Absa Bank Ghana has been recognised with five honours at the 2025 Sustainability & Social Investment Awards (SSI Awards) for its measurable social impact across the country.

The bank received awards for Partnership and Collaboration of the Year, Best Company in Youth Mentorship Project, and Best Company in Youth Development and Empowerment Project.

In addition, Managing Director Dr Edward Nartey Botchway was named SSI Impact CEO of the Year, while Head of Citizenship Priscilla Yeboah received the Mentorship Leadership Impact Award.

A key initiative recognised under the Partnership of the Year category was the bank’s work with the Mastercard Foundation through the Young Africa Works programme, which has enabled Absa to extend collateral-free and subsidised loans at 10% per annum to small and medium-sized enterprises nationwide, with an emphasis on youth-led, women-led, and agribusiness ventures.

Since 2020, the partnership has disbursed over US$137 million in affordable financing, benefiting more than 8,000 businesses, 60% of which are women-led.

Over 7,000 businesses have also received training, coaching and mentoring, with over 50,000 jobs created for young people.

Absa’s long-running commitment to youth development was also recognised. Through the ReadytoWork programme, a platform that prepares young people for the world of work, the bank supported 1.7 million young people in 2025 with skills in employability, entrepreneurship, money management, and creative thinking.

Complementing this is the Money Matters financial literacy initiative, which has helped 126,000 students across the country build practical skills in budgeting, saving, and responsible financial behaviour this year.

Commenting on the awards, Dr Edward Nartey Botchway said: “What matters most to us is not the number of programmes we run, but the progress people can make because of them.

"Our partnerships with the Mastercard Foundation, our investments in youth employability, and our commitment to financial inclusion are changing how many young Ghanaians access opportunity.

"These awards recognise that impact and remind us that when we back people with the right skills, capital, and confidence, their stories change and communities move forward.”

The Entrepreneurs Foundation of Ghana has hosted the SSI Awards annually since 2010 to recognise organisations and leaders who contribute meaningfully to Ghana’s socio-economic development.