Ecobank in recent times, won the coveted Africa’s Best Bank, Africa’s Best Bank for SMEs, and Africa’s Best Digital Bank awards at the prestigious Euromoney Awards.
Ecobank, whose official name is Ecobank Transnational Inc. (ETI), is a pan-African banking conglomerate, with banking operations in 36 African countries. It is the leading independent regional banking group in West Africa and Central Africa, serving wholesale and retail customers. The bank has made tremendous progress under the leadership of Mr. Jubril Mobolaji Lawal, its Managing Director/CEO.
Lawal is an experienced banker whose successful career as a Law graduate is worth celebrating. He is an MBA holder from Oxford University, with over 28 years professional experience in banking and finance. He previously served as an Executive Director at Guaranty Trust Holding Co Plc.
Under Lawal’s leadership, Ecobank is living up to its motto, ‘We never give up’, as the bank has exceeded many financial stakeholders’ expectations about its performance.
The dual objectives of Ecobank are to enable a modern pan-African bank to thrive and to contribute to the economic development and financial integration of the continent.
The Euromoney Awards for Excellence, which have been running for 30 years, are highly regarded by the global banking industry. Ecobank’s Euromoney Africa’s Best Digital Bank award represents another welcome stamp of approval for the success of Ecobank’s digital strategy.
Ecobank has also expanded SMEs’ access to finance through various initiatives. Indeed, through substantial risk-sharing partnerships built with Development Finance Institutions, Ecobank has improved access to finance for SMEs while targeting women-owned and women-focused businesses across Africa. Ecobank is equally focused on providing non-financial support through training programs and webinars, helping SMEs develop into solid and sustainable businesses.
Led by its Chief Executive Officer, Mobolaji Lawal, Ecobank Plc has received a plethora of awards, especially on its undaunting efforts as a digital compliant bank. The Pan African Bank has on many occasions been responsive in real time to its clients. This is an essential part of the Bank, earning the trust of its customers.
Mr Lawal is a very experienced banker, under whom the company stands to benefit a lot from him.
Under him, the Bank benefits from the extensive experience that he has acquired in various fields across banking, which plays a major role in continuing to rebuild the Bank’s franchise in Nigeria.
Nigeria is a key market for Ecobank, in which it has seen significant improvement over the past three years as it repositions and leverage upon its pan-African strengths in digital products and services, payments and as the go-to-bank for businesses seeking to grasp the growth opportunities being created by the AfCFTA, across all markets on the continent.
The bank has embraced technology to drive operational efficiency and enhance its offerings, service, and customer experience. Under Adeyemi’s leadership, Ecobank has always prioritised its clients, placing their needs and experience at the heart of its decision-making and operations.
Ecobank’s unparalleled African presence and operations have also earned it an enviable place as a true Pan African Bank with a depth of knowledge that distinguishes its products and delivery. This sustained effort has therefore earned Ecobank different recognitions.
Ecobank as a financial institution provides state-of-the-art digital products, functionality, and solutions to respond to the rapidly evolving needs of our Consumer, Commercial, Corporate and Investment Banking customers.
At this juncture, it is pertinent to nudge the bank to continue to embrace cutting-edge digital technologies and innovations to deliver digital solutions and the best experience for its esteemed customers.
The Bank’s commitment to SMEs in Africa is unwavering. Being named Africa’s Best Bank for SMEs for a second time this year, following the 2022 African Banker Awards, is a recognition of Ecobank Commercial Banking’s drive to empower SMEs across its 33 countries of operations in sub-Saharan Africa.
The bank’s full suite of solutions nurtures, supports Africa’s SMEs and ensures they thrive.
According to the Bank’s official website, Mr Lawal has nearly 30 years cognate experience in the banking and finance industry. He has also held different positions, including senior manager positions. Prior to this time, the Nigerian national served an Executive Director at Guaranty Trust Holding Co Plc, one of the largest and most profitable banks in Africa’s most populous country. He also served as Non-Executive Director at GTBank Ghana Ltd, as well as a previous stint with the Nigeria Interbank Settlement Systems Plc.
He graduated from the Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria with a degree in Law, and later obtained a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Oxford University. More so, he has undertaken various professional courses and obtained certifications from Stanford Graduate School of Business, Institut Européen d’Administration des Affaires (INSEAD) and Harvard Business School.
