African Leadership Magazine (www.AfricanLeadershipMagazine.co.uk) today announced the winners of the 16th African Business Leadership Awards (ABLA) 2026. The announcement follows the successful completion of a rigorous four-stage, points-based selection and evaluation process involving public nominations, editorial screening, global public voting, and a final assessment based on verifiable institutional and leadership impact. The winners will be formally honoured and presented with their award trophies and instruments of honour during the high-level ABLA Ceremony and strategic stakeholder engagements scheduled for 2–3 July 2026 at the iconic House of Lords, London, United Kingdom.
Now in its 16th year, the African Business Leadership Awards (ABLA) has become Africa’s premier platform for recognising transformational leadership, corporate excellence, and outstanding contributions to the continent’s economic growth and global competitiveness. Chaired annually by former President of Tanzania, H.E. Dr. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, this landmark gathering at the House of Lords convenes Heads of State and Government, policymakers, senior business executives, diplomats, development finance institutions, and global investors to connect continental ambition with global capital, strategic partnerships, and policy engagement shaping Africa’s next phase of growth.
The winners were selected through the established ABLA four-stage evaluation framework. Global public voting accounted for 65% of the final score, allowing stakeholders across Africa and the diaspora to directly validate continental impact, while the remaining 35% was determined by the African Leadership Magazine Editorial Board through a rigorous assessment of institutional performance, governance standards, sustainability, market influence, innovation, and measurable socio-economic contributions.
Dr. Ken Giami, Founder and CEO of the African Leadership Organisation, congratulated the winners, stating: “We are proud to recognize the 2026 African Business Leadership Award winners, whose excellence and ambition continue to redefine what is possible for African enterprise. Their leadership is inspiring the next generation of business pioneers.”
The complete list of winners across the various categories of the 16th African Business Leadership Awards (ABLA) 2026 is provided below:
African Business Leader of the Year
- Daniel McKorley — Executive Chairman, McDan Group, Ghana | Winner
- Sayyu Dantata — Founder & Chairman, MRS Holdings Limited, Nigeria | Co-Winner
African Female Business Leader of the Year
- Fatoumata Mbalou Sanogo — CEO, Petroci Holding, Côte d’Ivoire | Winner
- Kapumpe Chola — CEO, First National Bank (FNB) Zambia | Co-Winner
African Finance Minister of the Year
- Cassiel Ato Forson — Minister for Finance, Ghana | Winner
- Nadia Fettah Alaoui — Minister of Economy and Finance, Morocco | Co-Winner
Central Bank Governor of the Year
- Eyob Tekalign — Governor, National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) | Winner
- Emmanuel Tutuba — Governor, Bank of Tanzania | Co-Winner
Business-Friendly Governor of the Year
- Alex Otti — Governor of Abia State, Nigeria | Joint Winner
- Wavinya Ndeti — Governor of Machakos County, Kenya | Joint Winner
African CEO of the Year
- Jeremy Awori — CEO, Ecobank Transnational Incorporated, Togo | Winner
- Sebastião Gaspar Martins — Chairman & CEO, Sonangol Group, Angola | Co-Winner
African Company of the Year
- Dangote Group, Nigeria | Winner
- Orascom Construction, Egypt | Co-Winner
African Brand of the Year
- Ethiopian Airlines | Winner
- Airtel Africa | Co-Winner
African Regulator of the Year
- National Communications Authority, Ghana | Winner
- Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA) | Co-Winner
Industry Personality of the Year
- Bayo Ojulari — Group CEO, NNPC Limited, Nigeria | Winner
- Yasser Shaker — CEO, Orange Middle East and Africa (OMEA) | Co-Winner
Trade & Investment Minister of the Year
- Basílio Zefanias Muhate — Minister of Economy, Mozambique | Winner
- Rui Miguêns de Oliveira — Minister of Industry and Commerce, Angola | Co-Winner
Trade & Investment Promotion Agency of the Year
- Uganda Investment Authority | Winner
- Ghana Investment Promotion Centre | Co-Winner
Young Business Leader of the Year
- Abdoul Karim Diallo — Director General, SONOCO, Guinea | Co-Winner
- Daniel Ekali Kwizombe — CEO, DEK Engineering, Malawi | Co-Winner
African Tech & Digital Economy Leader of the Year
- Galaxy Backbone, Nigeria | Winner
- Botswana Fibre Networks (BoFiNet) | Co-Winner
CSR & Community Development Impact Award
- Mastercard Africa | Winner
- Bakhresa Group, Tanzania | Co-Winner
Africa Business Integrity Leader Award
- Salaam Somali Bank | Winner
- Mauritius Commercial Bank | Co-Winner
African Diaspora Business Leader of the Year
- Ismail Ahmed — Founder & Chairman, WorldRemit, Somaliland | Winner
- Helmy Eltoukhy — Chairman, Guardant Health, Egypt | Co-Winner
Lifetime Achievement Award
- Sam Jonah — Executive Chairman, Jonah Capital Equity Fund, Ghana
- Jim Ovia — Founder, Zenith Bank Plc, Nigeria
- Adebayo Ogunlesi — Global Infrastructure Partners / BlackRock, Nigeria
- James Mwangi — Group Managing Director & CEO, Equity Group Holdings Plc, Kenya
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Leadership Magazine.
For media and other enquiries:
Ehis Ayere
Group General Manager
African Leadership Magazine UK
ehis@africanleadershipmagazine.co.uk
About African Leadership Magazine:
The African Leadership Magazine, published by the African Leadership Organisation (UK), presents the best of Africa to a global audience—telling the African story from an African perspective while advancing practical solutions to the continent’s most pressing challenges. For over 19 years, we have championed impactful leadership and promoted African opportunities worldwide through an integrated ecosystem of Afro-positive content, trade facilitation and market-entry support, high-level networking platforms, and targeted public-sector training and advisory services.
