DealMakers Africa Celebrates Excellence in West African M&A and Corporate Finance
In a prestigious ceremony held at EbonyLife Place in Lagos, DealMakers Africa honored the top mergers and acquisitions transactions and advisory firms operating across West Africa. The DealMakers Africa Annual Gala Awards spotlighted the most impactful activities within the mergers and acquisitions and broader corporate finance landscape over the past year, with accolades primarily based on objective criteria such as deal value and volume.
The event underscored the dynamic growth and sophistication of financial markets in the region, with strategic partners like TSM Network Ltd acknowledged for their crucial support in ensuring the gala's success. While most award categories were determined using quantitative metrics like transaction size and number, three special categories underwent a more rigorous evaluation process.
Key Award Categories and Winners
West Africa Deal of the Year: This category featured a shortlist of five significant transactions, including Presco's ₦236 billion rights issue, Bosquet Investments' acquisition of a 21.22% stake in Ecobank Transnational, and the listing of the MOFI Real Estate Investment Fund on the Nigerian Exchange. The winner was GTCO's international equity offering and listing on the London Stock Exchange, praised for marking a milestone in Nigeria's capital market and showcasing African financial institutions' increasing engagement in global markets. Advisers on this deal included Citigroup Global Markets, Chapel Hill Denham Advisory, and Banwo & Ighodalo, among others.
Private Equity Deal of the Year: Four transactions were shortlisted, such as the disposal of Baobab to Beltone Holdings and Africa Capital Alliance's exit from Aradel Holdings. Helios Investment Partners' exit of its 75% stake in Axxela emerged victorious, recognized as one of the largest private equity exits in Nigeria's energy sector in recent years and highlighting sustained investor interest in infrastructure assets. Key advisers included Rand Merchant Bank Nigeria, Banwo & Ighodalo, and Latham & Watkins.
Individual DealMaker of the Year: From an initial pool of 13 nominees, seven professionals were shortlisted, including Ayodeji Oyetunde of Aluko & Oyebode and Azeezah Muse-Sadiq of Banwo & Ighodalo. The award was jointly presented to Seyi Bella, a partner at Banwo & Ighodalo, and Bimbo Oyeyiga, head of corporate finance at Rand Merchant Bank Nigeria, honoring their exceptional contributions to completed transactions.
Top Advisers Across Financial and Legal Sectors
The gala also recognized leading financial and legal advisers across various transaction types. In mergers and acquisitions, Standard Chartered Bank ranked first as financial adviser by deal value, followed by Morgan Stanley and Stanbic IBTC Capital, while Enexus Finance led by deal activity. For legal advisory in mergers and acquisitions, Dentons topped the list by deal value, with Asafo & Co leading in activity.
In equity market transactions, Coronation Merchant Bank was the top financial adviser by transaction value, with CardinalStone Partners leading by activity. Banwo & Ighodalo dominated as the leading legal adviser in both value and activity for equity transactions, followed by Olaniwun Ajayi and Templars. For debt market transactions, Stanbic IBTC Capital ranked first among financial advisers by both value and activity, with Banwo & Ighodalo again leading the legal advisory rankings.
The DealMakers Awards, first introduced in South Africa in 2000 and expanded across Africa in 2008, continue to serve as a benchmark for excellence in the corporate finance industry, fostering recognition and growth in emerging markets like West Africa.
