Access Bank Group’s globally acknowledged leadership in sustainability and responsible best practice has again been affirmed with the emergence of Access Bank (Ghana) Ltd, one of its subsidiaries, as the winner of the “Most Socially Responsible Bank Award” at this year’s edition of the annual Ghana Banking Awards held at the Movenpick Ambassador Hotel in Accra recently. The Bank also emerged winner in the World Bank introduced “Best Bank in Agric Financing Award” category and as 1st runner up in Best Bank in Financial Performance. Access Bank Ghana’s emergence as winner in the Best Bank in Agric Financing category instituted by the World Bank is a validation of the Access Bank Group’s commitment to economic development across the African continent. Barely two years after it commenced operations in Ghana, Access Bank was cited for demonstrating genuine commitment to corporate responsibility, through responsible workplace practices and sustainable social interventions in the areas of Education, Health and Sports that have improved the quality of lives of employees and livelihoods of people in the community. Also, the programme organizers commended the Bank for devoting a sizeable portion of its loan portfolio to supporting transactions in the agricultural sector, which has been identified as the backbone and main driver of the Ghanaian economy. On the awards, Yomi Akapo, Managing Director for Access Bank (Ghana) Ltd said “We are delighted that our institution has been recognized for its commitment to service excellence, responsible business practice and stakeholders’ value creation. The awards bestowed on us in just our first year of participating in the annual Ghana Banking Awards have further indicated the resolve of the annual awards to promote excellence and professionalism on the Ghanaian banking landscape.” He added that “By this recognition we are humbled and challenged to extend our frontiers for service excellence, business sustainability and create greater value for stakeholders”. Access Bank (Ghana) Limited Access Bank (Ghana) Limited is a subsidiary of Access Bank Plc, one of Africa’s pre-eminent financial services groups with a full banking subsidiary in the UK and all the monetary zones across sub-Sahara Africa. The Bank is ranked 14th in Africa and amongst the top 500 banks in the world by tier 1 capital as at March 31, 2010. Over the past 5 years, Access Bank Plc has acquired financial strength by adhering to socially responsible goals. The Bank has continuously displayed a strong commitment to global health issues by leveraging its people and financial resources to invest in successful health programmes in Nigeria and other African countries. The Bank has earned numerous recognitions for its commitment to adoption and implementation of responsible business practice. Notable among these recognitions and awards are the FT/IFC “Sustainable Bank of the Year Award in Africa and Middle East Category”, Business in Community “Big Tick” Award and African Banker Magazine’s “Most Socially Responsible Bank Award.