning, though poor internet connectivity was identified as the most significant challenge.