Ten companies and two individuals were honoured at the 2023 Ghana Credit Excellence Awards that seeks to showcase and applaud best performing banks and non-bank financial institutions and individuals in the Ghanaian financial sector.

The awards ceremony hosted the the 2023 red carpet and five-star dinner event. The theme for the occasion was ‘Banking and ESG Revolution - Going Beyond Aspirations’.

The Ghana Credit Excellence Awards is organised by the Chartered Institute of Credit Management, Ghana (CICM) in partnership with the Central Debt Management Agency.

The former Managing Director of ADB Bank, Dr. John Kofi Mensah, who was the keynote speaker praised organisers of the event, saying, “It is important that we celebrate excellence and promote standards in the financial sector in Ghana”.

He pointed out that sustainable banking is taking over the financial and banking industry globally and therefore banking customers are looking for institutions practicing sustainable banking as part of their choices.

“The ESG framework guides investment and business decisions that factor environmental impact, social issues and corporate governance as intrinsically linked to the success and performance of business. For the banking sector, this could include initiatives that were responsible and inclusiveness programs to customer-centric products that enable and inspire climate action by promoting transparency and conscious consumption”, he mentioned.

He added that “We all accept the fact that sustainable banking and finance environment is here to be taken seriously; it’s not a philosophy; it’s something that must permeate into our practices”.

Speaking at the event, the President of the Chartered Institute of Credit Management Ghana, Helen Cindy Obeng-Okon congratulated all the winners for their hard work and excellence over the year.

This year’s event recognised top financial institutions and individuals in the financial sector of Ghana.

The winners were: United Bank for Africa (Ghana), SME Bank of The Year; Zenith Bank Ghana Ltd, Trade Finance Bank of The Year; Fiaseman Rural Bank PLC, Rural Bank of the Year; Amenfiman Rural Bank PLC, Agribusiness Non-Bank Financial Institution of the Year; Pan African Savings and Loans, Savings and Loans of the Year and Leverage Microfinance Ltd, Microfinance Company of the Year.

The rest are Stegenor Microfinance Limited (Microflush Toilet Loan), Micro Loan Product of The Year; Experts Consult Ltd, Debt Collection Agency of the Year; Westone Microfinance Ltd, Microfinance Brand of the Year and Maglans Micro-Credit Services, Micro-Credit Brand of the Year

Akwasi Aboagye (CEO, Bayport Savings and Loans PLC), CEO of the Year (Non-Bank Financial Institutions) and Samuel, CEO of the Year (Rural and Community Banks) won the individual awards.

The 2023 Ghana Credit Excellence Awards provides a platform to showcase and applaud best performing banks and specialised deposit-taking institutions and individuals in the Ghanaian financial sector. The awards provides financial institutions with exceptional marketing and public relations opportunities.