Olayemi Cardoso, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, has been named the Central Bank Governor of the Year at the 2025 African Banker Awards. The ceremony took place on Wednesday, May 28, in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
The award, presented by African Banker magazine, highlighted Cardoso’s strong leadership and the effective reforms he introduced to stabilise Nigeria’s economy. The committee praised the Central Bank’s efforts to strengthen the value of the naira, improve transparency in the foreign exchange market, and restore trust in the country’s financial policies.
These policy changes were credited with laying the groundwork for long-term economic growth and attracting renewed interest from investors. The award was accepted on behalf of the Governor by Dr. Nkiru Balonwu, his Adviser on Stakeholder Engagement and Strategic Communication. She was joined by key officials including Dr. Victor Oboh, Director of Monetary Policy; Dr. Olubukola Akinwumi, Director of Banking Supervision; and Dr. Aloysius Uche Ordu, a member of the Monetary Policy Committee.
The organisers explained that the recognition was based on the Central Bank’s active role in correcting market imbalances and setting Nigeria on a more sustainable growth path.
The African Banker Awards, now in their 19th year, are held in partnership with the African Development Bank Group. The event draws leaders from government, banking, and development finance institutions across the continent to honour excellence in Africa’s financial sector.
