Diamond Bank PLC has once again been recognized for its market leadership in the Nigerian Banking industry as it was recently presented the award of the Best Issuing Partner Bank in the Sub-Saharan African category by the International Finance Corporation (IFC).
The award was presented to the bank’s officials at the inaugural Global Trade Partners Awards dinner held at the conclusion of the IFC 6th Global Trade Partners Meeting. The meeting took place last week in Lisbon, Portugal and it attracted over 350 delegates from 56 countries.
Portuguese Deputy Prime Minister, Paulo Portas, delivered the opening keynote address, kicking off two days of insightful discussions on building cross-border banking networks, developing innovative solutions for agribusiness and commodity finance, and enhancing global value chains by financing small and medium enterprises.
“Our annual conference provides an unparalleled opportunity for our partners to learn from global experts and develop business leads in all regions,” said Georgina Baker, Global Head of Trade and Supply Chain Solutions at IFC. “We are pleased to acknowledge those banks that innovated or worked extensively with IFC last year to support the growth of emerging market trade and help more countries and firms integrate into global supply chains.”
The Global Trade and Supply Chain Solutions team at IFC was formed in 2010 to integrate working capital financing and trade facilitation initiatives with IFC’s award-winning Global Trade Finance Programme and Global Trade Liquidity Programme. The team boasts of a suite of innovations that addresses gaps in the financing needs of underserved clients in emerging markets through trade finance, supply chain finance, structured finance, commodity finance and advisory services.
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is the largest global development institution focused exclusively on the private sector. Working with private enterprises in more than 100 countries, the organisation uses its capital, expertise and influence to help eliminate extreme poverty and promote shared prosperity. In the 2013 financial year, IFC’s investments climbed to an all-time high of nearly $25 billion, leveraging the power of the private sector to create jobs and tackle the world’s most pressing development challenges.
Diamond Bank is a leading and respected bank in Nigeria, with over 250 branches around the country, noted for its excellent service, driven by innovation and delivered through the most advanced banking technology platform in the market. It currently offers full range of banking services through its offices in Republics of Benin, Togo, Cote D’Ivoire, Senegal and the United Kingdom. Diamond Bank has over the years leveraged its underlying resilience to grow its asset base and successfully retain its key business relationships.
