Benedict Oramah is the President of the African Export-Import Bank has been recognized for his outstanding service in the continents’ financial sector.
African Export-Import Bank hosted the third edition of the Pan-African Business and Development Awards in association with the Business Council for Africa.
More than 400 dignitaries including business and political leaders from Nigeria, across Africa and the diaspora attended the event.
Held annually, during the Afreximbank Annual Meetings, the Pan-African Business and Development Awards are designed to celebrate and recognise transformative businesses and financial institutions within the African continent and in the diaspora in keeping with the Bank’s vision for a Global Africa.
Export Trading Group (ETG), operational in nearly 20 countries on the continent, won the Global Africa Business Leader Award, 2025 for fostering economic growth across the continent.
It was also recognized for enhancing food security by connecting smallholder farmers with regional and global markets, improving livelihoods and boosting intra-African trade, reflecting Afreximbank’s mandate of fostering trade and economic growth across the continent.
The company’s investments in storage, logistics, and processing infrastructure have helped reduce post-harvest losses and increased value addition.
This year, TRACE, the multimedia platform dedicated to the entertainment and empowerment of people of African descent, won the Diaspora Business of the Year award for its impact in strengthening continental and diaspora ties through the vehicle of entertainment.
Its mission is to uplift African identity through music, education, and storytelling.
TRACE’s platforms reach and support over 5,000 artists and 1,000 brands annually. It employs hundreds across Africa, contributing hundreds of millions of dollars in value.
Two banking giants were recognised in the Afreximbank Financial Institutions Award-2025.
Kenya’s largest bank by assets, the KCB Group emerged winner of the award for banking institutions with more than USD 500m capital while Zimbabwe’s largest Bank (CBZ), also emerged winner of the Afreximbank Financial Institutions Award-2025 for banking institutions with a capital of less than USD 500 million.
KCB Bank, which won in the same category in 2024, was recognised for facilitating local and cross-border trade finance through various products as well as mitigating risks inherent in trade on behalf of its customers.
One of the first East African banks to enhance financial inclusion and economic growth; it has positioned itself as an enabler for businesses and consumers to transact efficiently across African borders.
The CBZ Bank from Zimbabwe has played a pivotal role in bridging the trade finance gap in Africa by leveraging strategic partnerships, introducing innovative products, and executing a comprehensive pan-African vision.
In a speech delivered on behalf of Professor Benedict Oramah, President and Chairman of Board of Directors at Afreximbank, Denys Denya said the Awards event is a way of thanking everyone who, regardless of size or significance of their role, has contributed to furthering the course of development in Africa.
Arnold Ekpe, former group CEO of Ecobank Transnational Incorporated and chair of the BCA, in his remarks, commented on the importance of recognising and celebrating institutions that contribute to Africa’s development, which he said, “has become the defining essence of Afreximbank.”
Presenting the long service award to Prof. Oramah, Nigeria’s Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy Wale Edun, under his leadership, the bank has soared, championing strategies that have fundamentally reshaped trade and development across Africa.