Mr Albert Essien, Ecobank Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO), has been adjudged the African Banker of the Year at the 9th edition of the African Banker Awards in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

The ceremony took place in the margins of the 2015 African Development Bank(AfDB) Annual Meetings.

A statement issued by Richard Uku, Group Head, Corporate Communications, Ecobank Transnational Incorporated, said the award recognised the contribution of individuals in management positions, and best practices in African banking.

It was sponsored by London-based IC publications under the patronage of the AfDB.

The statement said Mr Essien was one of five contenders for the award including Segun Agbaje of Nigeria’s GT Bank, Paulo Alexandre Duarte de Sousa of Banco Comercial e de Investimentos of Mozambique, Charles Kimei of Tanzania’s Cooperative Rural Development Bank Bank plc and Tariq Sijilmassi of Morocco’s Groupe Credit Agricole.

Mr Essien in his acceptance comment said: “I am deeply honoured to receive this award. It comes as a surprise to me because although I have worked for Ecobank for the last 25 years, I have only been Group CEO for just over a year.

The awards are the second received within the group this month.

On the May 22, Ecobank was named the African Retail Bank of the Year at the Global Retail Banking Awards ceremony in London.

The bank also received a nomination in the African Banker Awards in the Best Retail Bank of the Year category.