Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Olayemi Cardoso, was named Central Bank Governor of the Year at the 2025 African Banker Awards held on Wednesday in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
The award, presented by African Banker magazine, recognized Cardoso’s “bold and strategic” monetary and regulatory reforms that have restored confidence and stability to Nigeria’s financial system.
In a statement, the Central Bank noted that the Awards Committee praised Cardoso for “implementing key policy measures to stabilize the naira, enhance transparency in the foreign exchange market, and restore policy credibility,” laying the foundation for long-term macroeconomic resilience and renewed investor confidence.
Accepting the award on Cardoso’s behalf was Nkiru Balonwu, Adviser on Stakeholder Engagement and Strategic Communication, accompanied by the bank’s Monetary Policy Department Director Victor Oboh, Banking Supervision Department Director Olubukola Akinwumi, and Monetary Policy Committee member Aloysius Uche Ordu.
The organizers said the award highlights Governor Cardoso’s achievements and the Central Bank’s vital role in addressing market imbalances and positioning Nigeria’s economy for sustainable growth.
Now in its 19th year, the African Banker Awards, organized by African Banker magazine in partnership with the African Development Bank Group, gather senior officials from government, commercial banking, and development finance across Africa to celebrate excellence in the continent’s financial sector.
