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By Adedapo Adesanya

The African Banker Awards 2023 Gala Ceremony, probably the most prestigious occasion within the African banking calendar, occurred final night time on the Rixos Resort in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, on the sidelines of the African Growth Financial institution Annual Conferences and noticed African Export-Import Financial institution (Afreximbank) profitable two awards.

The ceremony was attended by over 300 of the continent’s main bankers, regulators, and policymakers.

Now in its seventeenth version, the African Banker Awards have a good time the achievements of people and establishments which have contributed considerably to the expansion and growth of Africa’s banking sector over the previous 12 months.

The highest spotlight of the ceremony was Ms Esther Kariuki turning into the second girl to win the African Banker of the 12 months Award. The Head of Agriculture Enterprise on the Co-op Financial institution of Kenya has been a central determine in advancing agriculture as a key asset class for her establishment.

She was additionally liable for significantly growing lending to the agriculture sector and oversaw the roll-out of the platform Co-op Financial institution Soko, a digital market that connects the agriculture worth chain and ensures, amongst different issues, that small-holder farmers obtain the next worth for his or her produce.

Afreximbank gained two prestigious awards in Sharm El Sheikh in recognition of its rising management inside Africa’s monetary providers sector. The Cairo-based establishment was celebrated as each African Financial institution of the 12 months and Growth Monetary Establishment of the 12 months, making it the only real establishment to win multiple award throughout this 12 months’s ceremony.

Mauritius’ Mr Harvesh Seegolam wins Central Financial institution Governor of the 12 months. The youngest ever serving governor of Mauritius Central Financial institution was appointed on the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He leveraged Mauritius Funding Company (MIC) to offer crucial monetary help to key sectors of the financial system by investing in personal sector operators. Its newest returns report demonstrated that the investments made by means of the MIC have elevated in worth, regardless of the difficult financial circumstances confronted.

South African banks swept lots of the Deal of the 12 months classes. South Africa’s Mr Enoch Godongwana gained the Minister of Finance of the 12 months Award. He was recognised for his steadfast administration of the financial system as finance minister in addition to the work he has finished to encourage funding to speed up the vitality transition.

Nigeria was additionally within the highlight as Letshego Nigeria took the inaugural AFAWA Financial institution of the 12 months Award, a class spotlighting monetary establishments empowering feminine entrepreneurs throughout the continent.

The Affirmative Finance Motion for Girls in Africa (AFAWA) is a pan-African initiative to bridge the $42 billion financing hole dealing with ladies in Africa.

The African Banker Icon was gained by veteran dealmaker, Mr Miguel Azevedo, head of funding banking for sub-Saharan Africa, excluding South Africa at Citi. The lifetime achievement award went to a different veteran banker, Mr Hisham Ezz Al-Arab, former Managing Director and present Non-executive Chairman of CIB Financial institution, Egypt’s largest personal sector financial institution.

Talking on the occasion, Mr mentioned Omar Ben Yedder, Committee Chairman and Group Writer at IC Publications, publishers of African Banker, mentioned this 12 months’s award ceremony is a testomony not solely to the vibrancy and dynamism of Africa’s banking business but additionally its growing range.

“The monetary providers business continues to exhibit excellence, innovation and affect of their respective markets and areas.

“FinTech, Local weather Finance, and Cross-Border funds are all being formed by the leaders we’re recognising in the present day.”

The ceremony is organised by African Banker journal, with the African Growth Financial institution as its Excessive Patron. This 12 months’s AfDB Conferences centered on mobilising personal sector finance in direction of inexperienced development. The 2023 version was sponsored by the African Assure Fund, the Commerce and Growth Financial institution (TDB) and Tanzania’s CRDB Financial institution.