AFI Award

BANK OF NAMIBIA RECOGNISED FOR INSTITUTIONAL AND TECHNICAL LEADERSHIP IN GLOBAL FINANCIAL INCLUSION

1. The Bank of Namibia has received the 2026 Institutional Leadership Award from the Alliance for Financial Inclusion (AFI), while Mrs Sesilia Nekwaya-Okafor, Principal Economist at the Bank, received the 2026 Technical Leadership Award for the Financial Inclusion Data and Impact Working Group (FIDIWG). The awards were presented during the 2026 AFI Global Policy Forum held in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.

2. The Institutional Leadership Award is presented to an AFI member institution that demonstrates strong leadership within the network through active engagement, technical contributions to financial inclusion, thought leadership and representation of the AFI network at global platforms. The recognition, therefore, reflects the Bank of Namibia’s sustained contribution to financial inclusion policy development, peer learning and knowledge exchange at both national and international levels. The Bank’s Institutional Leadership Award was received by Deputy Governor of the Bank of Namibia, Ms. Leonie Dunn, who also serves on the AFI Board of Directors, contributing to the strategic direction and governance of the global network.

3. Complementing the Bank’s institutional recognition, Mrs Nekwaya- Okafor received the Technical Leadership Award in recognition of her contribution to FIDIWG, where she serves as Co-Chair and Gender Focal Point Lead. AFI’s Technical Leadership Awards recognise individuals from member institutions who demonstrate outstanding technical leadership and contribute high-quality technical inputs to the work and outputs of AFI’s Working Groups.