The African Union Small and Medium Scale Enterprise (AU SME) award was given to the Ghana Exim Bank (GEXIM) for its assistance in expanding successful small business operations.
For its "Tuesday Market" programme, the bank won the Africa Best Market Initiative award.
The prize was presented during the inaugural AU SME Annual Forum, which took place this year from June 27 to July 1 in Cairo, Egypt.
The All Africa Association for Small and Medium Enterprises (SAASME) and the African Union (AU) jointly organised the award and forum (AAASME).
At the bank's headquarters, the management of GEXIM, led by the Chief Executive Officer, Lawrence Agyinsam, received the award from the AAASME's Secretary-General, Dr. Ebiekure Jasper Eradiri, and its Legal Advisor, Warmate Jones Idikio.
Commitment
In order to realise Africa's industrialization within the framework of the integrated market, Mr. Agyinsam complimented the AU and AAASME for establishing the AU SME Annual Forum, a platform that aims to promote and strategize for a better, more inclusive African SME sector.
He thanked the organisers on behalf of the bank for recognising its "Tuesday Market" programme.
SMEs are crucial
For her part, Rosemary Beryl Archer, the deputy chief executive officer of GEXIM in charge of business and banking, emphasised the significance and dominance of the SME sector in the business environment as well as its crucial role in the agenda for national development as well as the economic transformation of several countries globally.
"With over 50% of all private sector production coming from the SME sector, its importance cannot be understated. The "Tuesday"
By fostering our SMEs' capacities and enhancing their goods, we are promoting Ghanaian products and preparing them for export.
Motivation
Dr. Eradiri said the award was meant to motivate GEXIM to go above and beyond the scope of its mandate in order to have a greater impact on more people and the broader SME ecosystem.
For the benefit of the teeming SMEs, he also stated that AAASME intended to work with GEXIM to duplicate its award-winning programmes and accomplishments in other African nations.
The GEXIM team also included Nana Akyaa Obeng-Adiyiah, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer in charge of Finance and Administration, Michael Tetteh-Voetagbe, the General Manager of Human Resources and Administration, Solomon Dsane, the Head of Risk Management, Bright Darko, the Head of SME Baking, Isaac Amissah-Aidoo, the Assistant Manager of Corporate Affairs and International Cooperation, Jonathan, and the Head of SME
In his words, "Ghana Exim Bank is dedicated to assisting the government of Ghana's strategy to reposition the economy as an export-led one."
Additionally, the bank aspires to evolve into a powerful financial institution that would ease cross-border commerce, support the growth of Ghana's export industry, and establish Ghana as a pillar in regional and global economies.