At the conclusion of its 78th Executive Council Meeting and 42nd General Assembly, the West African Bankers Association (WABA) has appointed Dr. Walton Ekundayo Gilpin, Managing Director of Rokel Commercial Bank, as the 2nd Vice President of the Association. The event took place at the Freetown International Conference Centre, Aberdeen, hosted by the WABA Secretariat in partnership with the Sierra Leone Association of Commercial Banks.
Dr. Gilpin’s election follows Senegal’s withdrawal from the organization, which created a leadership vacancy. The significant role of the 2nd Vice President in the organization’s operations was filled by Dr. Gilpin, who is also President of the Sierra Leone Association of Commercial Banks. His nomination was supported by WABA’s Vice President I, Dele Alabi of Nigeria, and two former WABA Secretary Generals, Alie Ceesay of the Gambia and Hanson Abosi of Nigeria. The endorsement came from Akin Morakinyo, Registrar/CEO of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN).
The two-day event featured discussions on various topics including Cross-Border Settlement Systems, International Financial Reporting Standards, Risk Management Technology, and annual financial and audit reports. WABA aims to enhance its impact across the continent by 2030 and has played a key role in supporting ECOWAS and other regional initiatives, such as the push for a unified West African currency.
The assembly also saw contributions from notable figures including Sierra Leone’s Deputy Minister of Finance, Kadiatu Allie, who represented Minister Sheku Fantamadi Bangura as the keynote speaker. Other speakers included Dr. Ibrahim Steven, Governor of the Sierra Leone Central Bank; Karamo Kabah, Governor of the Central Bank of Guinea; Momodu Samba Saho, Director General of the West African Monetary Agency (WAMA); Olorunsonla Olowofeso, Director General of the West African Monetary Institute (WAMI); and Dr. Baba Y Musa from the West African Institute for Financial and Economic Management (WAIFEM).
