The Managing Director of the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) PLC, Alhaji Alhassan Yakubu-Tali, has been adjudged the CEO of the year for agribusiness financing at the Ghana CEOs Awards held at Kempinski Hotel in Accra.

The award is a recognition of his dedication and commitment to the growth of the agricultural sector and the economy as a whole.

Alhaji Alhassan Yakubu-Tali has been highly commended for overseeing the operational performance of the ADB, driving, and implementing a strict performance culture to create an environment that promotes staff commitment to the overall organizational mission, vision, and strategy.  

This has contributed to the repositioning of the bank as the bank of choice for agricultural financing and helped expand the sector loan portfolio to over one billion cedis. The amount excludes non-funded facilities such as letters of credit and guarantees granted for the purchase of agricultural inputs, machinery, equipment, and raw materials.

In his remarks following the award, Alhaji Yakubu-Tali stated that the award underscores the commitment and passion that ADB has for the agricultural sector.

“The agricultural sector is the bedrock of our nation's economy, and ADB will continue to partner with stakeholders to provide funding and advisory services to help foster national development,” he said.

"Every seed sown is a step towards a prosperous future, and we are well positioned and ready to nurture the seeds and lead the industrial revolution of the country through agriculture" he added.

The Managing Director reiterated that in the midst of industry transitions, there is an opportunity for ADB to become bigger, stronger, and more resilient to market shocks.

“ADB has a great potential to become a larger Bank that will be well positioned to support government’s efforts to encourage manufacturing and agriculture on a large scale across the country,” he said 

Alhaji Alhassan Yakubu-Tali dedicated the award to the customers of ADB, noting that the award couldn’t have come at a better time than the Customer Service Month.

He assured the bank’s customers that “ADB PLC will continue to provide financial intermediation for individuals and businesses, and will always be part of the success stories of our customers”.

The Managing Director also dedicated the award to other stakeholders, including farmers, fishers, other players within the agribusiness value chain, the Board, Management, and Staff of ADB, for their support and efforts that inspired confidence and culminated in the award.

“Together, let us continue to sow seeds of progress and wealth creation through agriculture." He said

The CEO Awards event was organized by Globe Production and attended by high-profile personalities, including the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia; the Ga Mantse, King Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II; and the British High Commissioner to Ghana, Harriet Thompson.

The Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) PLC was also honoured recently as the Iconic Agric Financing Institution of the decade, in recognition of the immense contribution of the Bank to national development over the past decade.