The Chief Executive of Nigeria’s Bank of Industry, Olukayode Pitan, has been honoured with the Special African Banking Leadership Commendation Award during the just-concluded 9th edition of the International Forum on African-Caribbean Leadership (IFAL).

The event was held on the margins of the 78th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at the New York Hilton Midtown, United States, with the theme, ‘African-Caribbean Cooperation and Today’s Geopolitics.

The award is in recognition of Pitan’s contributions to the leadership achievements and contributions to the growth of Nigeria’s industrial sector, a statement by the bank said.

As the Managing Director of Nigeria’s oldest and largest development finance institution, Pitan draws from significant experience gained across various financial services sectors, including banking and capital markets during his over 30-year career in carrying out the mandate of BoI.

Under his leadership, BoI has significantly transformed Nigeria’s industrial sector by providing affordable long-term financing and counter-cyclical loans diversified across various sectors of the Nigerian economy.

In the last five years, he has pioneered several innovative transactions in the Nigerian capital market and the international financial market towards growing Nigeria’s economy.

To date, he has led BoI to successfully raise about $5 billion from the international market through syndications and bond markets over the last four years. The bank, under his leadership, has also consistently promoted financial inclusion by supporting the expansion of over three million enterprises, which created over seven million jobs for Nigerians.

At the International Forum on African-Caribbean Leadership (IFAL), Pitan was honoured alongside the President of Guyana, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali; the Vice President of The Gambia among others.