President and Chief Executive Officer of General Electric (GE) Africa, Jay Ireland, was recently awarded the International Business Leader of the Year, by the Africa Investor (AI), for his role in driving the activities of GE across Africa.

The event was the Africa investment and Business Leader Awards 2012, which took place during the recent World Bank Annual Meetings in Tokyo, Japan.

The Awards, according to a statement by the group, are the longest-standing international awards on Africa to reward exceptional business practices, economic achievements and investments across Africa. They recognise the institutions and individuals improving the continent's investment climate.

Ireland said the award was a testament to the efforts that GE has made in the past year across Africa aimed at fostering partnerships and driving critical infrastructure projects across the continent. He further said that GE was committed to supporting the continent's growth in various sectors such as health care, energy, transportation and aviation.

He said that the award would further motivate the company to double its efforts in development and infrastructure. He also stated that Africa has a lot of potential and that it is important to key into the opportunities for growth in the continent.