The ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) has announced that its President and Chairman of the Board of Directors, Dr George Agyekum Donkor, has been named the recipient of the Distinguished African Development Finance Leadership Award – Regional Integration & Economic Transformation at the 16th African Business Leadership Awards 2026.
The award, to be conferred by the African Leadership Organisation and the Editorial Board of African Leadership Magazine, follows a rigorous merit-based evaluation and recognises Dr Donkor’s exceptional leadership and transformative impact on West Africa’s development finance architecture.
In addition to the individual honour, EBID has also been named a Strategic Development Finance Partner of the ALM Africa Summit 2026, further highlighting the Bank’s role in advancing regional integration, infrastructure financing, enterprise growth, and economic transformation across the Economic Community of West African States region.
Dr Donkor has also been invited to serve as Special Guest of Honour and Keynote Speaker at the awards ceremony, scheduled for July 3, 2026, at the House of Lords.
The summit will be held under the theme: “From Vision to Velocity: Driving Africa’s Next Wave of Growth and Leadership.”
According to the citation by the Editorial Board, Dr Donkor’s leadership continues to bridge policy, capital structuring, and execution, positioning EBID as a strategic institution linking sovereign priorities with global investment flows.
The Board particularly commended his role in mobilising concessional and market-rate capital, advancing blended finance and co-investment frameworks, and strengthening financial systems needed to accelerate sustainable economic growth across West Africa.
Reacting to the recognition, Dr Donkor described it as a collective achievement.
“This recognition is not only personal but a tribute to the collective dedication of the entire EBID team, our Member States, and development partners who share the vision of a prosperous, integrated West Africa,” he said.
He added that the award reaffirms the Bank’s commitment to inclusive finance, SME growth, women-led enterprise development, and infrastructure financing as pillars of long-term economic competitiveness.
As part of the honour, Dr Donkor will participate in an exclusive high-level panel discussion alongside Heads of State, ministers, sovereign investors, central bank governors, development finance institutions, multinational executives, and global policy leaders.
He will also hold a closed-door engagement with select members of the UK House of Lords.
The African Business Leadership Awards remains one of the continent’s leading leadership and investment platforms, expected to attract over 400 senior delegates for strategic engagements, cross-border capital alignment, and continental thought leadership.
Dr Donkor has previously received several international honours, including the 2023 Development Champion Award at the Rebranding Africa Forum in Brussels and the 2022 Prix de la Foundation award at the Crans Montana Forum.
He has also been listed four consecutive times among the 100 personalities transforming Africa by Financial Afrik.
EBID, headquartered in Lomé, serves as the development finance institution of ECOWAS and finances projects in infrastructure, rural development, industry, social services, and environmental sustainability across the sub-region.
