L-R: Roosevelt Ogbonna, Managing Director\/CEO Access Bank Plc; Jacqueline Simmons, Senior Executive Editor, EMEA, Bloomberg; Kenny Fihla, Group CEO of Absa Group; and Sim Tshabalala, Group CEO, Standard Chartered at the Bloomberg Africa Business Summit held in Johannesburg recently.<\/p>\n
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COMFORT EKELEME, Business Editor<\/p>\n
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Managing Director\/Chief Executive Officer of Access Bank, Roosevelt Ogbonna has highlighted the underlying resilience of African markets despite prevailing geo-political uncertainties.<\/p>\n
He stated this at the Bloomberg Africa Business Summit, while delivering a compelling perspective on the theme, \u2018Offering a forward-looking view of what banking in a \u201cGlobal Africa\u201d must become.<\/p>\n
Speaking to an audience of global investors, policymakers, and private-sector executives, Ogbonna emphasised that transparency, disciplined governance, and sustained policy reforms are sending clear signals that resonate with global capital pools.<\/p>\n
He said, these conditions are laying a stronger foundation for financing Africa\u2019s next phase of growth.<\/p>\n
Citing Nigeria\u2019s most recent Eurobond issuance, which was oversubscribed multiple times, he noted that investor appetite continues to respond positively to reform-driven environments.<\/p>\n
\u201cMarkets are more intelligent than the narratives that often surround Africa,\u201d Ogbonna stated.<\/p>\n
Looking ahead, Ogbonna, who spoke alongside Sim Tshabalala, CEO of Standard Bank Group and Kenny Fihla, Group CEO of Absa Group, articulated a bold vision of Africa not merely as a consumer market, but as a global hub for trade, innovation, and production.<\/p>\n
According to him, with abundant talent, natural resources, and emerging technological infrastructure, the continent is ideally positioned to move up the value chain, from exporting raw materials to manufacturing and delivering value-added products domestically.<\/p>\n
For Access Bank, he explained, this translates into a commitment to full-spectrum banking that supports every layer of economic activity: retail, SMEs, corporate entities, and investment-driven sectors such as renewable energy, digital infrastructure, and industrial processing.<\/p>\n
Ogbonna further underscored the strategic advantage for African banks as many Western institutions reduce their footprint across the continent.<\/p>\n
On Access Bank\u2019s own pan-African expansion, he noted that it reflects a Global Africa strategy rooted in deep local expertise, a nuanced understanding of diverse markets, and the ability to deliver solutions foreign institutions often overlook.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe objective goes beyond profitability, it is about catalysing growth, strengthening ecosystems, and driving development across regions and sectors,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
According to Ogbonna, the future of banking in Africa will hinge on leaders who pair global perspective with strong local ownership.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis means engaging international capital markets while simultaneously investing in Africa\u2019s infrastructure, talent, and homegrown enterprise.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt also requires a deliberate effort to challenge the \u201cperception premium\u201d, the persistent risk bias that inflates the cost of capital for African countries and businesses,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He argued that overcoming these barriers and unlocking domestic capital flows will be essential for advancing continental trade, innovation, and large-scale development initiatives.<\/p>\n
Ogbonna expressed confidence that Africa possesses everything required to finance and shape its own future: rich resources, abundant talent, and a rising generation of innovators.
What remains critical he said is the vision and leadership to align these assets with a truly global African ambition.<\/p>\n
The Bloomberg Africa Business Summit served as a powerful reminder that Africa\u2019s financial destiny will not be defined externally. Instead, it will be crafted by Africans who are ready to lead, invest, and build a future grounded in the principles of a \u201cGlobal Africa.\u201d<\/p>\n
At the recent Bloomberg Africa Business Summit, some of the continent\u2019s most influential banking leaders convened to address a defining question for Africa\u2019s economic trajectory: How can the continent sustainably fund its own growth in an increasingly interconnected world?<\/p>\n
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