LOME, Togo, October 7, 2016/ — Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (www.Ecobank.com), the leading Pan-African financial institution, through its Foundation, has renewed its partnership with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria for a further three years. The relationship between the two organisations began in 2011,and the new agreement formalises Ecobank’s support for the Global Fund’s work in Africa.
A selected high-level audience composed of business leaders and development experts were present at the signing ceremony on September 16 2016, in Montreal, Canada. The event, ‘Changing Africa: Enabling growth through the private sector’, led by the Chief Executive Officer of the Ecobank Foundation, Ms. Julie Essiam, took place on the side-lines of the Global Fund’s Fifth Replenishment Conference. According to the terms of the agreement, Ecobank Foundation will work with the Global Fund to build the partnership into an engagement and advocacy platform for organisations and individuals who share a vision of accelerating the transformation of Africa.
Ade Ayeyemi, Ecobank Group Chief Executive Officer, pledged USD3 million at the Global Fund’s Fifth Replenishment Conference in Montreal. Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hosted the event attended by Heads of State, government officials and hundreds of private sector and development leaders from across the globe. The Fifth Replenishment raised USD 12.9 billion with a goal of saving 8 more million lives.
Mr. Ayeyemi said, “Our job as bankers is to build the technical infrastructure that brings tens of millions more Africans into a more formal financial system. Ecobank’s founding fathers established a Pan-African bank to support Africa’s transformation. We are pleased to renew our productive partnership with the Global Fund. I am confident that we are a step closer to enabling prosperity across Africa.”
Through its Foundation, Ecobank will continue to take a prominent role with the Global Fund To Fight against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria on the African continent.
Julie Essiam, Chief Executive Officer, Ecobank Foundation signed the agreement with Mark Dybul, Executive Director, Global Fund. She said, “The Ecobank Foundation is pleased to be part of a historic moment with the Global Fund and what we are trying to do in Africa, which is to create a “thriving Africa”, and a prosperous continent. It is important for the private sector to collaborate to ensure that we use our platforms to unlock funds which will deliver sustainable progress and prosperity to Africa.”
Programmes supported by the Global Fund partnership have put 9.2 million people on antiretroviral treatment for HIV, provided 15.1 million people with TB treatment and distributed 659 million mosquito nets to protect families from malaria.
Mark Dybul, Executive Director, Global Fund said, “We are excited about the Ecobank partnership, which improves the impact of our grants in numerous ways. When you workto advance financial management, all the way down to sub-recipients in rural areas, that’s hugely important for development.”
The Global Fund is an organization designed to accelerate the end of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria as epidemics. As a partnership between governments, civil society, the private sector and people affected by diseases, the Global Fund mobilizes and invests nearly US$4 billion annually to support programmes run by local experts in more than 100 countries and supports attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the United Nations.
Distributed by APO on behalf of Ecobank.
Media Contact:
Richard Uku
Head Group Communications
Ecobank Transnational Incorporated
Email: ruku@ecobank.com
About the Ecobank Foundation:
The Ecobank Foundation (www.EcobankFoundation.org) was created to positively impact the lives of people across Africa. Established by the Ecobank Group, the leading pan-African bank, the Ecobank Foundation is positioned to contribute towards the continent’s transformation, particularly in the communities in which the bank operates. The Ecobank Foundation partners with organisations to provide relevant experience and expertise in the field of health, education and financial inclusion. For more information, visit www.EcobankFoundation.org
Web: ecobankfoundation.org
Twitter: @EcobankFdn
Tel: +22822238084
About Ecobank Group:
Incorporated in Lomé, Togo, in 1988 Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (‘ETI’) the parent company of Ecobank (www.Ecobank.com) is the leading independent pan-African banking group. It currently has a presence in 36 African countries, namely: Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo (Brazzaville), Congo (Democratic Republic), Côte d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The Group employs over 20,000 people in 40 different countries in over 1,200 branches and offices. Ecobank is a full-service bank providing wholesale, retail, investment and transaction banking services and products to governments, financial institutions, multinationals, international organizations, medium, small and micro businesses and individuals.
Additional information on Ecobank can be found at www.Ecobank.com.
SOURCE
Ecobank
