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Wigwe, Finance Minister Win African Banker Awards 2020

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herbert wigwe Access Bank

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Access Bank, Mr Herbert Wigwe, and the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, have emerged winners at the 2020 edition of the African Banker Awards.

The award ceremony held virtually on Wednesday was shifted to August to coincide with the African Development Bank (AfDB) Annual Meetings taking place this week, with the election of the president of the bank expected on Thursday.

Considered as the Oscars of the African banking community, the big winners this year were Access Bank and women in the banking and finance sector.

Mr Wigwe won this year’s African Banker of the Year. He was awarded due to the bank’s growth and expansion, including the oversight of the takeover of Diamond Bank, a bank that was much bigger than Access Bank less than 15 years ago.

Access Bank also won Agriculture deal of the year, in its role to help Olam develop its rice operations in Nigeria.

Nigeria’s minister of finance, budget, and non-planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, won the Finance Minister of the Year. According to the organisers, Mrs Ahmed managed to push through a set of difficult reforms as well as successfully engaging international partners to help the country navigate an extremely challenging economic environment.

The Central Bank Governor of the year went to Mrs Caroline Abel, from Seychelles.

African Banker Icon was given to Mrs Vivien Shobo, who was the CEO of ratings and advisory firm, Agusto & Co up until last December. She was recognised for playing an instrumental role in developing Nigeria’s credit markets and also for helping grow a truly world-class organisation that is competing against much better resourced international players.

Extending Nigeria’s feat, The Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) bank of the year went to Nigeria’s Bank of Industry (BOI) while MTN Nigeria’s initial public offering through Chapel Hill Denham won the deal of the year (equity)

Tunisian pioneer, Mr Ahmed Abdelkefi won the Lifetime Achievement Award. The businessman was the founder of numerous businesses operating in leasing, brokerage and investment banking. He also founded private equity group, Tuninvest, and then launched Africinvest, one of Africa’s most successful Africa-owned PE firms.

Trade and Development Bank (TDB) won Bank of the Year. Incidentally, its CEO, Mr Admassu Tadesse, won Banker of the Year at last year’s ceremony.

The organisers added a number of awards this year to reflect the AfDB’s High Fives Agenda. The energy deal of the year went to a renewable energy bond structured by Nedbank and infrastructure deal of the year went to the Port of Maputo in a transaction led by Standard Bank.

Commenting on this year’s awards, Mr Omar Ben Yedder, Publisher of African Banker said: “It’s been a momentous year in every sense. Banks will have to play a lead role in kick-starting post-COVID growth and sustaining the real economy.

“Governments and regulators have done an excellent job with limited means and both our winners Caroline Abel and Zainab Ahmed have demonstrated strong leadership there. Banks will need to work with institutions and partners to ensure liquidity doesn’t dry up.

“To quote our Lifetime Achievement Winner: Keep moving forward: adapt, innovate, take risks. That’s your job. Today’s crisis is neither the first and it will not be the last.”

The awards, which are held under the high patronage of the African Development Bank, are sponsored by the African Guarantee Fund as Platinum Sponsor, the Bank of Industry as Gold Sponsor and Moza Banco as Associate Sponsor.

A full glance at the winners:

African Banker of the Year: Herbert Wigwe, Access Bank

Lifetime Achievement Award:  Ahmed Abdelkefi, Founder Tunisie Leasing; Tuninvest; Tunisie Valeurs

African Banker Icon: Vivien Shobo, Former CEO Agusto & Co.

African Bank of the Year: Trade and Development Bank (TDB)

Minister of Finance of the Year: Mrs Zainab Ahmed, Minister of Finance of Nigeria

Central Bank Governor of the Year: Mrs Caroline Abel, Central Bank Governor of Seychelles

Investment Bank of the Year: Citi

Award for Financial Inclusion: Kenya Women Microfinance

SME Bank of the Year: Bank of Industry, Nigeria

Socially Responsible Bank of the Year: Equity Bank, Kenya

Innovation in Banking: Ecobank

Deal of the Year – Equity: MTN Nigeria IPO – Chapel Hill Denham

Deal of the Year – Debt: Bank of Industry €1bn syndicated senior loan facility – Bank of Industry / Afreximbank/ Credit Suisse

Infrastructure Deal of the Year: Port of Maputo – Standard Bank

Energy Project of the Year: Renewable Energy Bond – Nedbank

Agri Deal of the Year:  Olam Rice Farm – Access Bank

Regional Banks of the Year:

East Africa – Equity Bank

West Africa – Coris

North Africa – CIB, Egypt

Southern Africa – Moza Banco

Central Africa – BGFI, Gabon.

Adedapo Adesanya is a journalist, polymath, and connoisseur of everything art. When he is not writing, he has his nose buried in one of the many books or articles he has bookmarked or simply listening to good music with a bottle of beer or wine. He supports the greatest club in the world, Manchester United F.C.

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Banking

AG Mortgage Bank N3.97bn Commercial Paper Closes June 18

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AG Mortgage Bank

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

The N3.97 billion commercial paper issuance of AG Mortgage Bank Plc will close on Thursday, June 18, 2026.

The sale of the debt instrument by the real estate lender commenced on Wednesday, June 10, 2026.

It is under the N5 billion commercial paper issuance programme of the lending firm aimed to support its short-term working capital and funding requirements.

The company is selling the papers in two series, with Series 2 offered at a discounted rate of 19.2895 per cent for 270 days, and Series 3 at a discounted rate of 19.3651 per cent for 364 days.

The minimum subscription is N5 million, and subsequent additions of N1 million.

AG Mortgage Bank is a leading primary mortgage bank in Nigeria with over two decades of experience in providing affordable mortgage financing and housing finance solutions.

The bank has grown its asset base to over N33 billion and remains a key participant in major housing intervention programmes, including the National Housing Fund Scheme and other government-backed mortgage initiatives.

Supported by a diversified product offering, strong institutional credibility, and an experienced management team, AG Mortgage Bank continues to deliver solid financial performance.

For FY 2025, interest income increased by 28.1 per cent to N3.65 billion, while profit after tax rose by 130.0 per cent to N1.05 billion, reflecting strong earnings growth, operational efficiency, and prudent risk management.

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Banking

Access Holdings Earnings Capacity Remains Strong—Aig-Imoukhuede

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By Aduragbemi Omiyale

The chairman of Access Holdings Plc, Mr Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, has reaffirmed the organisation’s long-term commitment to shareholders, expressing confidence in the company’s strategic positioning, which he said is underpinned by disciplined execution, a diversified business model, a strengthened capital base, and a clear focus on sustainable value creation.

Speaking at the 4th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the firm on Wednesday, he explained that the temporary suspension of dividend distributions was a consequence of regulatory compliance requirements rather than any deterioration in the group’s financial performance.

Mr Aig-Imoukhuede reaffirmed that the financial institution’s earnings capacity remains strong and that the board’s position reflects adherence to supervisory expectations and prudent capital management principles.

He assured shareholders of the board’s commitment to resuming dividend payments as soon as the relevant regulatory conditions are satisfied, noting that, “Our approach is clear: capital retained today must translate into greater value tomorrow and sustainable returns for our shareholders.”

The Chairman reiterated the strategic imperative underpinning the company’s next phase of growth, saying, “Our strategy, From Scale to Value, reflects the natural evolution of our journey. Scale created opportunity; value creation is how we fully realise it.”

He noted that while the organisation continues to generate strong returns, ensuring that earnings per share consistently exceed the cost of capital remains central to unlocking sustainable shareholder value.

The retired banker also acknowledged the significant unrealised value embedded within the firm’s international subsidiaries and reiterated management’s focus on improving market recognition of that intrinsic value over time.

Commenting on the financial performance of the group in 2025, he said Access Holdings accelerated provisions on legacy and regulatory forbearance credit exposures, resulting in elevated impairment charges.

He explained that the group consciously prioritised balance sheet strength and long-term resilience over short-term earnings optimisation.

“Periods of economic uncertainty often reveal more about an institution than periods of uninterrupted growth. Our focus remains on building a business that is not only growing, but improving in the quality, resilience, and sustainability of its earnings,” he stated.

Last year, the financial services organisation delivered pre-tax profit of N1.007 trillion, underscoring the strength of its diversified platform and expanding earnings base across key markets. Total assets increased to N51.56 trillion, while customer deposits grew strongly, reflecting sustained franchise momentum and deepening customer trust.

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HabariPay Unveils ‘HabariPay Impact Report 2025’

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HabariPay Impact Report 2025

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

A new report highlighting the transformation from a newly established fintech venture into one of Nigeria’s leading payment infrastructure providers has been launched by HabariPay Limited.

The report, known as the HabariPay Impact Report 2025, provides stakeholders with a comprehensive evolution, innovation journey, business performance, and impact of the fintech subsidiary of Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO) Plc on the digital payments landscape.

The company’s contributions to enabling digital commerce, supporting businesses, strengthening payment infrastructure, and expanding financial access through technology-driven solutions were also captured in the piece.

The HabariPay Impact Report 2025 also highlights the organisation’s strong financial and operational performance, the growth of the Squad platform, and the development of infrastructure that powers payment acceptance, switching, transfers, merchant services, and value-added solutions.

The publication further explores the role of innovation, talent development, and ecosystem partnerships in driving the company’s success.

It showcases HabariPay’s investments in innovation through initiatives such as the Take on Squad Hackathon and the Squad Hackademy, both of which are helping to develop future technology talent and accelerate the creation of practical solutions to real-world challenges.

“As a technology-driven company, we believe that impact extends beyond financial performance. It is reflected in the businesses we enable, the merchants we support, the infrastructure we build, and the opportunities we create for the next generation of innovators.

“The HabariPay Impact Report 2025 captures this journey and demonstrates our commitment to creating sustainable value for customers, partners, and the broader economy,” the Managing Director of HabariPay, Ms Eduofon Japhet, said.

“The HabariPay Impact Report 2025 represents more than a reflection on our achievements; it is a testament to the deliberate investments we have made in building sustainable payment infrastructure, empowering businesses, fostering innovation, and creating long-term value for our stakeholders.

“As we look ahead, we remain committed to expanding our capabilities, deepening our impact, and shaping the future of digital payments through technology-driven solutions that are secure, scalable, and inclusive,” she added.

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