NAIROBI, KENYA – Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI), the pan-African banking conglomerate, has secured the prestigious title of 'Best Bank in Africa' for 2025 from the renowned international publication, Global Finance. This significant award, announced on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, coincides with the institution's 40th anniversary, marking a major milestone in its four-decade journey from a West African-focused entity to a continental financial giant.

The award from Global Finance, a leading authority in the international financial community, was determined by a panel of judges who considered factors such as growth in assets, profitability, strategic relationships, geographic reach, new business development, and product innovation. The selection process also incorporated the views of equity analysts, credit rating analysts, and other industry experts. Ecobank Group CEO, Jeremy Awori, stated that the recognition is a testament to the bank's customer-centric approach and its strategic focus on driving intra-African trade. "Driving intra-African trade is an important focus of our Growth, Transformation and Returns strategy and we are continuously leveraging technology and partnerships to further enhance our continental digital payments platform," Awori said in a statement released from the bank's headquarters in Lomé, Togo.

Adding to its accolades, the bank was also named 'Best Digital Bank' and 'Best Bank for SMEs in Africa' at the Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2025, held on Thursday, August 28, 2025. Euromoney highlighted Ecobank's robust digital transformation, which included accelerating digital onboarding and enhancing cross-border payment capabilities to over 100 countries through strategic partnerships. The institution's commitment to Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) was also lauded, with the bank supporting over 1.3 million SME clients in 2024.

Implications for Kenya and East Africa

For Kenya, where Ecobank has operated since acquiring EABS Bank in June 2008, these awards bolster the subsidiary's standing in a highly competitive market. Ecobank Kenya, a fully owned subsidiary of ETI, serves as the regional hub for the Central, Eastern, and Southern African (CESA) region, covering 18 countries. This strategic positioning makes Nairobi a critical nerve centre for the group's operations, amplifying the award's local relevance.

Josephine Anan-Ankomah, the Managing Director of Ecobank Kenya and Regional Executive for the CESA region, recently celebrated the group's 40th anniversary in Nairobi, emphasizing the bank's resilience and innovation. "Ecobank's transformation is proof that the dream of our founders not only endured; it thrived," she stated. As of August 31, 2025, Ecobank Kenya Limited reported an asset base of KES 110 billion, operating through a network of 16 branches and a growing number of digital access points.

The group's strategic focus aligns with Kenya's ambition to be a regional financial hub and a gateway for pan-African commerce. Ecobank's emphasis on trade finance, recently recognized with the 'Best Trade Finance Provider in Africa' award, is particularly pertinent. The bank's innovative 'Ecobank Single Market Trade Hub' digitally connects buyers and suppliers across the continent, a tool that can directly benefit Kenyan businesses looking to expand into the wider African market under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) framework.

A Four-Decade Trajectory of Growth

Founded in 1985 with the vision of creating a bank for Africans, by Africans, ETI has expanded its footprint to 35 countries, serving over 32 million customers. The bank's journey has been marked by a commitment to financial integration and technological advancement. This is reflected in its strong financial performance, with the group reporting a profit before tax of $657 million for the first nine months of 2025, a 34% increase from the previous year. This performance, according to CEO Jeremy Awori, is driven by the success of the bank's 'Growth, Transformation, and Returns' strategy.

As Ecobank celebrates its 40th year, its focus extends to corporate social responsibility. The 13th annual Ecobank Day, held on October 11, 2025, centered on championing inclusive education, with a goal of establishing 40 IT laboratories and training 40,000 young people in digital skills across Africa. This initiative underscores the institution's long-term commitment to the continent's socio-economic development, moving beyond pure financial metrics to foster a sustainable future.

The official presentation of the Global Finance award is scheduled for October 18, 2025, at the National Press Club in Washington D.C., during the IMF/World Bank Annual Meetings. For Kenyan businesses and consumers, Ecobank's continental leadership and renewed strategic focus present both an opportunity and a challenge to local competitors, likely spurring further innovation and enhanced service delivery across the nation's banking sector.