Accra, Ghana – The 25th Connected Banking Summit – West Africa | Innovation & Excellence Awards 2026 concluded successfully at the prestigious Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City, Accra, marking a historic Silver Jubilee Edition and celebrating 25 impactful editions of shaping banking innovation across Africa.
Organized by the International Center for Strategic Alliances (ICSA), the summit brought together senior government officials, CEOs, CIOs, CISOs, fintech leaders, risk professionals, and digital transformation experts under the powerful theme:
“Next-Gen Finance West Africa: Resilient, Scalable & Customer-Centric.”
The milestone edition reaffirmed West Africa’s leadership in digital banking transformation, AI integration, cybersecurity resilience, embedded finance, and financial inclusion.
Distinguished Guest of Honour
- Hon. Samuel Nartey George (MP) – Honourable Minister, Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology & Innovations
Summit Chairperson
- Dr. Gillian Hammah – Founder, GradePoint AI & Chief Marketing Officer, Aya Data
Complete Speaker Line-Up
The 25th Silver Jubilee Edition featured an exceptional lineup of industry leaders:
- Dr. Philip Oti-Mensah – CEO, Universal Merchant Bank
- Ebow Quayson – Acting Managing Director & Executive Head, Prudential Bank Ghana
- Emmanuel Morka – Regional CIO, Access Bank Plc
- Yuvraj Kumar – Senior Principal Product Manager, Azentio
- Aleksey Trefilov – CEO, BRIX365
- Rachel Adeshina – Group CIO, First Bank of Nigeria Ltd.
- Kenneth Amponsah – Chief Risk Officer, UBA Ghana
- Leopold L.L. Armah – CIO, Prudential Bank Ghana
- Emem Umoh – CISO & Data Protection Supervisor, Zenith Bank Ghana
- Seth Frimpong-Manso – Regional CISO, Access Bank Plc
- Randy Osei Pipim – CISO – Risk, Prudential Bank Ghana
- Sylvia Sedo – CISO, UBA Ghana
- Folake Egunjobi – Senior Business Development Manager, Thunes
- Manasseh Afoh – CIO, Republic Bank Ghana
- William Danso-Abeam – Country Head, Consumer Banking, Ecobank Ghana
- Kenneth Ugwuanyi – Group Head, Transaction Banking, UBA
- Gloria F.A. Cabutey-Adodoadji – Group Head, SME & Retail Banking, Zenith Bank Ghana
- Moustafa Samir Taha Mohamed – Senior Banking Technology Consultant, Azentio
- Yaw Amoah Adum-Attah – Head, Innovation & Implementation, OmniBSIC Bank
- Henry Nii Dottey – Regional Head, Brand, Marketing & Corporate Communications, UBA
- Laurinda Addy – Head of Customer Experience, CALBank PLC
- Senanu Datsa – Head, Information Systems Audit & Assurance, First Atlantic Bank
- Alex Orleans-Boham – Head, Credit Administration & Control, Consolidated Bank Ghana
- Alexander Forson – Head of E-Business, Agricultural Development Bank Ghana
- Ernestina Mensah – Head of Market Risk, Bank of Africa Ghana
- Kwaku Saforo – Head, Group Remittances, FinTech & eChannels Operations, Ecobank Transnational Incorporated
Their collective insights shaped powerful conversations around AI-driven banking, cyber resilience, digital lending, risk transformation, ESG leadership, and scalable financial inclusion.
Sponsors & Strategic Partners
The 25th Connected Banking Summit – West Africa 2026 was proudly supported by:
Platinum Sponsor
- Azentio
Gold Sponsors
- BRIX365
- Thunes
Banking Partner
- Prudential Bank LTD (PBL)
Their commitment to innovation, enterprise transformation, and financial ecosystem development played a pivotal role in the success of this Silver Jubilee Edition.
Innovation & Excellence Awards 2026 – Award Winners
The evening concluded with the prestigious Innovation & Excellence Awards ceremony, recognizing outstanding institutions and leaders.
Institutional Award Winners
- Excellence in Cash Management – Standard Chartered Bank Ghana
- Excellence in Banking Services – FBN Ghana Limited
- Excellence in Private Banking – Stanbic Bank Ghana
- Excellence in Commercial Banking – Fidelity Bank Ghana
- Excellence in Corporate Banking – Absa Bank Ghana
- Excellence in Investment Banking – Société Générale Ghana
- Outstanding Leadership in Banking – Republic Bank Ghana
- Excellence in Customer Experience – CalBank PLC
- Excellence in Data Security – Zenith Bank (Ghana) Ltd
- Excellence in Banking Innovation – Consolidated Bank Ghana
- Excellence in Digital Innovation – First National Bank Ghana
- Excellence in Consumer Banking – Prudential Bank Limited
- Excellence in Retail Banking – GCB Bank PLC
- Excellence in SME Banking – Universal Merchant Bank
- Excellence in Financial Inclusion – Access Bank (Ghana) Plc
- Best Bank for ESG – UBA Ghana Ltd
- Excellence in E-Banking – OmniBSIC Bank
- Best Bank in Ghana – Ecobank Ghana Plc
Leadership Award Winners
- CISO of the Year – Emem Umoh
- CIO of the Year – Emmanuel Morka
- CEO of the Year – Daniel Asiedu
The awards continue to uphold ICSA’s mission to Connect, Integrate, and Transform the banking ecosystem across Africa.
Looking Ahead – Connected Banking 2026 Global Series
Following the success of the 25th Silver Jubilee Edition in Accra, the Connected Banking 2026 Global Series continues across eight powerhouse markets this year:
- 26th Edition – Nairobi, Kenya | March 2026
- 27th Edition – Cairo, Egypt | April 2026
- 28th Edition – Johannesburg, South Africa | July 2026
- 29th Edition – Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | August 2026
- 30th Edition – Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | September 2026
- 31st Edition – Istanbul, Turkey | October 2026
- 32nd Edition – Muscat, Oman | November 2026
8 Countries. One Vision. A Year of Impact.
The journey continues as Connected Banking 2026 drives the next chapter of resilient, scalable, and customer-centric financial transformation across emerging markets.
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