Nigerian banks missing from African Banker awards 2025
African Banker magazine has announced the shortlist of nominees for this year’s edition of its annual African Banker Awards with big Nigerian banks missing.
Banks such as Access Holdings Plc, Zenith Bank Plc, Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (GTCO), among others were missing from the awards.
The winners will be made known during the official gala ceremony scheduled for May 28th in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, as part of the official programme of the Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank.
The 2025 edition of the African Banker Awards is organised by African Banker magazine and IC Events under the patronage of the African Development Bank. The ceremony’s platinum sponsor remains the African Guarantee Fund, a fund created to share risks with commercial banks to encourage them to lend to the SME sector while ATIDI, which provides facilities to ensure against country risks and other associated insurance services, comes in as exclusive cocktail sponsor.
The African Banker Awards has, since its inception in 2007, sought to recognise and celebrate the exceptional individuals and organisations driving Africa’s rapidly transforming financial services sector.
The shortlist of nominees for the African Banker Awards 2025 was selected from over 200 entries submitted in nine categories by banks spread across the African continent. This year, two female bank executives have emerged as nominees for the prestigious “Banker of the Year” award, underlining the leading role women continue to play in shaping Africa’s banking and finance landscape.
Speaking on the awards, Chair of the Awards committee Omar Ben Yedder, commented on the increasing focus on SME, sustainable banking practices and the role of fintechs in the ecosystem. “Banks have performed strongly last year despite headwinds and currency devaluations in major countries. We also received entries in the deals category that shows that there are numerous transformative transactions taking place. And yet, the message remains. Interestingly, SMEs proved to be a profitable asset class and one that banks are paying greater attention to. The advent of AI and other technological advancements are at the centre of bank strategies too. The continent needs even bigger banks to support our growth agenda.”
The nominees for the African Banker Awards 2025 are as follows:
Bank of the Year
Commercial International Bank Egypt (CIB)
Ecobank
First Bank of Nigeria Limited
Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB Group Plc.)
Mauritius Commercial Bank (MCB Ltd.)
Trade and Development Bank Group (TDB Group)
Coris Bank International
Banker of the Year
Abdulmajid Mussa Nsekela – CRDB Bank Plc.
Jeremy Awori – Ecobank
Karim Awad – EFG Holding
Léon Konan Koffi – AFG Holding
Mukwandi Chibesakunda – Zanaco Inc.
Patricia Ojangole – Uganda Development Bank
Sidi Ould Tah – The Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA)
Sustainable Bank of the Year
Commercial International Bank Egypt (CIB)
CRDB Bank Plc.
Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB Group Plc.)
Nedbank
Trade and Development Bank Group (TDB Group)
Fintech of the Year
Fourth Generation Capital Ltd
Inclusivity Solutions
Network International
Oze
ProfitShare Partners
Valu – EFG Holding
DFI of the year
African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank)
African Trade Insurance Agency
Bank of Industry
Banque Ouest Africaine de Développement (BOAD)
ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID)
Shelter Afrique Development Bank (ShafDB)
Trade and Development Bank Group (TDB Group)
SME Bank of the Year
Co-operative Bank of Kenya Ltd.
CRDB Bank Plc.
Ecobank
Standard Bank
Uganda Development Bank
Deal of the Year – Infrastructure
US$83.35 MM Al Zahy Group For General Contracting (Ahmed El Zzahy & Co.) – National Bank of Egypt
US$646.64 MM (ZAR 12 Billion) Envusa Energy – Absa Bank Ltd. / Rand Merchant Bank
US$1.9 Billion Kano Maradi Railway Project – African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank)
Project Platinum – US$200 MM Dividends Backed Capital Raise by BUA Industries Limited – Africa Finance Corporation
US$188.62 MM (ZAR 3.5 Billion) Scatec Mogobe Battery Energy Storage System – Standard Bank
US$1.04 Billion Suez 1.1 GW Wind Power Project in Egypt: Powering Africa’s Renewable Future – African Development Bank
US$1.20 Billion (ZAR 22.25 Billion) Mokolo Crocodile River Water Augmentation – Standard Bank
Deal of the Year – Debt
US$119 MM Green, Social and Sustainable Development Bond – ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID)
US$2.05 Billion Bank of Industry – 2024 Facility – Afreximbank/Africa Finance Corporation/ Bank of Industry
US$394 MM ETC Group (Mauritius), Inaugural Sustainability Linked Loan (SLL) – Trade and Development Bank Group (TDB Group)
US$13 Billion Ghana’s Eurobond Debt Restructuring – Hogan Lovells
US$18 MM Letshego Holdings Namibia Limited Social Bond – FirstRand
Republic of Benin €507.5 facility – African Trade Insurance Agency
Sahara Group’s US$500 MM Debt Sub-Participation Financing – Africa Finance Corporation
US$ 590 MM – The Egyptian Chemical Industries Company (KIMA) – National Bank of Egypt
Deal of the Year – Equity
Aradel Holdings’ US$2 Billion Listing by Introduction on Nigerian Exchange Limited – Standard Bank
Boxer’s US$470 MM Initial Public Offering (IPO) – Standard Bank
FQM’s US$1.15 Billion Bought Deal on the Toronto Stock Exchange- Absa Bank Ltd.
Nigerian Breweries’ US$352 MM Rights Issue – Standard Bank
Renaissance Acquisition of Shell- US$2.4 Billion – PwC Nigeria
