Ahmedabad (India), 23 May 2017: – Dr. Benedict Oramah, President of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), was today in Ahmedabad, India, named African Banker of the Year at the African Banker Awards 2017 ceremony.
The award, presented during a ceremony on the sidelines of the Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank, is, according to the organizers, given to a banker who, through leadership and vision, has overseen strong financial performance within his or her organization. Such a banker would also have successfully guided that institution to new heights in the industry.
In an acceptance speech, Dr. Oramah said that he was able to win the award as a result of the dedicated work of the staff of Afreximbank who have put in sustained effort and made sacrifices to enable the Bank continue performing in order to meet the challenges confronting Africa in the area of trade.
Other nominees for the award were Segun Agbaje of GTB, Nigeria; Jeremy Awori of Barclays Bank, Kenya; Dr. Charles Kimei of CRDB Bank, Tanzania; James Mwangi of Equity Bank, Kenya; and Joshua Nyamweya Olgara of KCB, Kenya.
Also today, Guaranty Trust Bank, Nigeria, was named the African Bank of the Year; Rameswurlall Basant Roi, Governor of the Central Bank of Mauritius, was named Central Bank Governor of the Year; and Rand Merchant Bank, South Africa, was named the Investment Bank of the Year.
Other winners include Equity Bank, Kenya, as the Best Retail Bank; MasterCard and Ecobank for Innovation in Banking; Waheed Olagunju of Bank of Industry, Nigeria, as African Banker Icon; and Amadou Ba, Minister of Finance of Senegal, as the Finance Minister of the Year.
The African Banker Awards were introduced to recognise reforms, rapid modernization and expansion of banking and finance in Africa, said the organisers. The awards reward the outstanding achievements of companies and individuals that have changed the perception of Africa’s potentials in domestic and international markets.
Nominees for the awards are shortlisted by a selection committee made up of members of the editorial board of IC Publications, who work with institutional partners involved in Africa and a network of experts from the continent. A distinguished and independent judging panel of persons known and respected for their banking and financial expertise, subsequently selects the winners.
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Media Contact: Obi Emekekwue (oemekekwue@afreximbank.com; Tel. +202-2456-4238)
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About Afreximbank:
The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) is the foremost Pan-African multilateral financial institution devoted to financing and promoting intra- and extra-African trade. The Bank was established in October 1993 by African governments, African private and institutional investors, and non-African investors. Its two basic constitutive documents are the Establishment Agreement, which gives it the status of an international organization, and the Charter, which governs its corporate structure and operations. Since 1994, it has approved more than $51 billion in credit facilities for African businesses, including about $10.3 billion in 2016. Afreximbank had total assets of $9.4 billion as at 30 April 2016 and is rated BBB+ (GCR), Baa1 (Moody’s), and BBB- (Fitch). The Bank is headquartered in Cairo. For more information, visit: www.afreximbank.com