Josephine Anan-Ankomah, Regional Executive at Ecobank for Central, Eastern, and Southern Africa and Managing Director of Ecobank Kenya, has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Laws ( honoris causa) by the University of Ghana in recognition of her outstanding contributions to banking and finance across the African continent.
The honor was conferred after she delivered the 2025 Aggrey-Fraser-Guggisberg Memorial Lecture on the theme “Her Money, Her Power: Making Finance Work for Women.”
The two – day lecture highlighted the critical role of financial institutions in empowering women entrepreneurs, the need for gender-inclusive banking policies, and strategies to bridge the financial gap for women-led businesses.
The ceremony, held at the Great Hall of the University of Ghana, was a brief but colorful congregation led by Chancellor Mrs. Mary Chinery-Hesse, Vice-Chancellor Prof. Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, Registrar Mrs. Emelia N.K. Agyei-Mensah, and other senior university officials.
Mrs. Anan-Ankomah’s recognition underscores her impactful leadership in Africa’s financial sector, her advocacy for financial inclusion, and her dedication to driving banking innovations that foster economic growth across the continent.
Delivering her lectures Mrs. Anan Ankomah noted that :”The global financial system is failing women —not incidentally, but structurally.
Despite being the backbone of economies, excelling as reliable borrowers, and launching businesses at unprecedented rates, women remain systematically excluded from mainstream financial services.”
She added that: ”This is not merely a gender disparity: it is an economic miscalculation that stifles global prosperity. For too long, finance has been designed as a one-size-fits-men model, ignoring the distinct financial behaviours, needs and challenges women face. The result? A staggering $17 trillion financing gap that is not just a missed opportunity for women-but for economies worldwide.”
Josephine Anan-Ankomah is a highly respected international Banker with over three decades of experience in treasury management, strategy execution, investment and commercial banking.
A dynamic leader, she has played a pivotal role in shaping Africa’s financial landscape.
She currently serves as Regional Executive for Central, Eastern, and Southern Africa (CESA) at Ecobank Transnational and doubles as Managing Director of Ecobank Kenya. Overseeing operations in 18 of the 35 African countries that the Ecobank Group operates in, she manages nearly 30% of the Group’s balance sheet and the second-largest revenue pool.
She drives strategy and business performance in one of Ecobank’s most critical regions while simultaneously leading Ecobank Kenya.