Nigeria’s Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele has just won another prestigious award: the 2017 Forbes Best of Africa Innovative Banking Awards by Forbes Magazine.

He was presented with the awards at the just concluded Annual Meetings of the World Bank and IMF at Willard Intercontinental, Washington, USA. Mr. Emefiele received the award in the presence of the Acting Nigerian Ambassador to the United States of America,Amb. Hassan Hassan; Deputy Governor, Economic Policy, CBN, Dr. Okwu Nnanna; the President and CEO of Corporate Council on Africa, Florie Liser; former Ambassador of the US to Nigeria, Amb. Robin Sanders; Chief Economic Adviser to the President, Dr. Oluyemi Dipeolu; Director General, Debt Management Office, Patience Oniha; CEOs of some Nigerian Deposit Money Banks, Chief Executives of the West African Monetary Institute (WAMI).

Mark Furlong, Forbes president for Customs Emerging Markets says Mr Emefiele was recognized of his courage and determination in using monetary policy to ensure financial stability in Nigeria.

Mr. Furlong said under Emefiele, the CBN has shown transparency and determination to boost Nigeria’s economy, for example through the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme (ABP) of the Bank as a major boost to the development of the agricultural sector in Nigeria.

The CBN Governor, had, before receiving the award listed the efforts of the apex bank under his watch since 2014. He attributing the award to the collective efforts of the management and staff of the CBN, the cooperation of the Nigerian Federal Government and the people of Nigeria who stood by the Bank, he said the CBN had to take inflation head-on in order to check the negative effects of several global shocks that had hit Nigeria between 2014 and 2016.

Mr. Emefiele stated that the CBN had to take bold decisions in order to stop a further plummeting of Nigeria’s foreign reserves due to huge import bills among other things. He also explained that President Muhammadu Buhari had urged the Federal Ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development and Employment, Labour and Productivity, as well as other stakeholders including State Governors to create more jobs through agriculture.

He also spoke on the management of the country’s foreign exchange, he recalled the adjustments made to the naira, noting that the creation of several windows in the inter-bank foreign exchange market, particularly the investors’ window, had triggered excitement in the foreign investor community and led to capital inflow of about $10 billion into Nigeria between May and October 2017.

He thanked foreign investors for showing confidence in the Nigerian economy, he invited the larger foreign investor community to invest in Nigeria, stressing that the Nigerian market remained the largest in Africa.

He noted that “Nigeria has a lot of potentials. The environment is good; the climate is good. Nigerians are hospitable and good people. Nigeria is good for business,”