40 years on, Ecobank emerges as Africa’s best bank

Forty years ago, a bold idea took root; the establishment of a bank for Africa, by Africans. Realised in 1985 when Ecobank opened its doors in Lomé, Togo, this vision has grown into one of Africa’s greatest success stories.

What began as a single-country bank is today Africa’s most geographically diverse banking group, operating in 34 countries, including Kenya, and serving more than 32 million customers across the continent.

Ecobank has employed over 14,000 staff from 43 nationalities, reflecting the diverse continent it was built to serve. From pioneering longer banking hours and opening on weekends – radical at the time – to navigating political upheavals, civil conflicts, and now advancing Africa’s digital banking revolution, Ecobank has consistently been at the forefront of transformation and become synonymous with banking in Africa. Four decades later, Ecobank stands as a world-class institution and a torchbearer for Africa’s financial future.

“Our founders would indeed be proud. Forty years of resilience. Forty years of innovation. Forty years of growth,” said Ms Josephine Anan-Ankomah, Ecobank Kenya Managing Director, during the bank’s 40th anniversary celebrations in Nairobi recently.

“Ecobank’s transformation is proof that the dream of our founders not only endured; it thrived.”

Technology and pan-African expertise remain central to Ecobank’s strategy, enhancing customer value and delivering an exceptional seamless banking experience across all touchpoints. Through its One Bank approach, Ecobank delivers consistent Consumer, Commercial, Corporate and Investment Banking solutions across and beyond its Pan African network, enabling customers to access its services wherever they are.

Over the years, Ecobank has received widespread recognition from multiple organisations, for its impact on Africa’s financial landscape. Prestigious awards from Euromoney, Global Finance and other important industry awards highlight its leadership in innovation, digital capability, and customer service excellence.

This year, the bank was named ‘Best Bank in Africa’, for its growth in assets, profitability, geographic reach, business development and products innovation.

In addition, it received ‘Best Trade Finance Provider in Africa’ for its robust cross-border and domestic trade solutions, supported by the Ecobank Single Market Trade Hub – a digital platform that connects African buyers and suppliers and facilitates the provision of structured trade finance, trade services, and supply chain finance solutions to help businesses trade with confidence across borders.

In November alone, Ecobank has received three additional major awards, including the ‘Company of the Year’ at the All Africa Business Leaders Awards (AABLA) 2025. All these awards celebrate 40 years of simplifying payments, collections, liquidity management and providing African businesses with seamless, secure and reliable transaction solutions.

“Our pan-African purpose is to deliver world-class financial services to support Africans and African businesses with the critical resources they need to grow and prosper,” said Jeremy Awori, the Chief Executive Officer of Ecobank Group.

“These recognitions reaffirm the strength of our commitment to the continent and provide evidence of the growing impact and success of our Growth, Transformation and Returns strategy, which puts our customers and their evolving needs at the centre of our ambitions.”

Beyond business, Ecobank continues to invest deeply in the communities it serves through Ecobank Day – its flagship Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative that is celebrated simultaneously every October across its 34 countries.

This year, Ecobank Kenya extended its partnership with the Heritage of Faith and Hope Children Centre in Sabaki, Athi River, supporting the construction of a new science laboratory, a computer lab, as well as the provision of scholarships and learning materials. This is the Ecobank spirit, a commitment not only to building a worldclass pan-African bank and contribute to the economic development and financial integration of Africa, but also to delivering a Better Africa.