The President of Groupe Ideal, Dr Nii Kotei Dzani has been adjudged the Most Outstanding Finance and SME Entrepreneur in West Africa at the 13th Security Watch Africa Awards in South Africa.
The decision to confer the prestigious award on Dr Dzani was from an extensive assessment of his personal and certified commitment to financial security, entrepreneurship and equity in the financial sector in Ghana.
According to the judgement board Groupe Ideal as a company is committed to high principle of security and safety of their operations since inception.
“This we found very exemplary in West Africa,” said the Secretary to the awards Simon Udie.
Mr Udie said Dr Dzani being the lead for 13 companies which served millions of customers and employ more than thousand staff was a great motivation not only to the people of his country but Africa at large.
He said Dr Dzani dedication and attributes were in line with Security Watch’s vision to drive an international platform to celebrate Africa’s best governance, leadership, security and finance.
It is also aimed at creating a credible forum for networking and sharing ideas by experts.
Commenting on the award, Dr Dzani said financial security in its broader sense embraced the strength and stability of financial institutions, prudential regulation, competitive financial markets, employment opportunities, savings culture and retirement incomes.
“I am therefore elated about this award. It always feels great to be recognised and awarded for your contribution within a sector and for your input to the growth of an organisation. I dedicate this award to the entire Groupe Ideal team for the massive support over the years.
“Hard work, passion, team work has made this possible. It’s simply a reflection of hard work paying off, nonetheless one that challenges me to do more in my sector,” Dr Dzani added.
“It has been a great year for Groupe Ideal in Ghana – a year in which we grew from adding a subsidiary to the other as industry players. A year in which we have won multiple awards for our innovations and hard work as a group,’’ he added.
Dr Dzani noted that transforming institutions to prolific ones with his entrepreneurial vision through his tried and tested corporate advisory services.
Groupe Ideal is a registered business group that manages a diverse portfolio of businesses primarily in Ghana with a long-term vision of becoming a world class company. It operates in the areas of investment banking, business finance, Trade, Asset Management, Mining and Offshore Consultancy services, media, and security services.
The finance based institutions within the Groupe support businesses and individuals with tailor made products and services.
The awards, conference and exhibition night was indeed a memorable one as a lot of institutions and personalities swept prestigious awards for their outstanding contributions in their sectors.
Some key persons who won award on the night included the president of the republic of Nigeria, Buhari.
Previous Ghanaian awardees include President John Mahama, Kofi Amoabeng of UT holdings, UMB, Manet estate, Ghana Airports Company Ltd – The most Security & Safety Conscious Airport – West Africa (2011) held in the Gambia, and Lt Gen Joseph Smith, a former Minister of Defence.
Security Watch Africa Awards was initiated and inaugurated in 2004, with the aim to recognise, appreciate, encourage and celebrate individuals, governments, agencies, brands and companies who have excelled in security administration, practice and governance in Africa.
The mission is to bridge the gap of information that exists between security providers and security users, and between government and the governed.
