The African Banker Award 2022 names Professor Benedict Oramah, President of Afreximbank, African Banker of the Year! Professor Benedict is the President of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), a pan-African multilateral trade finance institution that finances and promotes intra-and extra-African trade. The African Banker Award recognizes an influential leader in the African banking sector who displayed outstanding leadership & vision, oversaw solid financial execution, and successfully guided their organization to higher levels in the industry during inflation caused by the pandemic.
Professor Benedict won for his leadership in Africa’s trade & economic development and combating the pandemic. Through his guidance, Afreximbank donated over $7 billion to aid Africans to tackle the health & economic impacts. He improved the bank’s operations by digitizing key processes that developed its strategic direction, moving it from a U$5 billion bank to a $25 billion bank in five years. The bank provided aid to execute the African Continental Free Trade Agreement’s (AfCFTA) initiatives. The initiatives included the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) to facilitate cross-border trade using African currencies, integrating standards across the 54 African countries, the Intra-African Trade Fair in Durban 2021 organization, and the intra-African trade finance escalation.
