Financial institutions showcased their strength and innovation on the continental stage, securing wins at the 2025 African Banker Awards. The gala ceremony, held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, celebrated excellence and best practices in African banking.
Kenya’s Equity Bank took home the Regional Bank of the Year – East Africa award while in the Fintech category, Kenyan company 4G Capital was named Fintech of the Year.
Another Kenyan institution, the African Trade & Investment Development Insurance (ATIDI), was crowned DFI of the Year. The award acknowledges ATIDI’s crucial role as a development finance institution in mitigating risk and facilitating trade and investment across the continent.
The African Banker Awards, now in their 19th year, celebrate excellence and innovation in African banking. Supported by the African Development Bank and partners such as the African Guarantee Fund, the awards recognize institutions and leaders that have significantly contributed to the continent’s financial sector over the past year.
Here is the full list of the 2025 African Banker Awards winners:
Institutions
• Bank of the Year: Trade and Development Bank Group (TDB Group)
• Sustainable Bank of the Year: Nedbank
• DFI of the Year: African Trade & Investment Development Insurance (ATIDI)
• Fintech of the Year: 4G Capital
• SME Bank of the Year: CRDB Bank Plc
• AFAWA Bank of the Year: Ecobank
Regional Banks
• Regional Bank of the Year – North Africa: Commercial International Bank
• Regional Bank of the Year – East Africa: Equity Bank
• Regional Bank of the Year – Central Africa: BGFIBank Group
• Regional Bank of the Year – West Africa: GTBank
Deals
• Infrastructure Deal of the Year: The Suez 1.1 GW Wind Power Project in Egypt – African Development Bank1
• Deal of the Year – Debt: The Bank of Industry €1.87bn syndicated debt issuance facility – Africa Finance Corporation and Afreximbank2
• Deal of the Year – Equity: Project Arden – Renaissance Ener3gy $2.4bn acquisition of Shell Petroleum Development Company – PwC Nigeria
People
• Banker of the Year: Patricia Ojangole – Uganda Development Bank
• Lifetime Achievement: Idrissa Nassa, CEO, Coris Bank International
• Central Bank Governor of the Year: H.E. Olayemi Cardoso, Nigeria
• Finance Minister of the Year: H.E. Nadia Fettah Alaoui, Kingdom of Morocco8