THISDAY Awards: Nominees For Global Bank of the Year

African Export-Import Bank

(Afreximbank)

Recently, African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the World Trade Organization (WTO) to amplify the impact of their strategically aligned joint efforts of promoting global trade leveraging Africa’s unique resource endowment. The MoU is one of the many  efforts towards deepening key trade development activities on the continent.

In a bid to support the federal government in stabilising Nigeria’s exchange rate, Afreximbank extended a $3billion emergency crude oil repayment loan to Nigeria.

The deal came over a year after NNPCL had similarly secured a $5 billion corporate finance commitment from the same Afreximbank to fund major investments in Nigeria’s upstream sector.

Aside from Nigeria, the bank is in close collaboration with the countries of the BRICS bloc and the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) and with the Arab Africa Trade Bridge (AATB), a $1.5bn multi-donor, inter-regional program to address the issues of food insecurity in the Arab and African regions amidst the ongoing global food security crisis.

UBA Plc

The United Bank of Africa (UBA) has solidified its position as a leading financial institution, not just in Nigeria, but across the African continent and beyond.

With its tagline “One Brand, Global Influence,” the financial institution has continued to demonstrate a commitment to providing innovative financial solutions to individuals and businesses alike.

For 75 years, the Pan-African bank has transformed from a mustard seed to a thriving global powerhouse, creating a strong footprint in 24 Global locations while igniting success.

With a presence in 20 African countries and four global centres: London, New York, Paris, and Dubai, UBA has established itself as a truly global financial institution. Its expansive network ensures that it can meet the needs of its customers wherever they are, delivering world-class banking services with a local touch.

Access Bank Plc

Recently, Access Bank UK Limited announced the official opening of its Hong Kong branch (a restricted licence bank). The expansion represents a key milestone in the bank’s global growth strategy and underscores its commitment to serving clients in the Asia-Pacific region. The launch of the Hong Kong branch established The Access Bank UK Limited as the first West African bank to enter the territory, a groundbreaking move to facilitate and accelerate trade flows between Asia and Africa. As a leading international financial centre and gateway to Asia, Hong Kong is ideally positioned to become a strategic hub, strengthening trade and connectivity between the region and Africa. Through its presence in Hong Kong, Access Bank has capitalise on the expanding economic partnership between Asia and Africa, supporting the increasing flow of trade between these regions. The Access Bank train recently stopped in Paris, one of Europe’s most important financial centres since the 19th century, Paris is also the financial hub of France, since most major French financial institutions and France’s largest stock exchange, Euronext Paris, are headquartered there.