The Group Chief Executive Officer of Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO), Mr. Segun Agbaje, has been named the recipient of the 2025 Banking Pioneer Award at the Texcellence Conference Awards, organised by CWG Plc.
The Texcellence Awards have become a premier platform for recognising Africa’s technology leaders and enterprises driving digital transformation. With the theme “Future Forward Africa: Leveraging Technology for Global Competitiveness,” the awards spotlight individuals and organisations shaping Africa’s technological competitiveness through innovation, infrastructure development, and cross-sector collaboration.
CWG Plc Chairman, Mr. Phillip Obioha, explained that the awards celebrate leaders building the foundational systems that enable secure platforms, scalable enterprises, financial inclusion, and national productivity. “This award celebrates visionary leaders who have fundamentally reshaped Nigeria’s financial services landscape and elevated Africa’s position in global banking,” he said.
The awards committee highlighted Agbaje’s achievements, noting his nearly three-decade career at GTBank, which he joined in 1991. Under his leadership, GTBank pioneered the USSD banking revolution in Nigeria through the *737# short code, expanding financial access to millions. He also positioned GTBank as Africa’s digital banking pioneer, launching GTWorld, the continent’s first biometric mobile banking app, and earning recognition twice as Africa’s Most Innovative Bank by EMEA Finance Magazine.
Agbaje’s tenure reflects a deliberate focus on technology-led transformation, evolving GTCO into a diversified, platform-driven financial services group centred on innovation and customer-centric solutions.
The recognition underscores his decades-long commitment to redefining banking in Nigeria and across Africa, leaving a lasting impact on the continent’s financial landscape.
By Kehinde Ibrahim, Lagos
