The Nigerian community in Washington D.C. and the country’s delegates to the IMF /World Bank Annual Meetings walked tall on Saturday, October 12, 2013, when the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Mr. Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, was conferred with the 2013 Emerging Markets Central Bank of the Year Award for Sub-Saharan Africa at the prestigious Willard InterContinental, Washington DC.

In a citation, the Managing Director of the Emerging Markets Magazine, organizers of the award, John Orchard, acknowledged the outstanding feat of Mr. Sanusi in driving down inflation from the double digit to single digit of about 8 per cent. He also stated that Mr. Sanusi had consistently pursued and successfully maintained macroeconomic stability notwithstanding the arduous challenges confronting the Nigerian economy.

When Sanusi won the Award for the second time in 2010, the publishers and the organisers of the award noted that winning a second time was a rare event.

Responding, a visibly elated CBN Governor attributed his success to the efforts of the 6000 workforce of the Bank. He thanked the Government of Nigeria for the confidence reposed in him by giving him the responsibility. He also thanked the Finance Ministers with whom he had worked during his tenure, including the incumbent Minister, Dr. (Mrs.) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Dr. Mansur Muhtar, who were present at the occasion.

Speaking further, he reiterated that Central Bank Governors had the onerous challenge of maintaining stability in the financial system and pledged not to relent in this regard.

Mr. Sanusi won the award for the Sub-Saharan region alongside the South African Minister of Finance, Mr. Pravin Gordhan, who won the Finance Minister of the Year for the Sub-Saharan regional economies.

The award ceremony  proved to be the largest gathering of Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors from the emerging economies of Asia, Europe, Middle East and North Africa, South America and the Sub-Saharan regions.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Ambassador to the United States, Prof. Adebowale Adefuye and members of the Nigerian Mission in Washington D.C hosted the Nigerian delegates to a dinner in honour of the CBN Governor.

The Ambassador commended Mr. Sanusi for this singular feat and urged him not to rest on his oars.

Also speaking at the dinner, the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala thanked Prof. Adefuye for hosting the Nigerian delegates, even to the point of cancelling his travel plans in order to rejoice with the awardee and the delegates to the Annual Meetings.

Other dignitaries present at the occasion were the CBN Deputy Governor, Operations, Mr. Tunde Lemo, and his counterparts for Economic Policy, Corporate Services and Financial System Stability, Dr. (Mrs.) Sarah Alade, Alhaji Suleiman Barau and Dr. Kingsley Moghalu, respectively.

This is Sanusi’s last Annual Meeting and he will be missed by the international finance community.