The most prestigious event in the African banking calendar, the African Banker Awards Gala Ceremony 2024, took place last night at the JW Marriott Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya, on the sidelines of the African Development Bank Annual Meetings. The ceremony was attended by over 300 of the continent's leading figures in banking and finance.
Now in its 18th edition, the African Banker Awards celebrate the achievements of individuals and institutions that have contributed significantly to the growth and development of Africa's banking sector over the past year. This year’s awards ceremony in particular saw DFIs triumph, enjoying successes, in both institutional and individual categories, and representing the increased growth they enjoy in the African financial ecosystem.
In his speech, Omar Ben Yedder, chair
of the Awards Committee noted that banks and financial institutions are going
through an important transition and are playing a critical role in financing
growth especially with the retreat of international banks from the
continent: “We are seeing a coalition of DFIs taking shape and these
will have to see considerable capital increases to plug the gap in infrastructure,
trade, climate and also SME Financing. These will have to be supported by
policy makers in an even more meaningful way. We’re also seeing further reform
and new capital requirements for banks. This will lead to bigger banks and we
have seen how the likes of UBA, Access, Zenith and GTB in Nigeria for example
play a role in financing big conglomerates and large infrastructure projects,
something unimaginable two decades ago.”
Vincent Nmehielle, Secretary General of the African Development Bank, said that this
year’s Annual Meetings were some of the best attended and this showed the
convening power of the Bank and how it can bring key stakeholders together to
drive the continent’s development.
SME financing was cited by many as the fastest growing and most important asset class. Jules Ngankam, Group CEO of the African Guarantee Fund, called for banks to do even more in this sector that had been consistently profitable across the board, be it in agriculture, manufacturing and including in lending to youth and women, two underserved segments.
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Highlights from the Ceremony:
·
DFIs enjoy well-deserved big wins
Afreximbank, BADEA, and Mr. Admassu Tadesse from Trade Development Bank all enjoyed success at the African Banker Awards 2024 ceremony, demonstrating the ever-growing importance of multilateral finance institutions and DFIs in plugging the finance gap, even more so with the retreat of larger international banks.
·
Trailblazer and
visionary economist wins African Banker Icon award
Ms. Razia Khan, Chief Economist and Head of Research for Africa and the Middle East at Standard Chartered Bank, has enjoyed an illustrious career spanning over two decades, during which she has emerged as one of the most influential and insightful economists on the African continent. She wins this award for her exceptional contributions to economic research and policy and her dedication to the advancement of the African continent.
·
A lifelong
dedication is honoured with Lifetime Achievement award
Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede's journey in the banking industry, spanning three decades, has been inspirational, and in his role as Chairman of Access Holdings and Coronation Group, he drives investments and initiatives that promote economic development across the continent. A true titan of finance, he dedicated his award to his business partner and co-founder of Access Bank, Herbert Onyewumbu Wigwe, who died earlier this year in a helicopter crash. Together they have managed to turn a tier-3 bank in Nigeria into one of the continent’s leading financial institutions in less than two decades. In his closing remarks Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede stressed the importance of Africa owning its own capital in order to chart its own future.
·
Centenary Rural
Development Bank Ltd wins second-ever AFAWA Bank of the Year Award
Ugandan commercial bank Centenary Rural Development Bank Ltd has won
the AFAWA Bank of the Year Award which was introduced at the 17th edition
of the African Banker Awards in 2023. This award recognises banks that have
greatly incorporated the growth of women-led small and medium-sized enterprises
as part of their SME strategy.
The awards ceremony is organised by African Banker magazine with the African Development Bank as its High Patron. This year’s AfDB Meetings is focused on reform of the global financial architecture. The Bank will also be presenting its next ten year strategy.
The 2024 edition was sponsored by African Guarantee Fund, African Trade & Investment Development Insurance (ATIDI), Vista Bank Group, African Export-Import Bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA) and Guarantee Trust Bank (GT Bank).
Full list of winners:
Banker of the Year
Mr. Admassu Tadesse, TDB Group President and
Managing Director
Bank of the Year
African Export Import Bank (Afreximbank)
African Banker Icon
Ms. Razia Kahn, Chief Economist MEA at Standard Chartered
Lifetime Achievement
Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, Chairman, Access Holdings and Coronation Group
Central Bank Governor of the Year
H.E. Kamau Thugge C.B.S., Governor of the Central Bank of Kenya
Minister of Finance of the Year
H.E. Iipumbu Shiimi, Finance Minister of Namibia
Sustainable Bank of the Year
Standard Bank Group
DFI of the Year
Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA)
AFAWA Bank of the Year Award
Centenary Rural Development Bank
Fintech of the Year
Flutterwave
SME Bank of the Year
Ecobank
Deal of the Year – Debt
€774m Project Strada – Senegal – MUFG Bank
Deal of the Year – Equity
US$1.1bn investment into Mopani copper mines – Rothschild and Co
Deal of the Year – Agriculture
US$400m Evergrow for Specialised Fertilisers – National Bank of Egypt
Deal of the Year – Infrastructure
US362.5m Standard Gauge Railway – Tanzania – African Export Import Bank
(Afreximbank) and Standard Chartered
Regional Bank of the Year – North
EFG Holding
Regional Bank of the Year – Southern
Mauritius Commercial Bank (MCB)
Regional Bank of the Year – East
Uganda Development Bank (UDB)
Regional Bank of the Year – Central
Rawbank, DRC
Regional Bank of the Year – West
United Bank for Africa (UBA)
About the African Banker Awards
The African Banker Awards, are a prestigious accolade that celebrates
excellence and best practices in African banking and finance. These annual
awards recognise the outstanding achievements of individuals and financial
institutions that are transforming the continent’s financial sector and
contributing to economic development and financial inclusion in Africa.
Organised by African Banker magazine in partnership with IC Events, the
awards bring together industry leaders from across the continent to honour
innovation, resilience, and the spirit of competition in African banking. For
more information about the African Banker Awards, please visit our website at
www.AfricanBankerAwards.com.
About African Banker
African Banker is a leading publication dedicated to reporting on the
banking industry across the continent. With insightful coverage on finance,
politics, business, technology, energy, and resources, African Banker provides
in-depth analysis and commentary on the trends shaping Africa’s financial
landscape.
As a trusted source of information, African Banker offers a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities within Africa’s banking sector.
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