Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (“Ecobank” or “the Group”) has won the Award for Innovation in Banking in this year’s African Banker’s awards, showcasing its outstanding talent and achievement in Africa’s financial sector.
The awards were held under the patronage of the African Development Bank at its Annual General Meeting in Marrakech, Morocco.
Mr. Albert Essien, Deputy CEO and Head of Ecobank’s Corporate and Investment Banking Division, accepted the award on the Group’s behalf. Also in attendance was Mr. Patrick Akinwuntan, Ecobank’s Group Executive Director and Head of Domestic Bank, representing the Group’s retail, local corporate, public sector and microfinance businesses.
“Innovation provides the key to unlock the potential of the African continent. This is especially relevant within financial services, where the unbanked proportion of the population is still high,” said Omar Ben Yedder, Publisher of African Banker. “Innovation helps us to reduce transaction costs and reach out to the wider community, which is what Ecobank is successfully doing. They are leveraging technology and their extensive footprint to enhance their customer service and, by providing faster and affordable access, Ecobank is making a significant contribution to improving financial inclusion across Africa.”
Patrick Akinwuntan, Group Executive Director, Domestic Bank commented: “Amongst a number of initiatives that we have implemented to enhance customer convenience, I would highlight the rollout of both our retail internet banking service and our Chip and Pin cards across all of our 33 African countries, the launch of our ‘Mobile Money’ offering in 12 countries, the introduction of credit factories, which can provide personal loans within 72 hours, and the continued success of Ecobank OMNI, our corporate electronic banking platform.”
“By leveraging our pan-African franchise, empowering our talented staff and utilizing ‘best of breed’ systems and processes, we will continue our pursuit of exceeding our customers’ expectations,” said Albert Essien, Group Deputy CEO. “We are very proud of this high profile acknowledgment and remain committed to embracing innovation to provide world-class customer service,” he concluded.
