Africa's Top Bankers Honoured At a Star-Studded Evening in Marrakech During the African Development Bank Annual Meetings

3 June 2013
Content from a Premium Partner
African Development Bank (Abidjan)
press release

The President of the African Development Bank, Donald Kaberuka, received an exclusive prize given by Ozwald Boateng's Made in Africa Foundation at the biggest-ever African Banker Awards ceremony on May 29 during the Bank's Annual Meetings in Marrakech.

Kaberuka received the Made in Africa Foundation Special Recognition Award for his outstanding work and his efforts to prioritize infrastructure investment on the continent.

The Nigerian Guarantee Trust Bank scooped the African Bank of the Year Award, presented to them by Michael Miebach, President of MasterCard for the Middle East and Africa. Nizar Baraka of Morocco was declared Minister of Finance of the Year on home soil for his achievements in the past year including the US $1.5bn issuance and prudent economic reforms. Two bankers were recognised in the African Banker of the year category: Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, GMD and CEO of Access Bank, and Joao Figueiredo, Chairman and CEO of Banco Unico, received an award for Outstanding Performance and Bold Leadership. South Africa performed particularly strongly in the investment banking division with Rand Merchant Bank scooping Investment Bank of the Year and Standard Bank winning the fixed income and deal of the year categories. Nedbank received the Socially Responsible Bank of the Year Award.

Guests were treated to a star-studded cast of performances at the ceremony that took place during the African Development Bank Annual Meetings at the Taj Palace, Marrakech. Grammy Award-winner John Legend, Senegalese singer and politician Youssou N'Dour, Senegalese-American R&B and hip-hop recording artist Akon, and American MC and actor Mos Def wowed guests in between the awards presentations.

Michael Joseph, renowned for bringing the mobile banking innovation, M-Pesa, to international recognition and Jean-Louis Ekra, president of Afreximbank, were also amongst individual winners. They won respectively the African Banker Icon and Lifetime Achievement Award.

Commenting on the ceremony, Omar Ben Yedder, Publisher of African Banker said, "Once again it has been a night where some of the exemplary leaders we have on this continent have been rewarded for ground-breaking work. It should be noted that the work is far from finished and banks and policy-makers need to continue to work together to create the instruments to reach out to the real economy of people for whom many of the products and services are out of reach."

The African Banker Awards are organised by African Banker magazine, IC Events and BusinessinAfrica Events. It is a landmark event that celebrates excellence and best practices in African banking and finance.

MasterCard is the Platinum sponsor for this year's African Banker Awards with the Made in Africa Foundation as the Supporting Partner. Other sponsors and partners include Banque Atlantique (Groupe Banque Centrale Populaire), Banco de Poupança e Crédito, Bank of Industry, Coris Bank, BGFI Bank, Ecobank Nedbank Alliance, FirstBank, La Congolaise de Banque and the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector.

Winners:

African Bank of the Year

Guaranty Trust Bank, Nigeria

African Banker of the Year

Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, GMD and Chief Executive, Access Bank

Joao Figueiredo, CEO and Chairman, Unico Bank

(Award for outstanding performance and bold leadership)

Best Bank in North Africa

Attijariwafa Bank, Morocco

Best Bank in Southern Africa

Afrasia Bank, Mauritius

Best Bank in West Africa

FirstBank Nigeria

Best Bank in East Africa

Equity Bank, Kenya

Best Bank in Central Africa

BGFI, Gabon

Central Bank Governor of the Year

Sanusi Lanido Sanusi, Nigeria

Finance Minister of the Year

Nizar Baraka, Morocco

Lifetime Achievement Award

Jean-Louis Ekra, President, Afreximbank

African Banker Icon

Michael Joseph, former CEO Safaricom and founder of M-Pesa

Investment Bank of the Year

Rand Merchant Bank, South Africa

Award for Innovation in Banking

Ecobank Transnational, Togo

Socially Responsible Bank of the Year

Nedbank, South Africa

Award for Financial Inclusion

Africa Guarantee Fund, Kenya

Fixed Income Deal of the Year

Ghana Seawater Desalination Project - Standard Bank, South Africa

Deal of the Year

Umeme IPO - cfc Stanbic (Kenya) and Fieldstone (South Africa)

Private Equity Fund of the Year

Citadel Capital, Egypt

Best Retail Bank in Africa

Groupe Banque Centrale Populaire, Morocco

Best Islamic Finance Initiative

Gulf African Bank, Kenya

Mortgage Bank of the Year

THUIF, South Africa

Brokerage House of the Year

African Alliance, Kenya

Made in Africa Foundation Special Recognition Award

Donald Kaberuka, President, African Development Bank Group

Read the original article on African Development Bank (AfDB).

Tagged:
Copyright © 2013 African Development Bank. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.

AllAfrica publishes around 400 reports a day from more than 100 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.