Mrs. Kanayo Awani is the Executive Vice President of the Intra-African Trade Bank (IATB) at Afreximbank, renowned for her extensive banking career and leadership in African trade and industrialization.
Under Mrs. Awani’s guidance, Afreximbank has grown significantly, with total assets expanding from US$1.4 billion to approximately $30 billion by 2022. Her flagship initiative, the “Intra-Africa Trade Fair” (AfCFTA Marketplace), has attracted over 40,000 attendees and facilitated transactions worth more than US$75 billion.
Mrs. Awani’s career began at Citigroup in Nigeria, where she spent nearly 17 years, culminating in her role as Vice President and Head of Industrial & Commercial Corporates. Since joining Afreximbank in 2009, she has been instrumental in driving the Bank’s strategic objectives in intra-African trade, particularly in support of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). Her leadership was pivotal in the AfCFTA negotiations, leading to its historic signing in Kigali in March 2018.
Passionate about Africa’s industrialization, Mrs. Awani has spearheaded initiatives such as the development of Industrial Parks and Export Processing Zones across the continent. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she played a key role in harmonizing standards for pharmaceuticals and medical consumables. She also championed the African Collaborative Transit Guarantee Scheme and launched innovative programs like the Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX), which earmarked a $1 billion facility to support various sectors.
Mrs. Awani’s leadership and contributions have earned her numerous accolades, including being named among the 100 Leading Nigerian Women in the “Nigeria Women Annual: 100 Leading Women” in 2022.
She was also honored with the Africa Financial Industry Summit (AFIS) Woman Leader Award in 2022 and featured in Forbes Afrique’s list of “The 50 Most Influential African Women” in 2023.
Additionally, she received the African Economic Integration Champion Award at the 13th Africa Economy Builders Forum & Awards in 2023 and was proclaimed Africa Inspirational Personality of the Year by the Africa Women Impact Summit (AWIS).
Mrs. Awani is a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Management and currently serves as the Chairperson of the Africa Chapter of FCI, a global factoring association. Her commitment to advancing African trade and development continues to inspire and shape the continent’s economic landscape.
She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Nigeria (Enugu Campus) and a Master of Public Administration in International Trade and Finance from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, where she was honored with the Edward S. Mason Fellowship in Public Policy and Management.
Well done!!
