AfriPulse
Group Chief Executive Officer of Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO), Segun Agbaje
The Group Chief Executive Officer of Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO), Segun Agbaje, has been named the winner of the 2025 Banking Pioneer Award at the Texcellence Conference Awards.
The recognition was presented by CWG Plc, organisers of the Texcellence Conference, an awards platform that brings together Africa’s technology leaders and enterprise stakeholders to drive conversations around the continent’s digital transformation.
Speaking on the awards, the Chairman of CWG Plc, Phillip Obioha, said the Texcellence Awards were created to recognise individuals and institutions contributing significantly to Africa’s digital competitiveness through infrastructure development, innovation, and collaboration across sectors.
According to him, the 2025 edition, themed “Future Forward Africa: Leveraging Technology for Global Competitiveness,” highlighted organisations and executives whose work strengthens the foundational systems that support secure digital platforms, scalable enterprises, financial inclusion, and improved productivity across the continent.
“Rather than celebrating technology adoption alone, Texcellence 4.0 honoured those building the rails, the broadband networks, financial systems, interoperable platforms, and trusted digital ecosystems that position Africa to compete confidently on a global stage,” Obioha noted.
Explaining the criteria for the Banking Pioneer Award, Obioha said the honour celebrates visionary leaders who have significantly reshaped Nigeria’s financial services landscape and strengthened Africa’s presence in global banking.
“These are not merely executives managing institutions; they are trailblazers who rewrote the rules, transforming how millions of Africans bank, transact, and engage with financial services,” he said.
According to the awards organisers, Agbaje’s recognition reflects his nearly three decades of leadership in transforming GTCO into one of Africa’s most innovative financial institutions.
Agbaje joined Guaranty Trust Bank in 1991 and has played a central role in the bank’s transformation into a technology-driven institution. Under his leadership, the bank pioneered the widely used 737# USSD banking service, which expanded access to financial services for millions of Nigerians and helped accelerate financial inclusion.
GTBank also launched GTWorld, regarded as one of Africa’s first biometric mobile banking applications, further strengthening its reputation as a digital banking pioneer on the continent.
The Texcellence Awards Committee said the honour reflects Agbaje’s consistent investment in technology-driven transformation and innovation within the banking sector.
According to the committee, under his leadership, GTCO has evolved from a traditional commercial bank into a diversified financial services group driven by digital infrastructure and customer-focused innovation.
Source: TheWhistler | Read the Full Story…
