Ghanaian Tax Professional and EY’s Africa Tax Practice Leader, Ekow Eghan has been awarded the prestigious title of 2023 EMEA Tax Practice Leader of the Year at the International Tax Review (ITR) EMEA Tax Awards ceremony.

The event took place at the Carlton Jumeirah in London, where EY South Africa and EY Nigeria also retained their titles as the 2023 Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year in their respective categories.

Eghan, who serves as EY's Africa Tax Practice Leader, expressed his gratitude, stating that "Being nominated alongside the best Tax Practice Leaders in EMEA has been an honour, and winning this award is a recognition I deeply appreciate. I extend my gratitude to my EY Tax families across Africa and to the global EY network, along with my clients who inspire us to build a better working world. This award is a reflection of that joint effort and the trust you continue to place in EY."

At the same ceremony, Akinbiyi Abudu, Head of Transfer Pricing at EY Nigeria, emphasized the dedication of the Transfer Pricing teams in Nigeria and South Africa, saying, "Consistently winning awards in TP is fantastic, but true success comes from our dedicated pursuit of excellence. Our TP teams in Nigeria and South Africa prove that when we work together with determination and innovation, we can achieve sustained greatness."

Ajen Sita, CEO of EY Africa, also emphasised the significance of these wins, highlighting EY's commitment to delivering high-quality services in the ever-evolving African tax landscape. He commended Ekow and his team for embodying a modern approach to tax leadership, market leadership in multinational cross-border transactions, and their unique ability to leverage multidisciplinary expertise for the benefit of their clients, providing smart solutions deserving of this recognition.

These awards are based on the firms' outstanding tax work, with a focus on factors such as size, innovation, complexity, and the level of impact. EY South Africa and EY Nigeria both hold Tier 1 rankings in the 2023 ITR World rankings, which recognizes top tax practitioners worldwide in more than 120 jurisdictions.

About Ekow Eghan, EY Africa Tax Leader
Ekow Eghan, as the EY Africa Tax Leader, has been instrumental in developing smart tax solutions for clients and creating platforms for people to achieve their highest potential. His role encompasses representing clients on various tax matters, including complex domestic and cross-border mergers, acquisitions, and divestiture transactions in Africa. Eghan is a Chartered Accountant and holds an MSc in Taxation from Oxford University.

Beyond his professional achievements, Eghan is known for fostering a workplace culture that stimulates a sense of belonging and a commitment to excellence among a mix of tax, attorney, technology, and accounting professionals that make up his practice. He has a career theme of galvanizing colleagues to rethink their approach, embrace change, and run faster than the competition.

About ITR EMEA Tax Awards
The ITR EMEA Tax Awards have been an annual tradition since their inception in 2005. These awards celebrate the remarkable achievements and developments by tax professionals from across the Americas over a 12-month period.

The 18th annual awards for 2023 aim to recognize the most impressive tax, transfer pricing, tax disputes, and indirect tax teams and practitioners across 34 jurisdictions throughout the region. Additionally, the awards acknowledge achievements in tax technology, innovation, policy, compliance, and reporting, as well as diversity, equity, and inclusion.