Dr. Walton Gilpin Elected Vice President II of West African Bankers Association

The West African Bankers Association (WABA), at the conclusion of its 78th Executive Council Meeting and 42nd General Assembly, unanimously elected Dr. Walton Ekundayo Gilpin, the Managing Director of Rokel Commercial Bank, as Vice President II of the association. The twin event, held at the Freetown International Conference Centre in Aberdeen, Sierra Leone, was hosted by the WABA Secretariat in collaboration with the Sierra Leone Association of Commercial Banks.

Senegal’s withdrawal from the prestigious sub-regional group created a vacancy in WABA’s leadership structure, meaning the country could no longer serve on the Executive Committee. Recognizing the crucial role of the 2nd Vice President in the effective functioning of the association, the group elected Dr. Walton Ekundayo Gilpin, a seasoned Sierra Leonean banker who also serves as President of the Sierra Leone Association of Commercial Banks.

Dr. Gilpin was nominated by WABA’s Vice President I, Dele Alabi from Nigeria, along with two former WABA Secretary Generals—Alie Ceesay from The Gambia and Hanson Abosi from Nigeria. The nomination received the endorsement of Akin Morakinyo, Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN).

The two-day event featured presentations on Cross-Border Settlement Systems, International Financial Reporting Standards, Risk Management Technology Adoption, and discussions on the annual financial report, audit reports, and subscriptions.

As a sub-regional body, WABA aspires to become the most impactful bankers association on the continent by 2030. To this end, it has played a pivotal role in supporting ECOWAS and other sub-regional entities on various projects, including the establishment of a single currency in West Africa.

The event also attracted several distinguished personalities, including Sierra Leone’s Deputy Minister of Finance, Kadiatu Allie, who represented the Minister of Finance, Sheku Fantamadi Bangura, as the Keynote Speaker. Other notable 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).