…Winners and Runners-up to be Honoured July 9–10, 2025 at The Landmark Hotel and UK House of Lords
LONDON, United Kingdom, May 31, 2025/APO Group/ --
The African Leadership Magazine (ALM) (www.AfricanLeadershipMagazine.co.uk) is pleased to announce the winners of the 2025 African Business Leadership Awards (ABLA), following the conclusion of a rigorous, four-tier, points-based selection process. In keeping with our established tradition, this year’s evaluation combined 65% of the final score from the global online poll with 35% from verified documentation, including evidence of institutional growth, innovation, sustainability, and measurable impact.

Breaking News: African Leadership Magazine Announces Winners for the 2025 African Business Leadership Awards (ABLA)
The African Business Leadership Awards (ABLA) is the continent’s premier platform for recognising exceptional corporate practices, impact-driven leadership, and transformative contributions to Africa’s evolving business and economic ecosystem. The ABLA selection process includes public nominations, editorial board screening, a global public vote, and a final evaluation based on verifiable metrics to ensure that each honoree reflects the highest standards of African excellence, innovation, and measurable impact.
In line with African Leadership Magazine’s unwavering commitment to amplifying Africa’s underreported success stories, often overlooked by mainstream global media, the African Business Leadership Awards (ABLA) celebrate policymakers, industry leaders, and resilient brands that are setting standards in corporate governance, innovation, and sustainable development.
Dr. Ken Giami, Founder & CEO of the African Leadership Organisation, said in an official statement: “On behalf of the Board, we warmly congratulate the winners of ABLA 2025 for their unwavering commitment, groundbreaking achievements, and visionary leadership. Their exemplary contributions are not only transforming Africa’s business landscape but also inspiring a new era of sustainable growth and opportunity across the continent.”
The winners and runners-up will be formally presented with award trophies and other honours during the African Business Leadership Awards (ABLA) Ceremony—the major highlight of The Africa Summit London 2025—scheduled for 9–10 July 2025 at The Landmark Hotel and the UK House of Lords. Additionally, all honourees will be featured in the highly anticipated ABLA 2025 Honourees Edition of African Leadership Magazine, a prized collector’s item unveiled during the event and distributed globally.
Below is the complete list of winners and runners-up in the various categories of the African Business Leadership Awards (ABLA) 2025:
African Business Leader of the Year
- Ntombi Felicia Msiza, CEO, Raubex Group Ltd, South Africa – Winner
- Mohamed Ould Bouamatou, Founder & Chairman, Bouamatou Société Anomyme (BSA), Mauritania – Co-Winner
African Female Business Leader of the Year
- Esther Muchemi, CEO, Samchi Group, Kenya – Winner
- Jesca Mhoja Nkwabi, CEO, KOM Group, Tanzania – Co-Winner
African Regulator of the Year
- Brima M. Baluwa Koroma, Director General, National Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Sierra Leone – Winner
- Leonilde dos Santos, President, Multisectoral Economic Regulatory Authority (ARME), Cape Verde – Co-Winner
Business-Friendly Governor of the Year
- Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, Governor, Enugu State, Nigeria – Winner
- Oscar Mabuyane, Premier, Eastern Cape, South Africa – Co-Winner
Africa CSR & Community Development Impact Award
- Standard Chartered Bank, South Africa – Winner
- Ashanti Goldfields Corporation, Ghana – Co-Winner
African Finance Minister of the Year
- Ahmed Kouchouk, Minister of Finance, Egypt – Winner
- Bihi Iman Egeh, Minister of Finance, Somalia – Winner
- Marial Dongrin Ater, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, South Sudan – Co-Winner
Trade & Investment Promotion Agency of the Year
- Agency for Private Investment and Export Promotion (AIPEX), Angola – Winner
- Moroccan Agency for Investment and Export Development (AMDIE), Morocco – Co-Winner
Central Bank Governor of the Year
- Mohamed Lemine Dhehby, Governor, Central Bank of Mauritania – Winner
- Johnson Asiama, Governor, Bank of Ghana – Co-Winner
- Rama Krishna Sithanen, Governor, Bank of Mauritius – Co-Winner
Trade & Investment Minister of the Year
- Jumoke Oduwole, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Nigeria – Winner
- Chipoka Mulenga, Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry, Zambia – Co-Winner
African CEO of the Year
- Armstrong Takang, CEO, Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI), Nigeria – Winner
- Jeremy Awori, Group CEO, Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI), Togo – Co-Winner
African Brand of the Year
- Ethiopian Airlines – Winner
- Commercial International Bank (CIB), Egypt – Co-Winner
African Company of the Year
- Bidco Africa, Kenya – Winner
- Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing, Nigeria – Co-Winner
Industry Personality of the Year
- Ally Edha Awadh, CEO, Lake Oil Group, Tanzania – Winner
- Jemal Ahmed Abdu, CEO, MIDROC Investment Group PLC, Ethiopia – Co-Winner
Africa Business Integrity Leader Award
- Arab Contractors, Egypt – Winner
- Coris Bank International, Togo – Co-Winner
Young Business Leader of the Year
- Mamotake Matekane, Chief Operations Officer, MGC Matekane Group, Lesotho – Winner
- Martha Namundjebo-Tilahun, Co-founder, United Africa Group, Namibia- Co-Winner
African Tech & Digital Economy Leader of the Year
- Mastercard Africa – Winner
- MTN Group, South Africa – Co-Winner
Lifetime Achievement Award
- Kwabena Kesse, CEO, Kessben Group of Companies, Ghana – Winner
Special Commendation Award for Regulatory Excellence
- Daniel Kiptoo Bargoria, Director General, Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Kenya – Winner
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Leadership Magazine.
those clanish racist ogaden people have themselves to blame!!! the only reason why ogaden is so poor is because no investor will go there while the ONLF child killers still roam around….if i had extra money, i would rather invest in oromia or somaliland than in ogaden anyday even though i am somali..the only peaceful somali region in the world is somaliland
What happened to the peace and progress they talk about on the news 24/7? Even Siilaanyo says there is peace in the region. Or is it just state propaganda
Is this meant to spread animosity between oromo and somali ppl or a joke? Ethiopia’S outlet tk other world happens to pass thru bishoftu and adama in oromia. So it should be given strategic importance. And don’t forget that oromia has 10 times population thsn somali and generate over 100 times revenue. What do you expect? Split the national budget equally among all regions with out taking do many things into account? Shocking comparison
Folks, Only the “shewa” oromia is developinng, the rest of oromia has no investment! This is because shewa oromos and amaras get preferential treatment over muslim and protestant oromos
Tell the truth!!!!!!!! Orthodox shewa is still indirectly ruling ethiopia today
Otherthan the tigray people, orthodox shewa oromo & amara still dominate our economy
The rest of oromia is dirt poor like ogaden
truely i felt like am on the skye when ever i saw such news which talking about the truth but what am suprising is mr abdi you addmited somaliland is a part of Ethiopia concerning ur comperation about the 2 regions wonderfull
The first thing investors require is security. The Ogaden area people failed to understand
how important security is for investment. The more the ogaden area allowed to be manipulated by foreign and some anti peace forces the more the area is going to be backward in terms of economy. The Ogaden area people tried everything except to create a secured area for investment to flourish. I believe the Ogaden area people must
try peace and development as alternative for the first time in the region’s history to see what this combination is going to bring to the region. No where in the world violence and dispute brought prosperity to a region or a nation. Create peace you would harvest the fruit of peace or create havoc and live in poverty for generation. I think it is good to look inside rather than out side to solve problems. Ogaden region must solve its inside problem first before blame others to its problem. Create security for investors they will be at your door if not none one is going to be into a valance neighborhood with investment capital to be destroyed in few years. If Ethiopia and the Ogaden region keep peace to prospers the region as well as the country would move forward.
By the way, Oromia regional state is the largest in Ethiopia- both in size and population, in case one forgot. The cities mentioned, such as Bishoftu and Adama, are closer to Addis. Peace and stability are additional factors.
This ‘ jealousy’ might be for the betterment of Ogaden, for they will work twice as hard as they know what peace dividend is to gained. The cheap electricity being churned would have sufficed to create many industrial parks, along with abattoirs in that region whose proximity to the ports of entry is half as much. There is only a ‘ peaceful way’ for all vested inerests. cooperation along with genuine competition even if fueled by envy will benefit all. Investors flock where there is peace and monied folk value their security a million times more than the average person.
All these industrial parks and freeways are built to suck the resources of oromia, new freeways are all tolled money making machines for people in power. It is obviously true that the south eastern part of country is been run down because of their religion be aware that Oromo and Somali people have more in common and should not be made an enemy for one another. There will be no Ethiopia without Oromia which is the largest in size and population and much of the country’s resources comes from OROMIA region.