GTB CEO, Others Win 10th African Banker Awards #2016AFDBAnnualMeetings

Thu, May 26, 2016
By publisher
4 MIN READ

AfDB 2016 Special Coverage, BREAKING NEWS

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NIGERIAN Segun Agbaje, GT Bank CEO, is recognised as Africa’s Banker of the Year while Cameroon is a big winner at this year’s African Banker Awards, and Morocco’s Attijariwafa Bank scoops prestigious Bank of the Year Award. Other winners include South Africa’s Daniel Matjila, who heads PIC, and Cameroonian economist and banker, Paul Fokam, who wins the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Winners of the 2016 African Banker Awards have been announced in Lusaka, Zambia.  The Awards were held Wednesday May 25 in Lusaka, Zambia on the margins of the on-going African Development Bank, AfDB, annual meetings.

Nigerian Segun Agbaje, GTBank’s managing director, won the prestigious accolade for Banker of the Year for his leadership of the Nigerian banking giant, one of Africa’s most profitable banks.

Also, for the first time, two Cameroonians feature among the laureates, with Alamine Ousmane Mey winning the minister of finance category, and leading banker Paul Fokam awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award. Cameroon scored a hat trick as Lazard’s credit enhanced currency swap won the award for Deal of the Year – Debt. Fokam, President of the Afriland First Group. Fokam is a serial entrepreneur, a renowned economist and his bank is one of the more important institutions in Central Africa.

Daniel Matjila, CEO of South Africa’s Public Investment Corporation, a fund with $139bn funds under management was awarded the African Banker Icon, recognising the significant investments by the fund into African corporations and the lead role he has played in driving investment from South Africa into the continent.

Morocco’s Attijariwafa Bank, which is active in 20 countries, won the 2016 Bank of the Year award. Meanwhile, the 2016 the award for Africa’s Best Minister of Finance was bestowed on Cameroon’s Alamine Ousmane Mey, for his contribution to socioeconomic development in his country. The African Central Bank Governor of the Year accolade was given to Kenya’s Patrick Njoroge. Kenya’s central bank, largely unknown a year ago, has managed to navigate a tough economic climate and Patrick has been credited with cleaning up the banking sector in his country.

At the exclusive gala dinner at the Intercontinental Hotel attended by over 400 financiers, business leaders, and influential personalities and policy makers, Omar Ben Yedder, group publisher of African Banker magazine, which hosts the awards in partnership with BusinessInAfricaEvents noted: “It has definitely been a defining decade in banking in Africa. We have recognised true leaders tonight who are playing a critical role in the socio-economic development of the continent. Finance remains a key component of development, be it in terms of financing massive infrastructure projects that today are being wholly financed by consortia of African banks, or SME financing.  It’s happening because of strong, bold and visionary leadership. I have been privileged to honour some truly exceptional individuals who have left an indelible mark on the industry over the years. We are very grateful to our High Patron, the AfDB, for their unwavering support in this initiative and our thanks also go to our sponsors: MasterCard, Ecobank, Nedbank, African Guarantee Fund, PTA Bank, CRDB Bank, Arton Capital and Qatar Airways for partnering with us and enabling us to reward outstanding achievements, commend best practices and celebrate excellence in African banking”.

This year’s judging panel was made up of Koosum Kalyan, chairman of  EdgoMerap Pty Ltd; Zemedeneh Negatu, managing partner of Ernst & Young Ethiopia; Tom Minney, chief executive of African Growth Partners; Alain le Noir, CEO of  Finances Sans Frontières; Christopher Hartland-Peel, Principal at Hartland-Peel Africa Equity Research and Kanika Saigal, deputy editor of African Banker Magazine.

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Below is the list of winners of the 2016 African Banker Award Winners:

Bank of the Year

Attijariwafa Bank (Morocco)

Banker of the Year

Segun Agbaje – GTBank (Nigeria)

Minister of Finance of the Year

Alamine Ousmane Mey (Cameroon)

Central Bank Governor of the Year

Patrick Njoroge (Kenya)

African Banker Icon

Daniel Matjila, CEO PIC (South Africa)

Lifetime Achievement Award

Paul Fokam, Founder Afriland First Bank (Cameroon)

Investment Bank of the Year

Rand Merchant Bank (South Africa)

Award for Financial Inclusion

Ecobank (Togo)

Best Retail Bank

BCI (Mozambique)

Socially Responsible Bank of the Year

Commercial International Bank (Egypt)

Innovation in Banking

Guaranty Trust Bank (Nigeria)

Deal of the Year – Equity

Naspers $2.5bn Accelerated Equity Offering (Citi)

Deal of the Year – Debt

Cameroon’s Currency Swap (Lazard)

Infrastructure Deal of the Year

Azura – Edo IPP (Fieldstone; Rand Merchant Bank; Standard Bank; IFC)

Best Regional Bank in North Africa

Commercial International Bank (Egypt)

Best Regional Bank in West Africa

Banque Atlantique (Côte d’Ivoire)

Best Regional Bank in Central Africa

BGFI (Gabon)

Best Regional Bank in East Africa

CRDB Bank (Tanzania)

Best Regional Bank in Southern Africa

MCB (Mauritius)

—  Jun 6, 2016 @ 01:00 GMT

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