African Banker magazine, organisers of The African Banker Awards, on Tuesday announced 59 individuals and organisations as nominees that have scaled the first round judging and are in the running for the 2024 edition of its awards.

Among those shortlisted for the awards which, according to the organisers “spotlights infrastructure, sustainability, and gender equality,” among nominees for the “Bank of the Year” award are: African Export-Import Bank, Ecobank, and United Bank for Africa, while Miriam Olusanya, chief executive of Guaranty Trust Bank emerged among those in the race for Banker of the Year awards.

Nominees for the Trade Finance Award, include Access Bank Nigeria and First Bank Nigeria (FBN), while no Nigerian bank was listed for the Deal of the Year – Debt and Deal of the Year – Equity, Stanbic IBTC Capital Limited was nominated for the $461m Sukuk Issuance for construction and rehabilitation of critical road infrastructure. For the Development Finance Institution of the Year, nominees include African Export-Import Bank; while Flutterwave was named among those vying for Fintech of the Year award; with Ecobank in the race for the SME Bank of the Year and Ecobank.

Nominees, according to the orgaanisers, were selected from a record number of entries from across the African continent, while for the first time in the Award’s 18-year history, three nominees for the most prestigious ‘Banker of the Year’ are women, reflecting the growing number of female leaders in finance.

The Award winners will be announced during a gala dinner ceremony on May 28, in Nairobi, Kenya – a part of the official programme of The Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank Group.

The event is held under the patronage of the African Development Bank. The Awards’ Platinum Sponsor is the African Guarantee Fund, with African Export-Import Bank and Vista Bank as the Gold Sponsors, and the Cocktail Reception being sponsored by African Trade & Investment Development Insurance.

Speaking about the Awards, Omar Ben Yedder, Chair of the Awards Committee, also noted the growing role of Development Finance Institutions, stressing that “over the years, we have seen the evolving role of DFIs,” he said. “They are playing an important role in structuring transactions and in catalysing development, often filling the gaps in areas that are under-served or under-represented.

“That said, the finance gap in infrastructure, trade and climate finance mean that the banking sector as a whole will need to be even better capitalised. But looking back at the 18 years of the Awards, it is night and day when you look at the size of our domestic banks and the transactions they are capable of structuring.”