Afreximbank confers biggest award on First Bank of Nigeria Limited
FBNBank Ghana’s parent company, First Bank of Nigeria Limited, has received the Financial Institution of the Year Award at the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) Pan African Business and Development Awards.
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The awards ceremony marked the 30th anniversary of Afreximbank.
The Pan-African lender hosted its 30th Annul Afreximbank Meetings in Accra where the Pan-African Business and Development Awards was inaugurated, in association with the Business Council for Africa (BCA).
The award bestowed on First Bank is in recognition of the bank’s immense role in promoting trade and investment across the continent that has strengthened the economic and multilateral business relationship across nations.
With its subsidiaries across the First Bank Group, First Bank has continued to play a leading role in boosting cross-border businesses, including trade and investment opportunities, essential to enhancing trade relations among countries.
Cross-border transfer
As part of its role in facilitating transactions across borders, in 2021, First Bank launched its First Global Transfer (FGT) initiative, specifically designed to ensure safe, timely and improved efficiency in the transfer of funds across the network of First Bank subsidiaries in Africa.
The FGT is not restricted to First Bank Group’s customers but also open to every individual resident in the country the funds transfer is originating from.
Commenting on the awards, the Chief Executive Officer of the First Bank Group CEO, Dr Adesola Adeduntan, said:
“We thank the organisers of the event (Afreximbank, BCA) for the recognition as it reinforces our commitment to promoting trade, finance and investment opportunities across borders.”
He said the service had been instrumental to the continued growth and development of the continent and the world.
Mr Adeduntan dedicated the award to employees at the First Bank Group for their diligence and hard work as well as to the customers for their loyalty and patronage in the over 129 years of its existence.
The FBNBank Ghana Managing Director/CEO, Victor Yaw Asante, who received the award on behalf of the group, said:
“It is no coincidence that the award was handed over in Ghana where we are focused on making our subsidiary a giant of a financial institution just like our parent in Nigeria.”
Also commenting on the awards, the President and Chairman of Afreximbank, Prof. Benedict Oramah, said:
“Tonight we are recognising outstanding leaders and institutions.
Having joined the bank in 1994, I have been fortunate to have worked with many of them.”
“At Afreximbank, contributing to Africa’s development is a lifetime vocation, as I know it is for all those that we have recognised tonight,” Prof. Oramah said.
The chairperson of the BCA, Arnold Ekpe, who is also a former Group CEO of Ecobank, said recognising such leaders and institutions was because often, business leaders did not get the praise they deserved.
“Succeeding in business on the continent is not always easy, but it is rewarding, and more importantly, it is possible to build strong, profitable businesses that are globally competitive.
Our winners tonight have demonstrated this,” Mr Ekpe added.
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Track record
FirstBank has consistently been recognised by reputable global organisations for its steady outstanding performance.
The streak of recent wins are the award for Best Financial Inclusion Service Provider Nigeria 2023 by Digital Banker Africa as well as Best Private Bank for Sustainable Investing in Africa by Global Finance.
The Pan-African Business and Development Awards is aimed at celebrating and recognising the excellence of outstanding organisations and those within the African business and finance sectors.
Two other banks, National Bank of Egypt and Coris Bank, were recognised as Financial Institutions of the Year.
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Eight recognition awards were also handed to some staff members of Afreximbank to acknowledge their long service at the bank.
They included Prof. Oramah, who has been at the Afreximbank for over 29 years.