Nominees for the 2019 African Banker Awards have been announced.This year’s shortlist sees a number of new banks nominated across different categories, as well as behemoths from the industry.
The Awards, which are hosted by African Banker magazine in conjunction with Business in Africa Events, will be held during the Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank (AfDB) in June in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea. The finalists, selected by an expert judging panel of bankers and business leaders, will be announced at the African Banker Awards ceremony which will take place on the evening of the 11th June.
Chair of the Awards Committee, Omar Ben Yedder, the Group Publisher and Managing Director of IC Publications Group which publishes African Banker Magazine, said that he was once again impressed by the quality and breadth of entries this year.
“We have received a record amount of entries this year and once again it’s been insightful seeing the work banks and financial institutions are doing. The banking industry is itself being disrupted by technology and one could sense that the sector is embracing this technology to develop solutions that will truly benefit the real economy. Financial inclusion lies at the heart of formalising our industries and fintech is playing a role in bringing finance to the masses. Banks have had to be more prudent following the recent downturn but they still managed to post solid growth and the sector seems buoyant despite some setbacks in certain countries. This strength was apparent in the banks nominated and I look forward to meeting and recognising the leaders behind these institutions.”
The awards are held under the high patronage of the African Development Bank and are sponsored by The African Guarantee Fund and The Bank of Industry. The Gala Dinner and Awards presentation will take place at the Gaviota, by the Sofitel Sipopo, Malabo.
The shortlisted entries are:
African Bank of the Year:
• Attijariwafa Bank, Morocco
• AfreximBank
• Ecobank (ETI)
• Equity Group, Kenya
• Mauritius Commercial Bank, Mauritius
• Trade and Development Bank
African Banker of the Year:
• Admassu Tadesse – Trade and Development Bank, Kenya
• Brehima Amadou Haidara – La Banque de Développement du Mali
• Brian Kennedy – Nedbank, South Africa
• James Mwangi – Equity Bank, Kenya
• Johan Koorts – ABSA, South Africa. (End)