BoN earns financial inclusion award

The Bank of Namibia (BoN) has received two awards recognising its contribution to global financial inclusion policy and technical work.

The bank received the 2026 Institutional Leadership Award from the Alliance for Financial Inclusion (AFI), while its principal economist, Sesilia Nekwaya-Okafor, received the 2026 Technical Leadership Award for the Financial Inclusion Data and Impact Working Group (FIDIWG).

The awards were presented at the 2026 AFI Global Policy Forum in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.

The institutional award recognises an AFI member that demonstrates leadership through its engagement with the network, technical contributions, policy work and representation on global platforms.

The BoN has been a principal member of AFI since 2009 and participates in its technical and policy platforms.

The award was received by the central bank's deputy governor, Leonie Dunn, who also serves on the AFI Board of Directors.

Nekwaya-Okafor was recognised for her work with FIDIWG, where she serves as co-chair and gender focal point lead. The award recognises individuals from AFI member institutions who make significant technical contributions to the network's working groups.

What is the AFI?

AFI is a global network of central banks, financial regulators and policymakers from emerging and developing economies focused on developing policies to promote financial inclusion.

The BoN co-hosted the AFI Global Policy Forum in Swakopmund in 2025. More than 700 policymakers, regulators and financial sector stakeholders from 71 member institutions in 61 countries attended the event.

The forum resulted in the Swakopmund Call to Action, which called on policymakers to move beyond financial access towards financial inclusion that produces meaningful and equitable outcomes.

Central bank governor Ebson Uanguta welcomed the recognition, saying it reflected the contribution of the bank and its employees to international financial policy discussions.

“As a knowledge-based institution, we take particular pride in seeing both the Bank and our people recognised globally,” Uanguta said.